Bob Geldart

I'd like to nominate this tutorial by Mick. http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=11516&st=0&p=103436&fromsearch=1entry103436

Photo thread on British Blades... http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?123699-Pictures-from-Owen-s-Hammer-In-2011

41 unedited images here: http://imageevent.com/imagedude/owenshammerin2011

I looked at your photo/X-ray without first reading the accompanying text; I thought it was a photo of a new 'mascus pattern that you had developed!! Anyway, good luck with the surgery.

I use a die filing machine

~Lots of info on slate in this thread:- http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?73488 Here are some slate hones in an abandoned slate mine near my home:- http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/408695

I've never trusted tempering colours so I use Tempilstik temperature indicating crayons. Before: After:

I converted a horizontal mill

I'm sporting full winter plumage at the moment:

I've got a small surface grinder but much more useful is my modified horizontal mill.

Nice work, I've been trying to get a similar result by using a pantograph engraver to mill through the outer layer of a billet of plain 1080 laminated with pattern welded scales. The pattern does distort when the engraved billet is hammered flat but I will be able to reduce distortion by using a rolling mill. I can compensate for the linear distortion of the rolling mill by adjusting the pantograph.

You need to finish this blade so that you can compare it to your later efforts. It will serve as a useful marker in your quest to perfect this pattern. I like it so much that I may fire up the forge this weekend and try some jellyroll patterns that have been floating about in my mind.

Nice tongs. Be aware of monoxide poisoning symptoms, those coke forges produce a lot of monoxide which can really spoil your day.

And then I decided that quenching in warm water would give a better result...

Grind off the scale... ...add some layout fluid (enjoy the smell)... ...and after a quick burst on the platten... ...and repeat... ...then do t'other side... ...a quick etch... ...the flip side... Then after a sucessful HT in oil... ...obverse side... Success.