Very nice. How do the square edges on the handle fit your hand? I like the character of the blade!
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Very nice. How do the square edges on the handle fit your hand? I like the character of the blade!
Very nice! I like the look with the pitting.
thanks rick. the edges are only square [well, finely radiused] on the top, and it's actually quite comfortable.
i liked the handle aesthetically, but i wasn't sold on it til i felt it in my hand.
thanks crash. i noticed that the pitting on this piece went deeper than on the first, so naturally, i kept more of it intact. i'll get more pictures later, you can see on the other side that it even shows still on two places in the blade bevel.
i tried a vinegar patina [almost 3 hours at room temp] on one piece and i notice this steel is quite stain resistant.
i've still got a few things to do with this blade. i need to do the finishing on all the flats [as well as fix a few of them; you can see the two different grinds on the false edge along the back if you look]. i've got to even out the bevels on the water stone, fix the spot where the wood is sanded down to the tang and probably lastly, to apply a few coats of spar and wet sand to 1500.
i slapped myself around for about half an hour this morning, after learning an important lesson which should have been self evident:
don't fall asleep with acid on a blade. i didn't ruin it, but i did create myself another couple to several hours of work, and made the pitting on the blade 3-4x deeper. if this steel had not had any corrosion to begin with, it would actually just be a beautiful, dark patina with an attractive blued look. instead, it's an irregular pattern of that look, red rust and blackened pitted areas, themselves surrounded by red rust.
the rust cleans off easily enough, but will return any time the pitted areas hold moisture again. this blade will have to be kept oiled between use.
i did make an important realization:
while i've heard a few knifemakers recommend using a wrap of vinegar soaked paper, instead of immersion for forcing a patina, which is certainly useful for doing the proceedure on blades which have already been fitted with a handle; it occurs to me that this is actually a stronger etch. as the vinegar evaporates from the paper, it's acidity rises as acetic acid evaporates at a higher temperature than water [it is actually solid below 62f].
this should make the proceedure more effective for staining higher chromium alloys, if also making it more corrosive, and possibly leading to a more irregular etch/patina in the even of any residual oils on the blade.
this may be a leap of logic, but it seems to be sound, and backed up by how strongly this steel stained with this method, compared to the almost non-existant patination observed with immersion in 3% solution [which was plenty for the two sgian dubh blades i processed].
photo of part of the collection, showing the patinas:
Those sure are nice. You did a nice job.
Nice looking knives.
I don't know if this will work on steel.
So
For a patina on brass I do fuming technique with ammonia. To antique brass hinges and such I clean any old finish or oil with a solvent like acetone. I use a container that will allow the part to be suspended by a wire hook with out touching the container. In the bottom I put some ammonia, the amount depends on the container size, about 1/2 inch and cover the top. I usually do this in the summer so the container can be put outside in the sun. I check every two hours until i get the patina I want. I rinse off the items and use a past wax to finish it off.
They look great. Very nicely done.
Very nice, nice to see tham done.Quote:
Originally Posted by canid
Good job
Very Well done Canid!! Yours look so nice!!
i think i'm happy with the santoku blade, so these might be the final images before it gets a handle. i would like to refine the bevels, so they are symetrical, but honestly, the overall angle is just fine, the blade is thinned well enough to be a good slicer, and as they say; if it ain't broke:
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/img_0249.jpg
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/img_0256.jpg
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/img_0251.jpg
i just love the blue patina this steel takes.
except for the portion towards the tip, it's an almost flat grind on the un-notched side, and since i slice with my right hand, this puts the notches on the proper side, and the bevel there should further aid slicing [e.g. food being sliced should not stick to the knife].
it is slightly distally tapered in addition to the flat grind. i'm sure my next attempt will be executed still better. it began as rather thick stock for a santoku, but this leaves it plenty of mass for light/fine chopping of soft food without much effort [too much force against such a steep blade edge would be detrimental].
overall; i'm happy with the knife, and hope the handle i decide on to do it justice.
I havnt seen you make an ugly handle yet!! It looks great Canid, as usual.
you aren't looking closely enough :D
when it comes to tempering; i keep forgetting something important:
the lady's grandmother was into ceramics/pottery. there is an old electric kiln sitting in the corner of the workshop.
i should fire it up and see what it's temp range is.
In other news.....Central California was hit with a blackout when the power grid was suddenly and unexpectedly melted from granny's kiln being fired up.
I can tell you that the kiln I use to heat treat was designed for ceramics and will get to 2100 F! I can heat treat all steels, stainless and carbon in it and the results are great! Dig it out and fire it up!Quote:
Originally Posted by canid
Just be aware of the electric costs for running it. They aren't cheap.
yeah; i'm betting this one gets hot too. it draws a looooott of current. it's on it's own 240 circuit on the breaker panel
And what's wrong with that? (says the lineman!):innocent:Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick
with Koa handle:
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...koa-handle.jpg
propeller warpage from heat treatment:
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...es/warpage.jpg
i still haven't got the handle shaped quite as i'd like it. beautiful wood though.
That's not warpage - that's character. Nice job.
To bad about the blade..are you going to try to straighten it? Looks like it will still work ok like it is.
I like it , All I'm seeing is character not defects.
i'm going to try gently to straighten it slightly :D
i can't forget what happened to the last blade i tried to straighten, and the defect had been minor to begin with.
as for working as it, it shredded several old cedar 1x8 boards [against the grain] and a likewise weathered 2x4. it'll certainly get the light chopping tasks i wanted it for done.
I guess I might just leave it then!:) Nice job!Quote:
Originally Posted by canid
don't get me wrong, new, dry 2x4 board would have destroyed the blade [it's pretty thin], but yes, i'm pretty happy as long as it get's it's intended job done.
started a couple of skinners with that kromedge blade.
these are just cut and ground from the blade. i made certain to cool them [in water] frequently while grinding. i had been a little concerned about harming the temper anyway, until i tried to drill out the pin holes using a cheap, but otherwise serviceable bimetal bit intended for use on metal. i ate half an inch of bit by the time i was 1/4 through the stock. i'd say the temper is just fine.
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...img_0249-1.jpg
4 3/4" overall, 2 13/16" total blade edge, and 5/64" thick.
the handle shape could use a little refinement, but it's almost as i want it.
i have to say, as long as the friction heat is dissipated often, and the stock doesn't get too hot, stainless blades from existing, known stock is pretty easy.
basic rules: keep the water in easy arm's reach, and if the metal is just becoming too hot to hold comfortably [near the site of cutting/grinding], it's time to cool. i still have to see how these finished blades hold up.
update on the stainless skinners:
i've got one set of the scales made, tapped and dry fitted. now i'm just working on shaping the grip.
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...rs/01-left.jpg
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/01-right.jpg
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/01-spine.jpg
you can see in the second picture that i did overheat the end of the bevel while grinding.
here is a preview of both of them:
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...es-preview.jpg
i think the blades are a bit wider than i want them, so removing the softened steel i overheated won't be a problem.
the knives are quite small, as i said; under 5"oa.
I have one knife and I bought it for a dollar. However, I was awake for a minor surgery on my lower back to remove some scar tissue that had gone down almost to the muscle... Anyways, I smelled them cauterizing my veins. Lovely smell. (Rick is dryheaving, I bet)
btw: today was an example of the many times i learn lessons i already knew, shouldn't have needed to be reminded, and yet had to learn again the hard way, by way of a blood sacrafice:
when machining metal, particularly thin sections of metal which have been sharpened along one edge, remember to clamp it down well, firmly and securely.
while tapping out one of the pin holes, i stopped to resharpen and harden the drill bit. i forgot that after doing this, the bit tends to bite instantly, and the risk of projectile workpieces increases significantly. i chose to be lazy and not clamp the blade down, and as a result, i siced through my fingertip, including part of my finger nail.
i had to get the bleeding stopped before resuming any work [nothing worse than bleeding all over a wood surface you've taken pains to keep clean and just sanded smooth.
safety first folks.
I agree, "stuff happens", you can never be too careful.
Hope it isn't too bad?
Nice job BTW
it's not bad. it might get infected under the nail, since my hands where filthy at the time, and under the nail wounds don't breathe too well, but i've gotten worse while shoveling wet manure, so meh.
just a wake up call for my lazy use of power tools.
i'm temporarily out of fresh sanding belts, so these handle scales might go on hold for a couple days. i tend to work on my projects in spurts anyway.
Those are looking great! Glad the lesson wasn't too serious.
Now thats the way I like em! Looks great Canid!
On pieces that are long enough, instead of clamping I just brace them against the support column of my Drill Press, so that the piece can't spin should the drill bit bind. I haven't worked on anything that small yet, but maybe the same principle would work??? Maybe a bolt(s) through the support rest/table on your drill press? Mine does have long slots that that might work on. I hate clamping my blade to the support rest/Table,as it usually puts the blade at a cant or angle, then my holes that I drill are also at an angle. Just a thought........
i don't have a drill press. just a hand drill, a workbench and a scrap of wood to put beneath the workpiece.
generally, anything that positively arrests the workpiece and prevents it's being thrown or grabbed should be used. i was being lazy and working without any such precaution.
the second one is about as far along as the first one was yesterday.
the first one is coming along nicely. i'm impressed how much i'm able to get done with the compound curvature with only the disk sander:
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/img_0260.jpg
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/img_0259.jpg
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/img_0258.jpg