Basic components for making a sword?

[tanukimario]

Okay so i've been really interested in how people have been able to make their own swords and i'm amazed by how well they come out when a lot of time and effort is put in.

For a while i've been wanting to try and create something of my own in metal, and I am aware of how much effort goes in to making anything out of metal, but I do want to experience being able to take a piece of metal and turn it into something, and I will probably fail at it, but it's something I want to try atleast once.

So basically my question is, what are the basic components you need to be able to make a sword or basically heat metal to shape it into something? This is really only for experimental purposes, so I don't plan on making my own full-scale metal workshop or anything like that. What are some of the important materials that i'll need to make some kind of furnace to make the fire, what material should I use that will make a hot fire (like charcoal or wood), and things like that. Also by using basic materials, how can I create the furnace to become hot enough to turn metal red and work with it? I know I made a previous topic about this, but how can I do this through basic means without any high-end equipment? I know for sure that you can't just throw some wood into a fire pit, stick some metal into it, and have it glowing red, so what is really needed to make this work?

[bobO]

Goose posted a really good deal on this. I mean the guy dug a whole in the ground as a forge! Don't get much simpler then that. And yes you can throw wood into a fire pit, just add forced air to it, you gots a forge.

[Taygrd]

My first forge was in the ground with charcoal. I used a shop vac reversed so it would blow air for the supply. A magnet is needed to test the blade when it reaches decalesence. Once the blade is hot enough it will loose magnet response. You can make a blade without forging by the stock removal method. Files are made out of oil quench metals (1095, 1084, O1, etc.) once the blade reaches decalesence you quench it in olive oil, vegtable oil, mineral oil etc. BobO did his with a file by hand, and it came out great. Here are two sites with some ideas for forges.
http://www.vikingdesign.co.uk/tub.html
http://www.survival.com/forge.htm

[tanukimario]

Hmm okay. Could I use charcoal for the fire though? (Like the same charcoal meant for grilling?) Would charcoal get hot enough to make the fire hot and wouldn't the charcoal last for only a few minutes?

[Taygrd]

Same stuff used for grilling. Charcoal does burn fast so you would need a lot. Just keep adding it as needed. I have used wood as well mixed with the charcoal and it last a little longer. The induction of air is what get your temp high.

[goose710]

Tanukimario
I have bulit a forge with a simple blower motor and kingsford bricqetts, you could use a shop vac (reversed like "T" said )
here is the easiest way to do it and the most basic this guy does it in the woods, i'm sure you can do better than he!
http://www.knifemaker.tv/video/90290-greenpetes-knife-making-pt4of4.html
there's a series of four video's by this guy taking you through the whole process
here is my simple forge build on a whim in about an hour,
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/8206/dsc01655wq0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/8206/dsc01655wq0.f0f7b2846b.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=209&i=dsc01655wq0.jpg)
it can be as simple or as complex as you like you still gonna get a blade! after all they beeen doin this forever!!! with less.
da goose710

[tanukimario]

Ooh, thanks for the help, goose! The videos are really helpful and give me a better idea on how to do this. I did read once on a site that I don't remember that to make the fire hot, someone actually used a blow dryer and connected it under the flames. Would a blow dryer have enough power to do something like that..? In any case, i'm gunna have to go find a vacuum cleaner to use for this. xP

[goose710]

Tanukimario
Blow dryer will work fine just hook up some kind of pipe/duct to keep it from the high heat of the forge
da goose710
also check out forum posts for some forging stuff i posted you'll find what ya need

[bobO]

TANUK, Start small, that way when you screw up it don't hurt as much.

[Sairon]

tanukimario what style of weapon do you wan't to make, because if you just want to make a straight sword you can do it without a forge, this is as long as you have the needed equipment. If you wan't to make a folded sword like a katana you will need a forge.

[tanukimario]

I just wanted to try and heat metal and just experiment with it. I think I want to try and make a straight katana... This is going for a long shot and I'm very much aware that i'll fail, but what I plan on doing is getting a thin bar of steel, the thickness and the length of a katana, cut off the edge so that it has a point, shape the tang, and then maybe hammer it down a bit to give the shape of a katana, but I doubt i'll succeed with trying to give it a curve.

I'm really amazed though that you can take regular charcoal, the same stuff you use for grilling, give it a flow of air, and heat up metal! It's really amazing for me to actually see this.

I do have a few other questions of curiosity though... What is the proper mixture of clay that is needed to make the hamon? Also, how do you make an even hotter fire where the flames are consistantly blue?

[Taygrd]

Clay mixtures vary greatly and can be hit and miss. A simple solution is to use refractory cement or Rutlands Furnace gasket sealer. All the clay does is insulate the section of the steel that you want to remain soft. These products do the same consitantly, and I find the gasket sealer easier to work.
Second part of the question: The trick with the fire is to get the steel hot enough to loose magenitism. You need a hot fire but you also need to leave the steel in there long enough to reach the quenching temp. The more air the hotter the fire, but the more fuel you will burn. Feed it lots of air and keep the fuel going and it should be plenty hot. You will also need high carbon steel to make the blade. Mild steel or common barstock will not harden. 1095, 1084, and O1 are common high carbon steels that can be obtained from speciality steel suppliers. Get ready to pay for it though, steel has shot up in price. Scrap metal will work such as leaf springs from cars. The problem with scrap is that you never really know what you got or how to heat treat it.
Hope this helps.

[Torawashi]

This is interesting information. I learned something today and that's a good thing. Thanks guys.