- Joined
- Mar 5, 1999
- Messages
- 34,096
After speaking with Art on the phone and getting emails I would have bet $10,000 that he would have success with his rehardening -- and I'd have won.
So, anybody who has any edge problems past, present or future contact Art. He'll fix the blade better than new.
Here's his story and a couple of pix.
Don't be alarmed with the pix. That YCS belongs to him and when he gets her all polished up like new I'm sure he'll send a picture so you can see what the final results will look like.
Take it away, Art, and one more time, many thanks!!!!
=========================================
Uncle Bill,
Here are two pix of process with YCS. My wife isn?t home today, so I couldn?t get a shot of the torch work or water pouring on edge, but these show a little of what?s involved.
First pic shows khuk with handle taped, red marker showing about where I?ll apply heat with torch, and heat trap paste to help protect handle, laha under bolsters, and especially brass inlay.
Other pic shows results ? color zones indicate areas of greater and lesser hardening (sorry the true colors just don?t reproduce well, but at least it shows that there are differences.) Most of the heat paste falls off during heating, but it works well enough that all brass inlay survived fine. A thin line ? less than 1 mm ? of laha seeped under one bolster but that was all. When I removed the tape I found that the handle and inlays were totally unaffected.
Chopping tests came out fine ? the piece of juniper that turned the wire edge before now has no effect on the blade from point down around belly. I chopped into the base of a small branch on the juniper and it had no effect on the blade at all.
As you know, this blade has one of the thin edges Bura refers to in his mail you posted on the forum. I?ve kept the edge thin but let it draw back a little softer than you might like for yourself ? I?d guess it to be Rc 59 or 60 around the belly, maybe 57 to 58 at point and behind belly. I could make sure that any others I do stay harder, especially those with convex edges.
Khuk still has colors on blade, but has had blade washed carefully (heat paste can leave marks if left on too long) and oiled; the handle has had a little tung oil applied in case it dried during heating.
I?ll let you know when the next package arrives.
Art
And here's the before pix.
So, anybody who has any edge problems past, present or future contact Art. He'll fix the blade better than new.
Here's his story and a couple of pix.
Don't be alarmed with the pix. That YCS belongs to him and when he gets her all polished up like new I'm sure he'll send a picture so you can see what the final results will look like.
Take it away, Art, and one more time, many thanks!!!!
=========================================
Uncle Bill,
Here are two pix of process with YCS. My wife isn?t home today, so I couldn?t get a shot of the torch work or water pouring on edge, but these show a little of what?s involved.
First pic shows khuk with handle taped, red marker showing about where I?ll apply heat with torch, and heat trap paste to help protect handle, laha under bolsters, and especially brass inlay.
Other pic shows results ? color zones indicate areas of greater and lesser hardening (sorry the true colors just don?t reproduce well, but at least it shows that there are differences.) Most of the heat paste falls off during heating, but it works well enough that all brass inlay survived fine. A thin line ? less than 1 mm ? of laha seeped under one bolster but that was all. When I removed the tape I found that the handle and inlays were totally unaffected.
Chopping tests came out fine ? the piece of juniper that turned the wire edge before now has no effect on the blade from point down around belly. I chopped into the base of a small branch on the juniper and it had no effect on the blade at all.
As you know, this blade has one of the thin edges Bura refers to in his mail you posted on the forum. I?ve kept the edge thin but let it draw back a little softer than you might like for yourself ? I?d guess it to be Rc 59 or 60 around the belly, maybe 57 to 58 at point and behind belly. I could make sure that any others I do stay harder, especially those with convex edges.
Khuk still has colors on blade, but has had blade washed carefully (heat paste can leave marks if left on too long) and oiled; the handle has had a little tung oil applied in case it dried during heating.
I?ll let you know when the next package arrives.
Art
And here's the before pix.
