What did you do this week?

[Shawn]

So your carbide is what's making your pattern correct?
I remember watching a video of Alfred Pendray some time ago. Unfortunately I didn't retain much other than it was a very distinctive pattern that wasn't from layers like modern "Damascus ", and that it was rather temperature sensitive when forging.

 

[verndahl]

I rather like the pattern in that razor. Does the fact that the carbides are severed change the quality of the steel?

 

[Bruno]

I rather like the pattern in that razor. Does the fact that the carbides are severed change the quality of the steel?

No it doesn't affect that. A different way to think about this is simply that the wootz pattern 'highlights' the crystal boundaries that formed during solidification. By using a press to make such crush lines, you're simply rearranging the boundaries.
This is similar to how you'd make a mohammed's ladder pattern for example.

 

[Bruno]

So your carbide is what's making your pattern correct?
I remember watching a video of Alfred Pendray some time ago. Unfortunately I didn't retain much other than it was a very distinctive pattern that wasn't from layers like modern "Damascus ", and that it was rather temperature sensitive when forging.

Correct. There are basically 4 separate things that come into play.
First is the solidification phase. This is where the dendritic structure is formed in the steel. This is imo the most important phase because it's the 1 you can't actively control when it's happening, and depends on the cooling rates and chemistry.
Second is the forging. This is where the repeated thermal cycles help bring carbon to the carbides and you als get to influence the pattern.
Third is the thermal cycling you do and the heat treatment.
And 4th is the etching to make everything visible.

 

[Bruno]

This week i finished this so i can auction it.
Nothing fancy. Silver steel. Ironwood snd poplar.

 

[verndahl]

Still a mighty fine knife even if it's not fancy!

 

[Bruno]

Thx. It's going to Scott Goodman. At first I didn't care much for this knife but it's grown on me. The nice thing about this handle construction is that it's much easier to make because you can just cut the tang shape out of the middle layer.

 

[Bruno]

Last week i finished this.
I don't always succeed but i try to finish something every week.

 

[Bruno]

My daughter asked if i could make a seesaw for her kindergarten class about balance.

Friday we bought scrap from the lumber mill: a solid oak floorboard and a slender plank. I made it with a wide arc so that it would roll gently instead of just tipping in the middle because her class are the littlest ones at 2 to 3 years and i didn't want them to fall.

I steamed the fir planks to bend them and there is a counterweight on one end to give it a starting position. It can hold my weight so the kids should be fine.

I hammered wedges with wood glue in the joints after fixing the planks in place with screws just for extra strength.

The top is coated with clear varnish. I didn't sand it smooth so it is extra grippy. Its 1 m long and 20 cm wide.

 

[Bruno]

The seesaw was a huge success. My daughter told me the class was more quiet than they'd ever been during her explanation. And then they started using it. I cannot share the video because of privacy regulations but it was wonderful. Basically a dozen toddlers between 2 and 3 years old kept going round and round in a circle to walk over it, excited that they could make the trip without falling.

And then they used stools, stepping blocks (which I'd made the week before) and hoops to make a parkour with the seesaw as a starting point.

 

[Bruno]

Working on some more wootz razors. I am happy to see that my new thermal cycling recipe produces consistent results. This is without etching, straight off the grinder. When i see this i know it's going to be good.

 

[verndahl]

that should be amazing when itched!

 

[Bruno]

Thx. Yes. The real takeaway here is that all the bits and pieces of knowledge are finally clicking together in my understanding of wootz. I tried this new thing with the previous razor and it came out stunning. Now I have done the same thing with 3 new blanks and the results reproduce in all 3.

 

[Bruno]

What did you guys do this week?
I finished the scales on this one.

The curve is there to hook the strap. Originally i had a hole there the the leather was too thick to fit through when folded double. This was plan B.

 

[Shawn]

With everything going on with the car getting totaled and finding a new one, then sick for 3 days, I didn't get much of anything done except for one little thing.
My every day knife that I made with my wife I originally etched in ferric. I cleaned it up and re etched it in that gator piss enchant.
For as much as I have abused that blade and it being impregnated with who knows what oil/grease/cleaner/adhesive/whatever that didn't come out with a light sanding, I am actually really impressed with the results.

 

[verndahl]

just been piddling around in the shop lately. I can't get excited about any particular money making project but have instead been just kind of practicing and doing projects that interest me. Made a couple fire steels and a bopper (for dressing the edge of the flint). Also started a barbecue tong and then decided I needed some more practice on making tongs. This lead to making a small rush light holder. (again, not something that is going to be easy to sell in my current market). At least I'm having fun.

 

[32t]

My daughter got married yesterday. Many years in the works!

I did shave before the wedding with a blade made by Bruno so I guess this fits in here....

 

[Bruno]

With everything going on with the car getting totaled and finding a new one, then sick for 3 days, I didn't get much of anything done except for one little thing.
My every day knife that I made with my wife I originally etched in ferric. I cleaned it up and re etched it in that gator piss enchant.
For as much as I have abused that blade and it being impregnated with who knows what oil/grease/cleaner/adhesive/whatever that didn't come out with a light sanding, I am actually really impressed with the results.

Can you show a picture? I've been hearing about gator piss and I'm curious.

 

[Bruno]

My daughter got married yesterday. Many years in the works!

I did shave before the wedding with a blade made by Bruno so I guess this fits in here....

Love it! I wish them many years of marital bliss!

 

[Bruno]

just been piddling around in the shop lately. I can't get excited about any particular money making project but have instead been just kind of practicing and doing projects that interest me. Made a couple fire steels and a bopper (for dressing the edge of the flint). Also started a barbecue tong and then decided I needed some more practice on making tongs. This lead to making a small rush light holder. (again, not something that is going to be easy to sell in my current market). At least I'm having fun.

Having fun is what matters most. Make no mistake I love doing what I do and I use it to pay the bills of what otherwise would be an unreasonably expensive hobby (and giving my midlife crisis a harmless outlet ) but at times it feels like I spend all my time on customer projects and little time on my own projects.