Hunter WIP

[Alex Middleton 436]

It's been quite a while since I've started a new project.  I thought I'd post this as a WIP so hopefully somebody can chime in and point out my inevitable mistakes before I get too far. 

I started with a 42 layer billet of 1084/15n20 that was around 3/16" thick.  I cut it in half and sandwiched it around a piece of 3/16" thick 1084.  It's my first try at a San-mai type construction so we'll see how centered it turns out.  I ground some grooves into each side after welding to give it a little bit of pattern disruption. 

 

I didnt forge the bevels in to this one.  I'm thinking that the line between the layered billets and the core will turn out a bit higher if I grind them in instead.

 

 

The plan is to end up with a hidden tang set into a piece of figured walnut with brass furniture.  

Im also planning to use a Petoskey stone (semi-precious gemstone native to Michigan) as a buttcap.

 

Anybody have any advice for shaping and setting a stone like this?

[Alan Longmire 2,542]

Diamond tools for Dremels work great on stones, but it's hard to re-polish to match the tumbled finish.  If I were you I'd just flatten the back and call it good.  Do it in a shallow pan of water, stone dust is bad to breathe.  If it doesn't need much flattening, SiC sandpaper in water is great.  

For setting it, do you have a copy of JPH's The Master Bladesmith?  He has a good chapter on that.  

[Alex Middleton 436]

Thanks Alan.  I'll have to get so SiC sheets on order.  I've had both The Complete Bladesmith and The Master Bladesmith on my Amazon wishlist for quite some time.  I guess it's time to move them to the cart.  I'll just tell the wife it's my Christmas present for the year .

[Alex Middleton 436]

Got my copy of The Master Bladesmith today.  Time to tuck in and figure out how much I dont know. 

[Alex Middleton 436]

I managed to get the blade shape, and bevels filed in.  And a quick test etch because I can't ever resist looking at the pattern. 

The edge is 3.5", it'll be 4" to the guard. 

Edited November 21 by Alex Middleton

[Alex Middleton 436]

Hand sanded to 180 and ready for heat treat. 

 

[Garry Keown 842]

That is going to be a pretty little knife . 

[Chris Christenberry 325]

That's a beautiful blade, Alex.  Can't wait to see the finished piece.

[Gary LT 75]

Hey Alex, plunge cuts look so crisp and looks like you have a nice balance - “core to multilayer wrap”!

Digging it!

ps, when I was up in MIch, I heard all about Petosky stones. Actually found some on Lake Traverse shore.

 

Gary LT

[Alex Middleton 436]

15 hours ago, Gary LT said:

plunge cuts look so crisp and looks like you have a nice balance - “core to multilayer wrap”!

Thanks Gary.  I spent a lot of time filing on this one.  My goal was to have nice crisp plunge cuts, and an even transition line from bevel to spine.  I've always struggled with those things so I made it a point to focus on them this time.  While it's not perfect, it's a far cry ahead of anything I've pulled off before.

[Joshua States 1,593]

I'm sorry I saw this so late. That's a very nice looking blade you have there. If I may make an observation, it will be easier to change before HT than after (unless you have a disc sander). The upper flat spots along the spine are not equal. One looks wider and shorter in length than the other. This is a good recipe for warpage in the quench and will be much more difficult to sand out after HT.

[Alex Middleton 436]

Thanks Josh, great observation.  Between the two pictures there's 4-5 hours of additional filing and sanding, back and forth, on each side of the blade.  I was trying to fix that exact issue.  I ended up getting them to match up as best as I could.  It's also a little deceiving as I filed in a radius to the spine in the last pic (you can't really see it) that wasn't present in the first one.  My plan is to heat treat it tonight after I take one more look to make sure I have everything even.  As I look at it, there may still be a bit too much material up towards the tip on the side shown in the last picture.  You can see how the damascus portion runs right out to the edge, while there is a reveal of the 1084 core on the other side.  Either my filing, or my forging is off just a bit.

[Joshua States 1,593]

9 hours ago, Alex Middleton said:

I was trying to fix that exact issue.  I ended up getting them to match up as best as I could

You rock dude. I can't wait to see the finished piece.

[Alex Middleton 436]

Definitely not finished yet.   But it survived the quench without a hitch.  Came out hard, and dead straight.  Except for a little kick at the end of the tang which will get ground down anyway.

 

Since I was out in the shop anyway, I took the opportunity to do a test run of Saturday's Thanksgiving dinner dessert.

Smoked bacon encrusted with maple syrup and brown sugar.  Used a bit too much sugar, but came out pretty good.

 

Edited November 25 by Alex Middleton

[t cudworth 36]

What situation isnt improved by bacon?

Tom

[Doug Webster 50]

Really nice blade Alex.  Bacon, nature's way of pattern welding fat and protein.