It has recently occured to me that I need a way of standardizing my hidden tang sizes (width & thickness) to say 2 or 3 standard sizes while I am forging my blades. Has anyone else already done this and if so what sort of jig did you use or could I use to get this done...think low tech.
It would be great to be able to do this, and I'm anxious to see what others have to say, but I've always felt that depends strictly on the size and thickness of the riccaso of each individual blade. Unless you do in fact build designated models that adhere to consistent sizes, then of course this is feasible. My biggest obstacale when finish forging was getting the tang "angle", or drop, set just so as I often didn't plan the whole knife design out, handle included, when I forged a blade, and tweeking a tang drop after the blades been heat treated can be difficult. I didn't like the tang angle dictating what kind of handle I could put on a knife so I made sure I had that planned before forging, much happier once I factored this in. Sorry for getting of course there. Wes
You want low tech? You got it. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />
I naturally just step my tang transition down to about 3/4 the with of the ricasso. From there, they taper, but just enough for the weight distribution, not much. I refine the tang while profiling the blade, by grinding it. I like the tang thickness to stay about that, 3/4 the size of the ricasso. No jigs for me. As long as you allow material for grinding and subtle adjustments, there is no reason to treat the tang any differently than the rest of the blade in this regard.
If you have a blade pattern, the tang size, angle, curve, etc. should be included as part of you pattern.
|quoted:
You want low tech? You got it. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />
I naturally just step my tang transition down to about 3/4 the with of the ricasso. From there, they taper, but just enough for the weight distribution, not much. I refine the tang while profiling the blade, by grinding it. I like the tang thickness to stay about that, 3/4 the size of the ricasso. No jigs for me. As long as you allow material for grinding and subtle adjustments, there is no reason to treat the tang any differently than the rest of the blade in this regard.
If you have a blade pattern, the tang size, angle, curve, etc. should be included as part of you pattern.
The reason I brought this up Lin was I was wanting to hot cut some of my guards. I wanted to be able to have a standard that way I could make a chisel or slit & drift that I wouldn't have to remake every time I made a new knife blade. I suppose I could make a jig that I could slide my tang into (while hot) to get my spacing right. Maybe something that would fit in the hardy hole of my anvil. If anyone has something like this could you describe it or post a picture would be better.
I do already have a spring fuller type of jig for making my step down at the tang. I also open it up to use for making the step at my recasso nice and square...I'm still working on my forging skills and my anvil corners aren't real good.
