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What did you do in your shop today?


Joshua States

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2 minutes ago, Joël Mercier said:

I've tried once and the edge went all wavy bacon. In other words, quenching with 0.005" at edge on a 2" wide full flat ground blade is a no go. Now I leave as much as I can without compromising full martensite conversion. 

 

I'm not saying your method is wrong, of course. To each it's own :)

 

Still, I'm not convinced about the straightening hammer thing. Maybe @Jerrod Millercould help us clarify whether post HT hammer straightening weakens the steel or not, cause in my understanding, plastic deformation gets you closer to fracture point. 

 

Oh, I didn't measure it, but I'd say I was closer to 0.025-0.035 thick

Bob O

 

"When I raise my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance upon mine enemies, and I will repay those who haze me. Oh, Lord, raise me to Thy right hand and count me among Thy saints."

 

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16 hours ago, Joël Mercier said:

Still, I'm not convinced about the straightening hammer thing. Maybe @Jerrod Millercould help us clarify whether post HT hammer straightening weakens the steel or not, cause in my understanding, plastic deformation gets you closer to fracture point. 

I would never recommend anyone do it, that is for sure.  You definitely are bringing it closer to failure.  There is only so much plasticity in tempered martensite.  The more of it you use up straightening the blade, the less will be there for the end user.  I think a good way to think about it is with what you are doing on a stress-strain diagram.  You are moving the steel closer to failure, but gaining strength along the way.  Take it too close to the failure point and you will end up with no room for extra bending in use.  As a user, I would appreciate it if the maker left me a little room for error rather than having sudden brittle failure.  But this is actually pretty analogous to hardening and tempering in general.  You temper to be less hard and thus less brittle.  This hardness/brittleness is usually thought of as a worth while trade off (but sometimes we want softer anyway).  With this straightening method you trading back to get more (localized) brittleness to make it straight.  It will also be a little harder there, too.  Whether the trade-off is worth it is a choice each maker has to decide on for themselves.  

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On 3/23/2023 at 1:28 PM, Jerrod Miller said:

I would never recommend anyone do it, that is for sure.  You definitely are bringing it closer to failure.  There is only so much plasticity in tempered martensite.  The more of it you use up straightening the blade, the less will be there for the end user.  I think a good way to think about it is with what you are doing on a stress-strain diagram.  You are moving the steel closer to failure, but gaining strength along the way.  Take it too close to the failure point and you will end up with no room for extra bending in use.  As a user, I would appreciate it if the maker left me a little room for error rather than having sudden brittle failure.  But this is actually pretty analogous to hardening and tempering in general.  You temper to be less hard and thus less brittle.  This hardness/brittleness is usually thought of as a worth while trade off (but sometimes we want softer anyway).  With this straightening method you trading back to get more (localized) brittleness to make it straight.  It will also be a little harder there, too.  Whether the trade-off is worth it is a choice each maker has to decide on for themselves.  

Would tempering after straightening effect the stress?

Bob O

 

"When I raise my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance upon mine enemies, and I will repay those who haze me. Oh, Lord, raise me to Thy right hand and count me among Thy saints."

 

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29 minutes ago, Bob Ouellette said:

Would tempering after straightening effect the stress?

Some, yes; but not completely back to pre-straightening levels.  You will have atomic bonds that are strained, which tempering will help, but you also have an accumulation of dislocations that will require recrystallization (way hotter than temper temps) to repair (assuming there aren't too many and actually form micro cracks).  

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Very interesting. Thank you for the information.

Bob O

 

"When I raise my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance upon mine enemies, and I will repay those who haze me. Oh, Lord, raise me to Thy right hand and count me among Thy saints."

 

My Website

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A couple 7 layer blades I forged with @ChrisBriggs. Configured in the following.

 

WI-1095-WI-1095-WI-1095-WI

WI: wrought iron.

 

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Stressed at work and life got in the way again, at least made a start to the wiring of the new VFD

IMG_20230326_203736_147.jpg

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Home for a while in-between trips I caught up a little on a few projects. I thought to share a little…..

(1st) - I picked up a file set on eBay, “Warrensville” watchmaker files, 12 files at a reasonable price $30 including shipping, cut #0. (Just google on eBay several are listed) 

(2nd) - 2 of 3 items almost finished.

 a) A small 3.25 pocket with yellow G10 scales and AEB-L blade/spring. Been carrying and using this one!

b) A birch bark Puukko the really came together well. Love the b.bark finish and love 52100 steel. N/S hardware. (Sheath under construction, better photos when finished)

c) A “sort-of” fluted fiddleback handled fixed blade, 52100 steel, still in process. It amazing how you can begin with an idea, then alter it the longer you have to wait to finish…..(at least I can!) The flutes were lined off and sectioned to produce pretty flared curvature and ending into visible tapered ends rather than entering in the handle itself. (A brilliantly stupid idea, trying to sand on such curvature!!) But ……! The pommel is still to be done…. (I have some WIP photos for later perhaps) Another trip coming due, so this one is to be continued….

42497BE4-09A2-4B1C-A1C5-BFFDCD7B1951.jpeg54A5EEBF-9D68-4C31-AA60-213135F5F1C4.jpeg6BA6DE84-CC32-4DE7-AB5F-DE51E436F99E.jpeg

 


 


 


 

Edited by Gary LT
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"I Never Met A Knife I Didn't Like", (Will Rogers)

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@Alan Longmire, thank you Alan.
Not enough time in the day to do everything and do it properly. I still have forged welding to finish, a folder to rebuild, sheaths and this scrolled knife.

Pretty much settled on 52100, old but good steel and I like the way it progressively sanded to respectable polish. And AEB-L, also a good steel choice for stainless. (Thank you for your help on this also)

Gary LT

"I Never Met A Knife I Didn't Like", (Will Rogers)

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Been working on the bolster because I was sick of hand sanding. While I like the colors and textures, I think I may have filed the wrought too deep :mellow:. Maybe it'll look better with the fluted synthetic ivory handle on.

 

 

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38 minutes ago, Alan Longmire said:

I also like the angle thing

Good to hear because it certainly increases difficulty by a couple of notches hehe

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I didn't get anything done in the shop, but I did draw a portrait of my mental state... "Forced Existence" because I didn't agree to this. Yes, my mental state is that of a reverse centaur :lol:

 

received_454901876818102_copy_600x874.jpg

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Bob O

 

"When I raise my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance upon mine enemies, and I will repay those who haze me. Oh, Lord, raise me to Thy right hand and count me among Thy saints."

 

My Website

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Finished wiring up my VFD cabinet and the new grinder is alive, though not quite ready for action.
Not without drama, couldn't get one of the old VFDs going.
I've since learned, after bragging here about the detachable control panel on my new VFD, that this is a pretty standard feature on VFDs :ph34r:
The problem on the old VFD turned out to be the PC board shifted down when I detached the control panel

When I plugged it back the bottom row of the connector on the controller caught the top row of the pins on the PC board.

Lights came on thanks to RTFM, half the manual is error codes.....displayed on the control panel.
Looking at the state of the remote controls on my old grinders I plan on building something similar for the new grinder.  These controls have a hard life, would rather not use an integral part of the VFD there.

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I've joined the North Texas Blacksmith Association. Their focus is on things that are a little less pointy, but I've already learned quite a lot that of course transfers to knifemaking too.

 

I just finished this project for the next meetup on Saturday.

 

Flower.jpg

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16 hours ago, Joël Mercier said:

I think I may have filed the wrought too deep

Nah. That looks very nice. Are you planning to etch it and bring out the grain?

 

“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

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25 minutes ago, Joshua States said:

Nah. That looks very nice. Are you planning to etch it and bring out the grain?

 

Thanks,

 

The wrought has been etched twice and cold blued twice. It's sorta cleaner than the usual American wrought it seems. 

 

 

PXL_20230402_201028341~2.jpg

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Subtle grain. Still looks good though.

“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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Went iron mining.

 

20230403_115936 sm.jpg

 

20230403_120925 sm.jpg

 

You may remember last year when I assisted a young man with a Basket-Hilt sword for an academic project.  Well, I made the mistake later of telling him that if he could get landowner permission we'd go to one of the old iron mines around here and I'd teach him to smelt his own iron.  Well, darned if he didn't hold his end of the bargain and get us permission!  

 

This particular ore bank was worked from ca. 1815-1952, and some of it looks even more recent.  Three different ores of highly variable quality, but in great abundance.  

 

20230403_145343 sm.jpg

 

We picked up about 175 pounds of a mix of goethite/limonite (brown ore) plus a little yellow ochre and some hematite.  We'll roast and crush it later this spring, then smelt it in the fall, possibly at a local historical site as an event.  Oh, and I found a nice 3-point whitetail antler shed, see top left bucket.

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7 hours ago, Alan Longmire said:

We picked up about 175 pounds of a mix of goethite/limonite (brown ore) plus a little yellow ochre and some hematite. 

Score!

“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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