Does anyone know how to make one of these?

You could sharpen the end of some steel pipe and mount a handle..? Lee Valley has a couple of variations (i should get a cut for the number of name meantions !) a scorp is one
I’ve actualy been using a Swedish hoof trimming tool with sucsess, it’s kinda like a crooked knife, but they sell a carving tool looks just the same. I did sharpen both sides unlike the hoof trimmer’s one side only.

-- Glen, Vernon B.C. Canada

Short sequence:

Anneal a file.
Bend to shape.
Grind basic shape.
Harden.
Temper.
Hone.

Get some charcoal going well and dump the file in and let it cool down overnight. Next day, grind off the teeth and saw out the basic shape you want. Get another batch of charcoal going. You can use a hair dryer for your bellows. When it is nice and hot, put the file in the fire until it is red hot. Bend the iron to the shape you want with a hammer on something (one of those big vises you have.) Reheat it when it cools off so you don’t start making stress fractures in it. When you are happy with the shape, get the hair dryer blowing to get the fire nice and hot and when the iron is bright red (maybe even a little yellow) dunk in in a big bucket of water and swish it around until it is cooled off. It will be really hard when you pull it out. (A file won’t scratch it) Now temper. Sand off the scale so you can see bright metal. When it gets hot, it goes through a sequence of colors ranging from light yellow (straw colored) down into purples. For this kind of knife, you want straw. Alternately, you can put it in the oven at 350F-400F and get the same results. Then grind (gently so it doesn’t get hot) and hone it to the final edge. Put on the handle and start carving.

-- Woodworking shouldn't cost a fortune: http://lowbudgetwoodworker.blogspot.com/

Woodsman, I am a self taught machinist and an engineer; I believe (but am not sure) that I showed you some books that you should get. They would tell you all (and I do mean all) you need to know to make most any tool that you would want to make with a cutting edge. The main thing that you would need to know is the best type of steel to use and how to heat treat it. This is in those books and it’s not all that difficult to heat treat steel nor does it take a lot of fancy equipment. I have made a few knives and it wasn’t that difficult but I am certainly no expert. I don’t know for a fact but I would bet that you can get high carbon steel in hollow cylindrical shapes. You could try McMaster Carr#. This would be ideal because it’s already in the right shape. Otherwise your going to have to make it from a solid rod and machine it – a lathe or drill press could work. Another way to make the shape would be to use a flat bar and forge a loop in it. So you can see the ideal way would be to get the steel in a cylindrical form and cut a section out of it. There is no use in going into any detail because these books are written for the amateur toolmaker and I have everyone of them. I especially like Alexander Weygers books. These books are not that expensive and they are real good. Weygers shows you everything there is to know about setting up a small shop out of stuff that you can lay your hands on that won’t cost you a fortune. It is a fascinating book that was written by a fascinating man that was an engineer, artist, woodcarver, stone sculptor, and even philosopher that made nearly all of his own tools. I’ve seen you ask these things before, I believe, so I think that you would literally eat these books up and digest them for the info that they contain. Get the Weygers book first and then go makes some tools from your knowledge. You will love it I do believe. Here are the books:

Complete-Modern-Blacksmith-Alexander-Weygers

Practical-Blacksmithing-Metalworking

http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Own-Woodworking-Tools/dp/1565233069/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291231100&sr=1-4

Make sure that you get your hands on a McMaster Carr catalog. It is a valuable resource. However, if you can’t get one for some reason you can go to website and see most everything. Good luck with your tool making. You will learn a lot and the knowledge that you get will serve you a lifetime. You can find good steel all over – old files, chisels, saws, car springs or what have you and make a whole shop full of useful tools.

-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

helluvawreck is correct about how easy it is to make tools. I made a cold chisel in high school. All you have to do is watch for the straw color, stabilize it and quence in oil or water.

-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence Wake Up America!! Please read; http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/26-0

i want to do blacsmithing and make my own tools so bad, but still need a forge and some other tools i think.

-- We must protect the forests for those who can't speak, for the trees and animals. ~THE WOODSMAN~

There’s a lot you can do with a propane torch, the flat back part of a metal working vice, a hammer and a bucket of cold water. Then if it’s working for you, get an anvil, and the rest of the stuff..
I watched a friend use a charcoal BBQ as a forge (well, a hot thing anyway ) squirel fan to heat it up
more than just the briquettes ..but when the barbie starts glowing it’s time to back off ;-)

(and NOT an inside the shop thing to do either..outside thank you )

-- Glen, Vernon B.C. Canada

I’ve heard of the propane torch idea, but i like the old ways and really want to make a small forge for making small things like plane blades, chisels, and other woodworking steel tools. Anyone have any ideas for a small coal forge plan?

-- We must protect the forests for those who can't speak, for the trees and animals. ~THE WOODSMAN~

Woodsman, that’s why you want to get that Weygers book. It tells you how to make everything that you need mostly out of salvage stuff. You can use a short section of a railroad track for an anvil or actually just a good hunk of steel out of the junk yard. You can find hammers and hammer heads everywhere. A good size sledge hammer head makes a good anvil for some small things. You can also build a forge from a few fire bricks and I’ve seen ‘em built out of truck rims. If you’re lucky you can even find some blackmithing tools at the junkyard. Any small blower will work for your forge and if you want to make an air source you can make a bellows that you can pump with your foot or your hand. You probably have a farrier in your area and you can get some blacksmith coal from him. Steel is every where. That blacksmith book is great too. You can start out with some channel locks for your first pair of tongs but really you can get you some decent used tongs for 15 or 20 bucks. You can start out with a small torch outfit and use use the stove oven for the lower temperatures.

Now look here, I know what I’m telling you. So if you want to do it bad then there really ain’t nothing holding you back except for your own self. I’m not saying it won’t cost you some money but I’ll bet you can have a pretty good workable set up to get started with for under $100 maybe less depending on what kind of a scrounger you are.

Now look here, Woodsman. If you want to take a chance on my knowing what your address is you can PM me with your address and I’ll send you a copy of that Weygers book as a gift to get you started. I’ll also take a look and see what else I got. I have all kinds of junk laying around here.

So how do ya like them apples?

Now you ain’t got no excuse and your hooked by your own words “i want to do blacsmithing and make my own tools so bad”.

So, do you want to pM me with that address? :-|

-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

Now there’s an offer that you can’t turn down ! Helluvaniceguy , eh ;-)

-- Glen, Vernon B.C. Canada

I’ll tell you all one thing, you all are some of the nicest people around and i mean that, i really appriciate you all. This is a great community, always gives supportive advice, and i thank you all.

-- We must protect the forests for those who can't speak, for the trees and animals. ~THE WOODSMAN~

You can definitely use an old wheel for a forge. All you need to get started in a small pile of fire brick.

-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence Wake Up America!! Please read; http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/26-0