Time for a new BBQ Challenge - The Camp Sword

[panch0]

Dellis thats looking good. Did you ever find out why you got cracks in the other one?

 

[Daniel Fairly Knives]

I need to get back on my camp sword! I tested it and need to clean it up and do the handle.

Great work guys!

 

[DEllis]

Dellis thats looking good. Did you ever find out why you got cracks in the other one?

Thanks Frank. I am not 100% sure. It looked like cracks caused from too fast of quench, but as it was quenched in warm veggie oil, I have my doubts about that. I am thinking it probably cracked when I hammered the texture in........like a dummy I did it at a low heat..........after it had been normalized once. I think the steel was fairly hard after normalizing and I should have used more heat to straighten and add texture. First blade broken(unintentionally) in 7 or 8 years........guess I was getting too cocky. That'll teach me
Darcy

 

[cbr900son]

Im gonna go with a wooden sheath after seeing tai's post but it will be no where near what he is doing! I only wish I had that kind of skill.

 

[Tai Goo]

I've never done one exactly like it before,... sure am learning a lot, but it's been a bit of a struggle. I really want to add that type of thing to my repertoire. I'm hoping to finish fabricating the tip today.

 

[panch0]

I've never done one exactly like it before,... sure am learning a lot, but it's been a bit of a struggle. I really want to add that type of thing to my repertoire. I'm hoping to finish fabricating the tip today.

Looking forward to it!

 

[Carl_First_Timer]

I've got some wood coming in today. I'll see if any of it wants to become scales for this bad boy. If so I'll need to drill some holes for a bolster. If nothing jumps out at me I'll be going with some G10.

I've never done one exactly like it before,... sure am learning a lot, but it's been a bit of a struggle. I really want to add that type of thing to my repertoire. I'm hoping to finish fabricating the tip today.

That ebonization looks great.

 

[Tai Goo]

The thin bronze fittings sprung shut just a little every time I took it off the wood, so I had to support it from the inside to keep the fit to the wood right, before soldering/brazing any of the other parts on. With the tip I crumpled up some stainless foil to support it from the inside, now just have to solder the end on. Another problem is that the thin bronze wants to buckle every time I solder to it, so I’m having to use cross lock tweezers, wire and such to hold it in shape. I think I could get through it easier next time though, because I did learn a few things. Definitely required me to stretch my noodle a bit.

Have another one to do after this one, so hopefully it will go smoother next time.

 

[Tai Goo]

Here’s a couple shots to give a better idea of what I’m talking about,… what this is like. Anyway, I got a good silver solder seam and it still fits over the end of the scabbard, but one side of the first center seam lifted up just a little. Probably just a bit too much pressure from the stainless foil inside. At least it didn’t come apart (knock on wood). I think I’ll be able to tap and or push it down a hair, then just sand it flush, hopefully. The open end did buckle and swell out just a bit, but I think I can just squeeze it back in a hair, before I try and braze/solder the silver trim on that end.

 

[Tai Goo]

Here’s the set up I used to solder/braze the silver piece on to the tip.

1-¼ inch belt loop.

I put a leather washer in up at the top, between the top of the wood body and the inside of the throat, for a nice smooth snug fit, and to help keep the knife/sword, "knord", from falling out. I also put another leather washer at the very top on the outside of the throat to pad the guard. It has a great feel going in and out,… no rattle, nice and smooth, comfortable and best of all,... it won‘t get stuck.

Not the absolute final finish, but close enough for now... a bit of a chore, but I guess it was worth it.

 

[Carl_First_Timer]

Man oh man Tai, that is nice.

Well the wood that came in from Chuck was way too nice for this beast. Gonna heat treat and get some G10 on this bad boy. Pics in a few days.

 

[Ed Braun]

Finally a free moment to post so, while I've the moment going to throw out what few updates I have:

After spending some time reviewing the comp charts for varied 10XX steels, I've decided on 1075 and Aldo graciously threw me in a bar with my last order along with some stainless foil for the mokume.

I've made mokume before, but never a billet this big and made a beefier set of press plates. I also got Rio Grande's lead free NS and their light copper, a test billet using straight copper and NS seemed kind of washed, so I've also ordered a brass to add to the mix.

While the day job's prevented me from doing little else aside from studying Ashokan vids Stacy suggested and an Empty Mind documentary Stuart Branson turned me on to, the biggest challenge to a Chokuto era O-wakizashi is defeating Sori--I think the key maybe a tapered bevel. That is, the bevel is severely reduced the closer to the tip. So if the bevel reaches halfway up to the spine by the ricasso, then a the tip it should only be a quarter of the blade's width. I'm hoping the progressively thicker cross section will arrest curvature.
That, of course, pure conjecture after the last several weeks studies, and one I'm happy to hear other ideas about.

A few tests trying various inlay techniques for synthetics shows promise, but nothing I can afford to spend an extensive amount of time working on; as badly as I have been delayed starting due to teacher obligations, I know other areas will require more time investment to see it completed relatively quickly. As such, I'll be casting the entire handle around the nakago. Likewise, since I'm casting, I've decided to use the extra space available to create a wushu style handle.

One last note--someone sent me one of those blacksmith depot Swedish 800g and Czech 1000g hammer sets--I'd like to know who you are so that I can properly thank you.

 

[Tai Goo]

Ed, I don't think brass in the mokume is a good idea, especially if you plan to forge it, low melting temp., and not so good malleability. It tends to shear apart when hot or cold worked or melt down in the forge... Up to you, though.

I have used quite a bit of copper and nickel silver, good contrast, close enough melting points etc., but the fusion between the two metals isn't very strong compared to copper and sterling or fine silver. It tends to split apart between layers when worked. If the pattern washed out a bit, probably got it too hot. Copper and nickel silver combo looks great etched in ferric chloride, neat textures.

Here's an example of one of mine from a long time ago, copper/nickel silver with heat patina (no etching on this one).

 

[SBranson]

Beautiful work on that scabbard Tai. I really appreciate seeing your progress shots as I have no idea how to do "jeweler's" (for lack of a better term) work. That mokume pic above is really nice too.

Ed. I wonder if you clayed the blade lightly, heated it evenly, and quenched in Parks50 instead of water you might get little enough curvature to work out. Not a traditional approach so maybe not of interest to your project. Not sure how they did it though like in that youtube link you sent me. More than likely the sori was worked out with a heated copper block and a hammer.??

 

[Ed Braun]

Beautiful work on that scabbard Tai. I really appreciate seeing your progress shots as I have no idea how to do "jeweler's" (for lack of a better term) work. That mokume pic above is really nice too.

Ed. I wonder if you clayed the blade lightly, heated it evenly, and quenched in Parks50 instead of water you might get little enough curvature to work out. Not a traditional approach so maybe not of interest to your project. Not sure how they did it though like in that youtube link you sent me. More than likely the sori was worked out with a heated copper block and a hammer.??

Stu, I've wondered the same, and particularly if the spine shouldn't also lightly clayed; completely insulating the heat instead of bleeding off as with the spine bare.

I'm using parks, I just need to work out quenching vessel--I'd thought about an 11 second since it's 1075 and neither W2 or 1095, but best to err on the side of reason. The quenching container is the question at this point: whether I vertically or horizontally quench.
I am leaning toward vertical. Something I've noticed is distinct, individual makers' sori based on how they horizontal quenching: a tip first slice, nose first straight plunge, and a uniform dip (tip and tang at once).
However, we're also looking at too many unknown variables such as steels and cross-section geometry.

Tai--thanks for the advice, I really like that rosy patina.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I have found sori to be related to the quench media, and the steel far more than the position or angle of the quench.

If you aren't going for a hamon, forge/grind in the sori and quench in oil without any clay.

Sounds like you melted your mokume. It should be a diffusion bond...not fusion.

 

[Ed Braun]

I have found sori to be related to the quench media, and the steel far more than the position or angle of the quench.

Part of those variables I can't account for and frustrating me.

If you aren't going for a hamon, forge/grind in the sori and quench in oil without any clay.

I'll be going for a hamon.

Sounds like you melted your mokume. It should be a diffusion bond...not fusion.

Probably--I'd been advised to hold at diffusion temp for 8-10 hours, but cut it to half since I was using a half sized billet and press plates. Since then I've spoken to a mokume maker and told my time was way off, and with my settup, at the right temp, but too direct a heat.


Thank you for the pointers, Stacy.

 

[Tai Goo]

The way I've always done it is to heat it up slowly, until the surface starts to sweat (you may even see a small bead or two of the metal with the lowest melting point start to bleed out),... then get it out of the forge immediately.

 

[Mike Davis]

Tai, that is fantastic!!! Ed, good luck buddy! I made progress on mine, it is all profiled, and will get a few pics later today, doing HT in a little while...hoping not to screw it up lol.

 

[12345678910]

Here’s the set up I used to solder/braze the silver piece on to the tip.

Tai

Can you tell me about this photo.

What's inside?

Is that a wad of SS HT foil, just to hold the internal shape?

or is there something else going on there?