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What did you do in your shop today?


Joshua States

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Managed to sneak out to the shop this evening for a couple of hours.

A sneak peak of the gun barrel blade I've been working on, fresh off the finish grind with a quick etch.

 

20220301_210737.jpg

20220301_210755.jpg

 

I had a tiny warp after quenching that I decided to surface grind out instead of straighten.  I didn't think it was going to be enough to throw everything off center, but apparently I was wrong.  That being said, it's still close enough that I'm pretty dang happy with it.

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Just talking to my wood guy and the adiction kicked in so will have these scales sets coming

1.png

 

6.png2.png3.png4.png

 

5.png

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Von Gruff

http://www.vongruffknives.com/

The ability to do comes with doing.

 

 

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I see a wolf in that second set of scales. Wonder what Rorschach has to say about that?

"The way we win matters" (Ender Wiggins) Orson Scott Card

 

Nos qui libertate donati nescimus quid constat

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better than seeing things in the clouds. If you squint a bit you can see a map of Africa and a map of Australia in the 2 circles.Untitled.png

Von Gruff

http://www.vongruffknives.com/

The ability to do comes with doing.

 

 

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Today I made myself terribly unhappy. Oh well. It was a good try anyway. It might still be salvageable to some extent, as I don't know how deep it goes.

 

Bad weld V2.jpg

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“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

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Bummer.

 

20 hours ago, Joshua States said:

It might still be salvageable to some extent,

But if so, please share/ tell me how. 

I've got a 4x4 piece from 2 years ago that was going to be a basket weave pattern that has a similar failed weld on one of the pieces...Haven't known what to do with it since. 

Edited by billyO
RIP Bear....be free!

 

as always

peace and love

billyO

 

 

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2 hours ago, billyO said:

But if so, please share/ tell me how. 

Through the process of tile cutting. At first glance, the weld flaw appeared to only go a short distance down the bar. This flawed section could be removed with the first cut at a 30-degree angle.

 

V2 Bad weld (1).jpg

 

However, further inspection reveals the other side of this bar may be flawed along the entire length.

 

V2 Bad weld (2).jpg

 

So, I might just take the advice of a fellow smith and carefully remove the bar and weld a solid plug of 1095 or W-1 in its place. Then I would have to re-square the bar on the bias and do another 4-way weld. If I cut this bar out, I will probably put it in a can with some 1095 powder. If I had a really good mill (which I don't) I would mill this bar out to get it clean enough to weld a square plug bar in there.

Edited by Joshua States

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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Did something long overdue...

I had some free scraps at work so the total cost was 10 bucks B)

 

Now I'm going to have to figure out how to craft the "core". Probably going to weld a flat bar on the bottom....

PXL_20220304_151158731.jpg

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10 hours ago, Joël Mercier said:

Did something long overdue...

I had some free scraps at work so the total cost was 10 bucks B)

 

Now I'm going to have to figure out how to craft the "core". Probably going to weld a flat bar on the bottom....

PXL_20220304_151158731.jpg

Seeing as you have the steel tube I expect you will have access to one to fit inside the vise so if you split it leaving plenty of room for the lthickest blade you may work on and weld a flat on both pieces you can spot weld the lower half and leave the top half float to allow for the knife insertion. Glue thick leather on both halves to prevent blade damage. You can then make another top  that is a simple flat but just an inch wide and add leather to that as well so that in the case of a small mark on the blade later in the process after the handle is finished (you know we have all done that), you can slide the top half round out and with the handle sitting on the lower half the flat will hold the handle so you can do a few high grit w&d paper passes on the blade to remove the inadvertant mark. I made a seperate very simple wooden fixture for this that relies on wedges to hold the handle and have used it a few times. Invaluable when the need arrises.

Edited by Garry Keown
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Von Gruff

http://www.vongruffknives.com/

The ability to do comes with doing.

 

 

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Not in my shop, but I took a Mokume Gane workshop with Ted McDonah at Grizzly Ironworks in Phoenix.

Starting billet: 2"x3"X1-1/4", 25 layers or 16ga. copper and nickel-silver.

 

Starting Billet.jpg

 

Fired in a propane forge

 

Firing.jpg

 

Reduced to about half thickness. Will trim, cut and pattern tomorrow.

 

Final billet.jpg

 

 

 

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“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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Tried my fist canister damascus. I've got four garage doors worth of springs sitting around and finally decided to try them in a canister. Worked out pretty well.

 

A small amount of the springs I have all straightened.

IMG_0468.jpg

 

Cut into 4 inch pieces.

IMG_0471.jpg

 

Packed with 1080 + 2 % nickle powder.

IMG_0475.jpg

 

The canister pictured above is not the canister I ended using. The stainless steel was so thin that I burned a hole in it as I was trying to weld it up. Ended up with a "standard" mild steel canister coated in Kiltz. Wasn't too difficult to get out.

IMG_0476.jpg

 

Took it down to 3/4 inch square, twisted it and then flattened. Cut a small coupon to check the pattern. Kinda reminds me of cable damascus , but with out the issues that cable has.

IMG_0480.jpg

Edited by Bill Schmalhofer
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1 hour ago, Bill Schmalhofer said:

mild steel canister coated in Kiltz. Wasn't too difficult to get out.

Way to go man! 

 

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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I finished that Mokume Gane class and updated my How-To thread: Mokume Gane (a quick How To Do) - Hot Work - Bladesmith's Forum Board (bladesmithsforum.com)

 

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“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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Was a big day at the grinder today to finish the grind on this batch of NitroV kitchen knives. all grinding done post heat treat

20220310_163445.jpg

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Von Gruff

http://www.vongruffknives.com/

The ability to do comes with doing.

 

 

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13 hours ago, Conan Dunlap said:

My first attempt at W's pattern.

I don't see any flaws per se, but I don't see the W's either. It's a very nice and tight high layer pattern though. The end grain looks more like you twisted it somewhere along the process. What's the plan from here? How many of those little cubes have you got?

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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30 minutes ago, Joshua States said:

I don't see any flaws per se, but I don't see the W's either. It's a very nice and tight high layer pattern though. The end grain looks more like you twisted it somewhere along the process. What's the plan from here? How many of those little cubes have you got?

Maybe I don't really understand how to do W's.  It is 240 layers, I don't really have a plan for this, I will probably draw it out into a Bowie if I have enough.  I only have the one cube.  

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9 hours ago, Conan Dunlap said:

Maybe I don't really understand how to do W's.

That is possibly true. How did you get to this point?

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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1 hour ago, Joshua States said:

That is possibly true. How did you get to this point?

I forged 240 layers, rotated 90 degrees and forged down to about 3/8" thick (vertical layers on the end grain) then cut into 14 sections and stacked them with all of the end grain on one side.  I thought this is what created the W's with all of the end grain stacked up.  I don't really know what I am doing, just trying to learn by doing!

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4 minutes ago, Conan Dunlap said:

I forged 240 layers, rotated 90 degrees and forged down to about 3/8" thick (vertical layers on the end grain) then cut into 14 sections and stacked them with all of the end grain on one side.  I thought this is what created the W's with all of the end grain stacked up.  I don't really know what I am doing, just trying to learn by doing!

You took the billet up to too many layers before turning 90 degrees (called forging on the bias) and stacking. You need to forge on the bias after the initial billet is welded together. Then forge it out flat, cut and stack, lather, rinse, repeat as desired until the end grain looks more like this.

 

2 End pattern.JPG

 

The W's pattern is an end-grain pattern. In order to see the W's, you need to transfer the end grain out to the face.  If you forge what you have out flat, you will distort the pattern and stretch it out. It will still look pretty good, but it's probably going to end up looking more like random Damascus than anything else. 

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

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