Alan Longmire Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 A few weeks ago a kid (I say kid, college senior doing an honors thesis, probably 21 or so ) came to my local guild meeting to ask if anyone could help him with a sword. His honors thesis involves hand-making everything that appears in a portrait of a Scots nobleman of the mid-18th century. He's already made the shoes and belts, woven the fabric for the hose and jacket, made the hat, and all sorts of other things. Since he also makes flintlock rifles by hand, and as such proved he's no idiot, I agreed to see what he could do with the equipment I have that he needed to help with the sword blade. Eight shop hours over the last two days, and here he is with a completed backsword blade, ground to 120. He did most of the forging and all the grinding except for a couple of tricky bits. 5/16" x 1.3" 1084 starting stock. Forged yesterday, ground and partially drawfiled today. I think he looks kinda proud. 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Middleton Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 That's awesome. I just got off a Zoom meeting with my son. He said that when he comes home for Thanksgiving he wants to give another go at forging a knife. Makes me look forward to seeing him even more! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 1 hour ago, Alan Longmire said: Forged yesterday, ground and partially drawfiled today. Hot damn... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Keown Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 got a dozen sheaths finished this morning and will get the blade all sharpened this afternoon. 1 Von Gruff http://www.vongruffknives.com/ The ability to do comes with doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 1 hour ago, Joël Mercier said: Hot damn... A power hammer and a KMG with 36 grit ceramic belts can move a fair amount of steel with sufficient motivation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Keown Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 Have these all done now and ready for the heritage day here early november. The shop has another 10 or 12 that I will get back to have a decent display. Just the group pic for today as its been a long one getting all the sheaths sewn, hot waxed and the blades all sharpened so will get some individual pics and details later in the week. Couple of new handle materials in there 8 Von Gruff http://www.vongruffknives.com/ The ability to do comes with doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Webster Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 Alder burl found in a clear cut from about two years ago. This should make a nice blade handle 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert McCann Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 (edited) Tried something different that I've been interested in. San mai with A203,copper, 15n20,copper with a 26c3 core. Needs a little more grinding and I need to figure out etching better. Edited October 18, 2021 by Gilbert McCann 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Stocksdale Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 (edited) Sadness. I ended up grinding it much thinner than I had intended to while tring to get all of the press-marks out, and so when I quenched it, it was very wiggly. I tempered it to 275, then clamped it to a bar to try to straighten it, but it was not to be. I'm contemplating still sanding it up and etching it and supergluing it back together since I never had any intention of using it as a knife. But maybe best to just toss it in the Hall of Fail and move on. Edited October 18, 2021 by Ted Stocksdale 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Stocksdale Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 On the bright side, the grain looks to be nice and fine (I wish I had noticed it broke before it spent two hours at 425, but meh) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 1 hour ago, Ted Stocksdale said: I tempered it to 275 Sorry it broke, but that's a bit on the cold side to try and straighten. If you knew you were going to temper at 425 anyway, it might have survived being clamped at that temperature. But that's how we learn. For instance, I've learned pretty close to how much I can tweak an AEB-L folder spring before it snaps. Still just pretty close, not exactly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyO Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 (edited) 19 hours ago, Alan Longmire said: Sorry it broke, but that's a bit on the cold side to try and straighten. Bummer....I quickly got into the habit of doing one 1-hour temper cycle before introducing a warped blade to my straightening jigs for subsequent tempering cycles...especially important after spending a few days making the damascus billet. Edited October 19, 2021 by billyO RIP Bear....be free! as always peace and love billyO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Stocksdale Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 Fortunately, that was a cut-off end scrap not the actual billet, so it's not too tragic. My wife has claimed the snapped-off blade end and wants me to clean it up and sharpen it - she has something in mind for it for use with her quilting. For the tang, I think I'll clean the scale off and chop it up for canister scrap. I had stuck it in the oven last thing at night for an hour so it didn't sit overnight at room temperature (I remembered that much!), but I really don't have a good reason why I picked 275 when I fully intended to temper to 425. I chalk it up to "scurrying to finish up as it got considerably later than I had intended to be working". I had hoped that was enough to take a bit of bending but it snapped the next morning when I jigged it up for the next temper. (It was wavy, but nothing needed to move more than 1/16 of an inch or thereabouts). Obviously, I was wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerhard Gerber Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 On 10/18/2021 at 5:41 PM, Gilbert McCann said: Tried something different that I've been interested in. San mai with A203,copper, 15n20,copper with a 26c3 core. Needs a little more grinding and I need to figure out etching better. These copper shenanigans are just stunning! It feels to me like this is something new that's popped up over the last two years or so......could it be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joël Mercier Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 I have questioned myself about what would happen with the copper and nickel when exposed to acidic foods. Isn't it what they used for the first batteries? Perhaps I am overthinking again... It is visually stunning though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 Ariel Salavierra was doing it back around 2004. Dunno if he was the first or not. It is a cool effect, but it's basically just a big braze joint. Not ideal metallurgically, and yes, it does increase corrosion via galvanic reaction, but keep it clean and dry and it'll outlast you. Drop it in wet dirt for 100 years and all you'll find is copper foil. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Blohm Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 A few more in the works!!! The 2 bottom ones are serialized ar 15s and the top one is an 80% ar10 in the raw that will be chambered in 6.5 creedmoor 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaro Petrina Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Reggie Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 (edited) Finished this one up yesterday. I still need to get the leather work done and sent off to the buyer. 80CRV2 ended up about .140" at the spine and 60 Rc. One of my thinner knives to date. I rather like the handling of a thinner blade comparatively. Edited October 24, 2021 by Adam Reggie correcting grammar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert McCann Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 Yesterday I finished up my Argentine grill build. I have a Pitmaster customer who gave me some guidance. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Keown Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 Got this lot all finish ground so some hand sanding to come 4 Von Gruff http://www.vongruffknives.com/ The ability to do comes with doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Abbott Posted October 26, 2021 Share Posted October 26, 2021 (edited) Making four knives for a customer who insists on having laminated full-tang slabs of G-10 topped with bone. Dilemma: I want to slant the front edge of the slabs back at 45° and can only accomplish what I need after they are glued together. I can set the work rest on my grinder to 135° to get the angle, but I would have to grind bone side down. The bone hasn't been flattened and there's no way to flatten it in true parallel to the flat of the G-10. Fix: I made a real quick jig out of 3/4 plywood so I could screw the slab flat and then grind upside down. I had to wear my 3x glasses, but with a steady hand I was able to do a sharp, clean edge on four pairs in short order. Edited October 26, 2021 by Don Abbott 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conner Michaux Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 Some very cool things are happening tomorrow 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles dP Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 10 hours ago, Don Abbott said: slabs of G-10 topped with bone Grinding that must have smelled pretty interesting. "The way we win matters" (Ender Wiggins) Orson Scott Card Nos, qui libertate donati sumus, nes cimus quid constet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Abbott Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 3 hours ago, Charles dP said: Grinding that must have smelled pretty interesting. Yeah, nothing like the smell of bone on a grinder (unless it's horn). Definitely kept the respirator on. That G-10 dust scares me anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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