The new and improved forge with a chimney.

Nice work Mag! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

i just posted on the knife makers forum. one responded that this is mild steel and won't harden well, not enough carbon.

how long with the blowtorch? any tips for the quench?

It may not harden well, but it may harden well enough.

You can buy quench oil, but you can also use water or any other oil. And since your'e not sure what type of steel it is, it may not hurt to try in on a few scrap pieces of the steel. After the quench, try to get a file to bite, and if it does, either the forge was not hot enough or the quench took too long. Just be careful with splatter, burning oil, and boiling oil.

Some only put the first 1/2" of the blade edge into the oil, but I quench the entire blade.

guess i'll have to try this forge thing. couple bricks, blow drier...can i use wood or should i go for charcoal? how do you keep yours hot?

I suggest quenching with water from a teapot. I hear it's a tried and true method. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

i also hear it takes decades to master the sequence of colors you're supposed to see when you use that method.

I'm not sure if a hair drier will keep tenough airflow. It may though. I use a cheap squirrel-cage blower. Careful not to get it too close though. The radiant energy can be enough to melt plastic if it's too close.

I usually use a mixture of charcoal and hickory chunks. Let them burn down (usually blower-assisted) to where I have a decent bed of coals. To keep it hot enough, I adjust the aim of the blower to where the coals are a bright orange, orange-yellow. You'll quickly find what works for you.

I posted a color-temperature chart a while back so you can compare the temperature of the steel to its color. I usually try to keep mine around 1800F. I'll see if I can find it. It's a crude, subjective way of measuring temp, but it beats the price of a decent forge oven.

It is above 750F where the very important austenite starts to form. Though far from exact (given the steel and its specific impurities, it's the best I've got. The correlation I use is as follows:
752F 400C Red: visible in the dark
885F 474C Red: visible in the twilight
975F 525C Red: visible in the daylight
1077F 581C Red: visible in the sunlight
1292F 700C Dull red
1472F 800C Turning to cherry red
1652F 900C Cherry red <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />
1832F 1000C Bright cherry red <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />
2012F 1100C Orange red <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />
2192F 1200C Orange yellow
2372F 1300C White
2552F 1400C Brilliant white
2732F 1500C Dazzling white
2912F 1600C Bluish white
Interpretation of these colors is yet another variable in the HT. I do not think this is in any way as accurate as a proper forge oven, but I'm cheap and ovens are expensive.

Hmmm, some of the kamis are only in their 20's. I'm sure they've been at it awhile though. Maybe if you slept at the Holiday Inn, it might help.

the coals in my fire pit usually get pretty orange glow, how bright is bright enough? think i can use the pit?

I think that you'll need some type of forced air. I used a leaf blower (overkill) the first time.