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I’ve read that too. It would certainly be easier and less risky than soldering.

The fit is pretty seamless, but not what I would call a tight fit. I lost a little tightness fling the inside shoulders of the guard to match the slope of the shoulder on the blade. I tried the technique of giving the guard a blow with the hammer while on the tang, but apparently the guard is...

Coming to the end of my Bowie Knife Build, and trying to decide whether to silver solder the Nickel Silver Guard or secure it with JB Weld before I pin and epoxy the Antler Crown Handle. I'm leaning toward silver soldering the guard, but have not had much experience with A2 steel, which is what...

Excellent advice! Thank you! Actually I originally had that in mind before heat treat. The guard is 99% finished on top and bottom; still need to round and soften the edges a bit. I also notched the tang before heat treat. I wanted to pin it just for peace of mind, as the blade is 1/4” thick and...

Genius! Thanks

Ok, so I’e run into a bit of a challenge attaching my antler handle to the hidden tang of my Bowie Knife. The A2 steel blade is back from heat treat and the 1/8” pin hole between the handle and tang makes for a slight wabble from the guard to the handle. I’m guessing there’s probably a 1/16” gap...

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like I need to stick with my tried and true Nickel Silver Guard Material. :)

Good point. I thought about that, but wondered if hardening it would help it to resist mars and scratches more.

I would do all the cutting and shaping the A2 while it’s still annealed. Then send off for heat treat with the blade. Does A2 change in dimension any once hardened? That would be my main concern as the fit and finish will be mostly done before heat treat.

I’m working on a Bowie from A2 steel and wondering about making the guard from left over A2. Any thoughts or suggestions as to using A2 for guards vs nickel silver? Thanks

No problems at all, or strange noise. I was going to mount mine horizontally but Ed C. convinced me that having the blower mounted below where the air is cooler would be safer in the event any trapped hot air should find its way up the tube once the forge is turned off.

Thanks! Actually, I’ve wondered about the placement of the injection point myself, and it would be an easy fix.

Following is a link to photos and videos of the build: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0P5yeZFhCAA0z

Well, it took longer than I wanted, but it was well worth the wait. I want to give a special thanks to Ed Caffrey for sharing his experience, ideas, and tips along the way. Attached are a few pics of the build. I'm working on attaching some videos of the forge during its first burn, but I guess...

Thanks Wayne, but I'm going with cast refractory with this build. I'm hearing that 2-3" is sufficient thickness for insulation purposes. Would you concur?

Here's another question regarding size of the fire box vs. thickness of cast refractory in my forge build. I'm working with a 10" diameter air tank which will become the outer shell of the forge. What is the optimum diameter of the fire box, vs. optimum thickness for the cast refractory? My...

Praying for God's peace that passes understanding will rest upon you tonight, and that the doctors will find a quick solution to the problem with the fluid in your lung, and that it won't be congestive heart failure.

I do want to express my sincere gratitude to all who have taken the time to respond to this thread. I think there is "wisdom in many counselors," and feel there is something to learn from everyone's experience. I am just grateful for a forum like this where we can all continue to learn and grow...

That's what I have observed in my interactions with you Ed, which is much appreciated.

Thanks Ed! Looks like our paths have crossed a bit. We used to live in Memphis before we retired here in Bella Vista, AR. I’ll have to see what’s available in Memphis.