robert washburn Posted July 13, 2003 Share Posted July 13, 2003 I`m having a problem with the clay falling off when in the fire.I have just finished a katana blade andam very satisfied with the finished product but had to re-apply the clay 3 times.I am using the clay I got from Darren Ellis over at Tannerhill.Any help would be very appreciayed. Thanks Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFogg Posted July 14, 2003 Author Share Posted July 14, 2003 What kind of clay is it? Don Fogg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert washburn Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Don,It was satinite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFogg Posted July 14, 2003 Author Share Posted July 14, 2003 The procedure I use for claying the blade begins with washing the blade to remove all oil. Then I apply a thin light wash of clay using a paint brush and dry the blade with a hot air gun. When mixing the clay, I use distilled water and only mix up what I intend to use. I am shooting for a smooth, thin consistency, but not runny. Apply the clay with a small spatula along the top 1/3 of the blade down to the desired stop point and over the spine. The thickness doesn't need to be more than 1/8 in for most of the 10xx series steels. The clay should be evenly applied and smooth. After the clay has been applied, I dry the blade by running it back and forth in front of the forge door. When no more steam is coming off the blade, put it in the fire and right back out. Do this several times until the clay darkens. Check the blade for spalding, if a piece of clay does pop off remove the blade let it cool and then reclay. Usually I have problems if there is oil on the blade. Doing the light wash at the beginning will expose any oiliness. You can also lose the clay if you rush the drying process too much. Satanite won't harden until it is fired over 1800F at least so all you are doing is drying it out during heat treating. It is not air setting so leaving it over night will only rust your blade. I have done hundreds of blades this way and rarely does the clay come off until I want it to. Go slow, be patient, have faith. Don Don Fogg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert washburn Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 I didn`t clean the blade.Theres where the problems came in.I`ll try and post a pic of the finished product when I cpmplete it. Thanks for the pointers. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CProkopp Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Don, thanks for the advice. I've just started my great experiment with clay hardening this morning, using Satanite. The blades are a very large Bowie and a slender Corsican stilletto-type blade. These are both forged to shape, instead of my usual stock-removal, so the whole job is one big adventure for me! I'll keep you posted. "I'm not anti-gun. I'm pro-knife." Molly Ivins NT Limpin' Cat Prokopp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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