Light Chopper (prototype)

Me too! Thanks for the updates. Excited every time I see there's new posts in this thread!
 
I was hoping I wouldn't have to go to bladeshow to get one of these. ... Oh well. Anyone want to proxy for me?
 
tinfoil hat timmy said:
I was hoping I wouldn't have to go to bladeshow to get one of these. ... Oh well. Anyone want to proxy for me?
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I think the 3v prototypes will be at Blade.. he will have these for sale here as well.. Perhaps after blade.. possibly before.. well see.. but either way he is planning to sell these here as well..

at least as far as Ive gathered
 
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Awesome as usual Nathan lookin' forward to seein' the finished run. Please put me on the info/interested PM me list please.

I still have the Osage Drop Point you gave me, it doesn't look as pretty as when I got it but it's all well earned character, blade and scales look like the day you sent it but the sheath shows the wear ;) .
 
CaptainPicardX said:
You gonna keep it at 65 HRC?
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No. But there is a difference between a blade that quenches out at 62 and is tempered back to 60, and a blade that quenches out at 65 and is tempered back to 60. Two blades in the same alloy and with the same geometry and hardness can have very different properties.

A short coming with 3V has been mediocre edge durability in rough use. This is pretty typical with complex steels due to carbide volume and difficultly avoiding mixed structures which act like the perforations in a postage stamp. So you can have a very durable blade with good wear characteristics that goes dull from micro chipping and edge roll. It's so common we just all accept it as normal.

My goal with this heat treat has been to leverage work I've done with industrial Kevlar cutting applications with D2 and apply that work to 3V. It truly is a different material. Same alloy but different properties, and fundamentally it all hinges on a homogenous micro structure that is very useful in thin sections at high hardness. Otherwise what good is an abrasion resistant steel if it just mushes up?

Achieving that degree of hardness with the aust times and temps I use (this is lath martensite) is outstanding because it indicates I have largely avoided non-martensitic structures.
 
What will be the differences between the chopper prototypes that will be sold soon compared to future light choppers (production model)?


Thanks.
 
xxwarderxx said:
What will be the differences between the chopper prototypes that will be sold soon compared to future light choppers (production model)?


Thanks.
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The purpose of the beta build is to evaluate the tweaks applied to the alpha build. If all goes well I'll go directly into a run. I tweaked the blade shape a little and Keffelerized the grip some. I also bumped the moment of inertia and shifted the center of gravity back a little. The final weight is 17 ounces.

The "production" build will have fully milled bevels and (hopefully) Peter's HT will have the new protocol worked out. The prototypes are HTed here, have coarse hand grinds and lack some of the fit and finish of the final model. They're user grade and I hope the buyer puts it work. Their real purpose is to evaluate the design and get the new heat treat out in the wild. They will be priced to encourage the buyer to "drive it like you stole it".
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
The purpose of the beta build is to evaluate the tweaks applied to the alpha build. If all goes well I'll go directly into a run. I tweaked the blade shape a little and Keffelerized the grip some. I also bumped the moment of inertia and shifted the center of gravity back a little. The final weight is 17 ounces.

The "production" build will have fully milled bevels and (hopefully) Peter's HT will have the new protocol worked out. The prototypes are HTed here, have coarse hand grinds and lack some of the fit and finish of the final model. They're user grade and I hope the buyer puts it work. Their real purpose is to evaluate the design and get the new heat treat out in the wild. They will be priced to encourage the buyer to "drive it like you stole it".
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Excellent! Thanks.


I know you've vetted out every aspect of the blade, if you don't mind, what made you go with the v grind as opposed to a convex or even asymmetrical?
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
The voices in my head told me to do it




It's on the whiteboard, but not in the schedule. Probably gonna do a small EDC type thing next. :thumbup:
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Good thing you went with the v grind. Bad things happen when you don't listen to them...

VERY happy to hear a small EDC is coming. I carry my field knife whenever I can, but the EDC could go everywhere. Pumped for more details whenever you release them.
 
Wow this is a very cool thread. I have been looking at getting a chopper for a while now. This would be the one I want.
Subscribed to the thread and would appreciate any PM's when these become available either here or at The Fort.
So since you arent taking money for preorders can I just send you a $20 that you can use for beer and consider it a bribe:D
Cheers
 
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