GEzell

Dear God that is beautiful...

I've never thought to try combining incising and embossing, nor was I aware of the use of heat in leatherwork.  I have new things to try!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and methods with us.  This has been a wonderful thread.

Thanks guys.  These just sold this morning, both to the same person...:)

Chris, the challenging commission is a sword, a Viking style single-edge that has me upgrading much of my equipment to handle larger blades.  Grinding a 30" blade has proven to be a true test of my ability, now it needs heat-treatment...

When it's done I'll name it Spiffy, in honor of Alan...:)

I missed the first few minutes, so missed hearing the full names, but I kept thinking that guy looks a lot like someone I know...:)

Congratulations!

Two rather simple seaxes I recently finished.  I've been quiet here lately, working on a very challenging commission that has me upgrading much of my equipment, the heat-treatment in particular.  These two blades are part of the first group of blades heat-treated in my new furnace, and I needed something new to take to Tannehill, so I went ahead and finished these out.

The blades are forged from 1084 and are just under 1/4" thick.  Both were grinded down to a zero edge, then refined with a tiny micro-bevel... They are very sharp and cut well for being so thick.  One is 10 5/8" overall with a 5 11/16" blade and maple handle.  The smaller one is 8 11/16" overall with a 4" blade and bog oak handle.  The sheaths are embossed leather with bronze fittings.

Welcome to the forum!  That's a beautiful knife, I love the way you've combined the contrasting materials of the frame.

The bars must be square with parallel surfaces, if not they will weld, then pop apart when the side of the stack is struck.  This happens to me more than I'd like to admit, and the long soak method I described above, combined with a big dose of stubbornness, is the only fix I know of other than tearing it apart and squaring everything up.  

If the mating surfaces are not parallel, the stack will bow.  When you hit it on the flats, the welds will come apart every time... Unless you soak the heck out of it.

I cannot guarantee that this will work, but it's worth a shot.

During your initial weld everything seems to stick, then it comes apart when you try to draw it.  So take it apart, clean the adjoining surfaces, flux and re-weld.  Let's assume it appears to weld together.  Next heat, reflux, let it soak at welding heat for 15-20 minutes... This will strengthen the bonds between the rods.  After 15-20 minutes, gently yet firmly hammer it together, treating it like it didn't weld the first time.  Reflux, and let it soak again.  Now see if it holds together when you draw it out.

I do not know the science behind it, but these long soaks have allowed me to save a few multiple bar billets despite the experts saying it can't be done.  Be sure to normalize the heck out of it afterwards to get the grains back down to a reasonable size.

I've used that method (sanding with linseed oil) on bog oak and walnut with good results, though I've since stopped using linseed oil on black walnut as it darkens the wood too much.  Every species of wood seems to need a slightly different finishing method for best results, finding the right one for each is either a pain or an adventure, depending on your outlook on life...

Very nice, I love the accuracy of it.  I assume the cutting edge is oriented at 90°?

11 hours ago, Sean H said:

I really like your fuller scraping jig, would you mind sharing details?

I second that.  It looks like a very refined version of what I use, without the duct tape, rust, and bad machining...

Most impressive work...

Ed Caffrey recently posted this video on grinder height, I am pretty much in agreement with him and Joshua on it.  Posture makes all the difference when it comes to grinding or forging.

https://youtu.be/-i5d4-s-Fnc

I know the one Tod made had fullers on one side only...

https://myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=29646

15 hours ago, Doug Adams said:

Sounds good George, what kind of furnace do you have?

Doug Adams

There's some pics of it a few posts back.  It's made from a hot water heater tank, outside dimensions are 14" diameter, 27" long, lined with 1" ceramic fiber blanket.  The burner comes in through a hole in the back, the front is a hinged steel plate with an opening for the blade.  The thermocouple and probes are Amazon specials...

I gave the heat-treating furnace it's maiden voyage last night normalizing and hardening 11 blades.  33 thermal cycles, 11 quenches, and 5 types of steel all counted (w2, W1, 1084, 80crv2, and cruforgev), and no warps or cracks.  It was also my first time using duratherm-48 quenchant, which Maxim oil developed as a parks-50 clone, and it did a fine job hardening everything.

 If I were to have any complaint, it would be the time it takes to bring a blade to austenizing temperature, because the furnace is running at, say, 1500° and not blasting out 2000°, it can take 10 minutes or more for a larger blade to come up to heat.  Overall it took 4 hours to give 11 blades 3 thermal cycles and austenizing/quenches, which was longer than expected.  I can say with no uncertainty that to be able to know precisely how hot the blade is when it plunges into the oil is absolutely wonderful...

That yew looks delicious, did you do anything to darken it?  The yew I have seemed lighter.  Regardless, it really makes my day to see one of my blades dressed so well, I love what you've done here.

Try carbide, it will drill hardened steel.

How thin is the stock you're using?  

Very nice, that is a wonderful, useful design, and lovely to boot.

I think I can live with a 12° difference between the two thermocouples.  The thinner ceramic fiber did the trick.

Now to get the big one working.

I'm pretty sure I can get it to idle at the sweet spot for w2.  Burner placement and angle has been the biggest factor in tuning it.

Working on getting my heat-treatment furnaces up and running, one is 26" long and 14" diameter, the big one is 48" long and 22" diameter.  I have the small one insulated with 2" thick kaowool that I got on a deal, and it will not run under 1700° at 5# pressure with the air supply barely open.  I think I need thinner insulation, this stuff is just too efficient!  I'm rather surprised my little burner could heat that large an area idled down so low.  Now I'm waiting on the ups man to bring me a roll of 1" thick wool.  Hurry up ups man, I have blades to heat-treat...

The good news is, my thermocouples are working wonderfully.

Beautiful shapes, and a nice rustic finish.

It looks like a real workhorse of a knife.  My method of finishing brass is to sand to 1500, then hit it with a fine buffing compound or simichrome....

I agree with Kevin, fillet knives are tricky...

You've done a marvelous job with this one, as always the profile is quite graceful, and the rebates scales are a nice touch.

I really like this, no bells or whistles, just a knife in it's purest form.  The subtle handle shape is a classy touch.

Nice one Alan, I've always liked these dedicated weapon type hawks.  Not made for utilitarian tasks, you either partake of the peaceful end or the less friendly end....