Jake Powning Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 I've been working on this piece for Quit a while. I've been taking photos of various stages of the process along the way, they are not comprehensive, but I think it captures the piece at different stages along the way. I have them uploaded to my facebook page which is much faster to upload to than my website or this forum, so I'll post a link to that as well as some pictures here. WIP viking sword It's exciting to see all the information on single edged swords and big seaxes on the forum lately. This is a single edged sword with a four bar construction, 800 layer edge billet, with three 9 layer core billets with an alternating interrupted twist pattern. I tried to forge the billets as small as I could before forge welding them, so the pattern is very close to the pattern on the bars before welding. The blade has a shallow wide fuller. I still have to do a proper polish on the blade, and finish the bronze fitings and then assemble. I just cast the hilt furniture this morning. thanks for looking Jake Powning Swords Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Potter Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Great tutorial (really nice pictures). Do you use any flux with the bronze (I am assuming it is silicon bronze? Ben Potter Bladesmith It's not that I would trade my lot Or any other man's, Nor that I will be ashamed Of my work torn hands- For I have chosen the path I tread Knowing it would be steep, And I will take the joys thereof And the consequences reap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Wondered what you'd been up to lately. That's a sweet hunk o' steel! I like the story behind it as well, although it's too bad about the raven. Can't wait to see it all finished! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Pyron Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Wow awesome one Jake!!! I wasn't able to view anymore pics when I clicked the link. Did you weld up the core bars and edge billet together with the core bars still round? I'm starting on my first pattern welded seax and am not sure if I should grind the bars round before twisting then forging them back square or the other way around? Can't wait til I get to see some more pics of this beautiful masterpiece!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared Stier Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Yeah the link did not work, but Jake, that is beautiful. Then again I expect nothing less when I click on one of your show and tells. Practice random acts of Viking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petr Florianek Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Love it! did it move in heat treat strongly? I love single edges and the chape is great too GULLINBURSTI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Powning Posted December 9, 2009 Author Share Posted December 9, 2009 Hi guys, Ben I am using silicon bronze, the silicon in the bronze acts as a fluxing agent when it melts, so you don't need to use flux which makes casting allot easier. thanks Alan! Hi Michael, I grind the surfaces that are going to be facing each other. Before I twist I forge down the corners of the square bar, then I twist and then I take an angle grinder and grind the scale off where the billets will meet. Hi Jared, I'll see if I can fix the link. Hi Petr, I have been experimenting with forging and grinding my long single edged swords to their distal dimensions and then heat treating them with a rectangular cross section, tempering once, grinding in the bevels and fullers slowly so I don't build up heat and then giving them another two tempers after that. This is a trick I learned from Owen Bush. Strangely, I still got a bit of a nose dive, much less than you would get with a triangular cross-section but still, I guess the curved tip gives enough length difference between the back and the edge to create a cooling difference, either that or it's the faeries. Jake Powning Swords Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeroen Zuiderwijk Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Dang! Another fantastic single edged WIP, and what a beauty it will be! (or already is ) Jeroen Zuiderwijk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/barbarianmetalworking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared Stier Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 How wide is billet pre weld? Practice random acts of Viking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sadid Askarian Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Jake, the facebook pictures show when I am not logged into my facebook account. It is when I am logged into facebook that I cannot view the albums. I believe that permissions might be set very tightly. Jaw-dropping drool-worthy piece. Beautimus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdsmith02115 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Jake, that little teaser of a tip shot is just not doin' it for me. Let's see a full length shot of that cool blade man; With the steel in it's full glory; your billet assembly looked really sweet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Colwell Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Jake, I love your work. really nice stuff. kevin please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/ “Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdsmith02115 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 oh yeah, the log out trick worked nicely, great views of your process!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cylvre Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Vacuum caster! I wish I had one so bad... Beautiful sword, I also wish I had one of those! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omalley Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 . . . dibs? "Whats the point of women? I've got knives, they're just as pretty and I don't need to buy them dinner to get them out of their sheath" http://omalleyblades.weebly.com/available-blades.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adlai Stein Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Jake that is Freakin Awesome! The inturupted twist looks great always one of my favorie patterns. Can't wait to see it finished. Adlai Klatu Baratta Necktie! Macabee Knives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Ruslander Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Thanks for the great tutorial, Jake. Love the detail. The little faces were outstanding. Mike R. http://www.ruslanderknives.com https://plus.google.com/photos/110306175154054435692/albums/5576891702960826241 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Powning Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share Posted December 10, 2009 thanks lads, it turns out that facebook was updating their privacy settings yesterday, so that may have been why that link wasn't working, I think it should be working fine now. I think the billet was around 2 1/2 inches wide before forge welding. here's a better shot of the pattern, this is at 240grit. I will go to 600 grit and then etch. I'll get some better pictures of the pattern then. Jake Powning Swords Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter johnsson Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Jake, this is tremendous work. Looking forward to see how the parts will come together. Inspiration! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFogg Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Great work Jake. Thank you so much for sharing. Don Fogg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Sexstone Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Great tutorial Jake, and all the parts stand on their own... together they make a most complete picture.... nicely done!!!!! I'll look forward to seeing it complete. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Powning Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share Posted December 10, 2009 thanks guys. It's nice to be back in the flow Someone asked me why I make swords recently, and I was going on about archetypes and power objects and material culture, when I realized that it may have been an irrational love of fiction and mythology that got me started down this path, but it's the community of other people doing it as well that gives it meaning to me now. Jake Powning Swords Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Pikula Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 I love the way your twists turned out Jake! The whole piece is really looking wonderful. Thanks for the info on Silicon acting as a flux when casting silicone bronze, I was wondered about that a while ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Helmes Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 beautiful work jake!! I absolutely cant wait to see it all finished up! shame about the faeries though... I recommend leaving a bit of single malt out for them..well them and the craftsman too..I understand that's the tried and true tradition. cheers Jeff http://www.jeffhelmes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Luebke Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 outstanding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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