forging WIDE with my press

[Scott Roush]

So I have some of Karl's 1"x1" 5160 and want to make a 15" blade Civil War d-guard type bowie. A monster.

I used the press yesterday to forge some of that stuff out for a different project and noticed that using my 2" wide dies, I'm only getting it down to a little less than 1/2" and it starts getting close to max pressure.  If I switch to drawing dies, then I won't get the width that I need. So should I make some drawing dies that face the other way so that I can fuller a groove down the middle and then flatten?  Or would switching to less wide flattening dies give me more tonnage to work the stuff down thinner.. and wider?

That 5160 is some tough stuff Karl!

[Lin Rhea]

Scott, Yes, you're on the right track. You might consider hand holding a mild top fuller on the bar between the top press die and the hot bar, inching it along for a pass, then flatten. Follow me?

[Scott Roush]

Yeah Lin.. Thank you.  I kinda forgot about using hand tools on the press.  I was shying away from that at first until I got more experience..but just putting some round stock in there seems like a good idea until I get the steel for my dies....

[Lin Rhea]

I would cut s short piece of round and weld a 3/8 rebar or something for a handle. Dont get very agressive at first. It might move too much before you know it.