CRUDE - Hobby smithing....

I've only made Two of my own Strikers -first one is wierd , too long to fit in a Film tin, But threw sparks immediately after quenching.

Second one is also very crude but fits the hand much better. This one -Zero sparks. So I used the Web to read about why and how to possibly fix.

My steel is old Files, my heat is propane torch...I figured out to heat the steel file in a Thick conduit pipe clamped in my pipe vice. I have only common Shop tools so I used a regular hammer and vice grips.

Second striker I read about Quenching and cooling methods.

after reading about strikers others have had that didn't spark and Lett them cool without quenching I heated the piece up 3 times and hung it on a steel rod to naturally cool.

4th heat, red hot Again, this time I quenched it in water.


Sparks like a mad Banchee Now!

Woo hoo!!!!

First try at A File striker. It sparks great but is odly shaped for the hand.


Second Striker Took 3 heatings and air cooling, Fourth heating I quenched it in water.
Dried it and it sparks great now.


Jute twine

Curl up 3 wraps Jute twine. Pictures shows way too many wraps.into a "birds nest" add birch bark or dried Old man's beard kitchen (sp?

put char cloth under or over a flint rock , strike a spark and put lit cloth in " birds nest " Abd blow into a flame.

Mountain Man's fire

Nice work there. Pretty soon you'll be cranking out knives.

No way know.

just Strikers.

That is how it starts.........

I have come to prefer an oval striker. I can tie them onto my belt or sash, or just have a leather thong attached to them so they are easier to find in a bag.
I understand they are a bit trickier to make, as the oval needs forge welded together.

Nice. I recall reading a long time ago that you can make something like a forge using soft fire brick. When I had visions of becoming a master knife maker (I've made 3 in 5 years) I got some. I have no idea what happened to it.

You do give me ideas, though. Thanks.

330 do you have a forge? I grew up playing in one. My Dad had one when I was a kid and since he shoed horses I had all the horse shoes I wanted to heat up. I made one to heat rebar to hammer it to a point for trap stakes about 40 years ago. I have one now that is a hand crank type. I cut a piece rail road rail with a hack saw for an anvil. I have a 90 lb Hay Budden anvil now.

I use punk wood ....instead of char cloth.

But char cloth is easier to catch a spark..

That's very cool, 330. Where did you get the flint?

No forget

I was using out of no knowledge and desperation- propane torch...it tool a long time to heat up
Last evening I thought.... put the file in a pipe to trap heat...it worked much better.

today I'll weld an end on the pipes backside

***cool spikes MJM

it does, yes

I traded for a Huge chunk- back in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in 1982 I believe, At a Royal Rangers / FCF Rendevous

I just now decided to chip off pieces for Me and another person. I wish I hadn't used from that rock. I traded a mink pelt tanned for it.

I want to go to a State like Tennessee next year to hunt for flint.

You should build a forge. All you need is the end out of a barrel and a blower. The one I made I cut odd a small barrel and cut a hole in the center. Mudded a piece of pipe into the bottom and put a sink strainer over it. I used a hair dryer for a air blower. It was hard to regulate the heat due to only having high, low and off. But for making trap stakes it worked fine. It was simple to make. I have hammered out 100's of stakes. Those went to a guy in TX, and were made into Ram snare stakes with a piece of angle on them for the spring eye to slip onto.

there are places with flint in Indiana. one of the dry creeks we hunt in has rocks with flint in them and flint pieces as well all along it.

I like the smaller, two fingered strikers vs the four. With a good striker you don't need as much steel making it a bit more compact.

I play at it. Here are a couple neck knives I am making for my Newfoundland moose guides.

Very interesting! I’m always amazed by you guys and what you’re able to do!!

If you’re looking into building a coal style forge I’d recommend you find a used front brake drum off a semi tractor as they’re sallow and made from heavy ductile iron or cast just depends, also I’d use oil for the quench instead of water, peanut is pretty cheap, f&t used to have a book about knife making that discussed forging and heat treating that could be useful.

Here’s the book.

https://fntpost.com/product/tim-mccreights-custom-knifemaking-book

Take a look at the website iforgeiron.com Smiths at all levels on there from all over the world.

Moosetrot

I was going to quench in oil, but thought the oil might impregnate in the steel and not throw a spark

I'm not going to make knives - just strikers