Alan Longmire 2,312 Posted January 19, 2016 I finally got started on mine this weekend. First, the materials so far: six feet of 1/4" music wire (aka 1095), six feet of 1/4" round 1018, and a nice curly ash shovel handle: The labels for the music wire and the 1018. The idea was to make a version of cable, so I cut the round stock into six-inch lengths to build the billet. Nine rods of 1095 and six rods of 1018 bundled up in such a way as to hopefully get interesting contrast on what will, through the magic of carbon migration, become more or less equivalent to 1070. I know there's only eight rods of 1095 in that picture, I added one to the bundle to even out the spacing of the 1018. To keep things straight I blued the ends of the 1018 after grinding clean so I could tell them apart. I didn't want to use my crappy stick welder to contaminate the ends of the billet and I didn't trust my ability to wire it tight enough to keep things from slipping, so I used a pair of sacrificial stainless steel hose clamps to hold it together while I welded the ends. Welded: And the clamps held up! Never again to be useful, to be sure, but still... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,312 Posted January 19, 2016 After welding the rods into a solid bundle, I twisted it in a relatively loose twist. I'm after a wide zebra-stripe look. I somehow got to wrapped up in the process to take pictures of the twisted billet before drawing it out, folding, and welding into a rectangular billet about 1" wide x 3/8" thick. Check out those stripes! And then it was time to make a blade out of it. Here it is during the normalizing cycles. And done. I'll fix the point and the clip with the grinder next weekend. 9.5 inches of blade, no serious delamination seen so far (fingers crossed!). I haven't decided on the handle yet. It may be a frame, it may be a through tang with plumbing parts. We shall see what the magic Ace Hardware can provide as time goes on... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grpaavola 29 Posted January 19, 2016 Ye' Gods! Love it! I really need to get going on mine.... -Gabriel Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dan Waddell 11 Posted January 19, 2016 Great stuff there Alan. You solved issues I had in a failed experiment doing something similiar. I'll have to borrow some of your ideas for attempt 2. I'm looking forward to seeing how you finish this blade! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
S. Cruse 10 Posted January 19, 2016 been looking forward to this one Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Don Abbott 71 Posted January 19, 2016 Wow, great progress. We did say June, didn't we? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,312 Posted January 19, 2016 Yeah, June 30, but I know myself... now that the easy part is done there's no telling when the rest will come together! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JJ Simon 123 Posted January 19, 2016 Great idea.Where did the music wire come from.I'd love to find a supplier where I live.I can get O1 at fastenal but not 1095 or W1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,312 Posted January 19, 2016 My local Ace Hardware. They supply the local R/C airplane modellers, it's the owner's hobby. Quarter inch is as big as it comes, though. You might try a good hobby shop. My three local Fastenals stock jack sh!t and act annoyed if you disturb their coffee drinking, and Tri-City Bolt & Screw (love that name) only stocks O-1 and A-2 drill rod. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JJ Simon 123 Posted January 19, 2016 There is a hobby shop up the road.I'm just thinking of all kinds of possibilities.Small hand tools in a pinch that kind of stuff. Anyhow, can't wait to see the pattern your twist produced.My Fastenal guys will order for me and allow me to pay cash on their accounts and get their discount.Its kind of awesome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brian Dougherty 898 Posted January 19, 2016 Wow, all of you guys move fast. It would take me a lot of hours to go from rods to cable to forged blade. I like this idea a lot. As I wandered around the farm store this weekend, I was eyeballing the fencing and thought about twisting up a cable from it. Then I looked up the carbon content of the fence wire... JJ, the local hobby shop here has piano wire in a number of sizes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,312 Posted January 19, 2016 That's great about your Fastenal, JJ. The guys at the one closest to me didn't know what drill rod was, that steel could be hardenable, or the difference between 1018 keystock and 0-1, which is what I was looking for at the time. They told me to try online. Oh, well, if I ever need an overpriced ladder or several pounds of drywall screws I know where to get them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steven smith 84 Posted January 19, 2016 That music wire is great for making tools and miniatures, 1/4" by 3' is less than $5 at my hobby shop, I was hoping that it came in thicker sizes though. I never thought id see it made into a knife that size! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Timothy Artymko 39 Posted January 19, 2016 Dang, I wish it wasn't so cold here! It's hard to just forge on a whim when it's -30 and you ahve a charcoal forge xD But dang! That is going to be awesome! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JJ Simon 123 Posted January 20, 2016 My fastenal has a structural steel rack and then a drill rod rack that has Oil hardening or Air hardening.It has a water hardening slot but there's never any steel in it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joshua States 1,441 Posted January 20, 2016 Very resourceful Alan. Looking good so far. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Todd 2 Posted January 20, 2016 This is a new one for me, I've never seen this technique, but I'm very curious to see how it turns out. What kind if pattern does make? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,312 Posted January 26, 2016 Had a good long weekend due to snow, so the blade is now done, time to start thinking about the handle. Pre-HT polish to 220: Coated with anti-scale compound since I had to do this in the open coal fire, it's too big for the pipe I usually use: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,312 Posted January 26, 2016 I decided to do a full quench because I did not want any auto-hamon as I feel that messes with the pattern. This was, it turns out, a mistake. There was a tiny delamination pocket near the spine on the left side, and it blistered up in the quench. After much soul searching and creative use of language, I decided to go ahead and finish it out to see if it was worth saving. In my opinion it was, because the delam was so thin and so close to the massively thick (3/8") spine, and thus has no effect on the integrity of the blade. On the plus side, it now has a name: Zombowie, the undead blade! 'Cause it looks like a bit of zombie hide, y'know... Right side after etching: And the all-important left side with the zombie scars. Two views to show the pattern to its best advantage. Opinions? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
James R.Fuller 15 Posted January 26, 2016 Looks awesome! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N. Runals 16 Posted January 26, 2016 Good lookin blade Alan, I dig the imperfection on this one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grpaavola 29 Posted January 26, 2016 That is just character! Perfect if you ask me... -Gabriel Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gabriel James 90 Posted January 26, 2016 looks pretty boss- is that an engraving on the ricasso? hard to tell from the pics -- makers mark maybe? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Longmire 2,312 Posted January 26, 2016 Thanks guys, glad I'm not alone in liking the effect! Gabriel, the left ricasso has the maker's mark, the right says KITH 2016. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
