A Damascus Custom Knife start to finish: Work In Progress by Eduardo Berardo JS

LAtraffic said:
Man this is awesome, thank you for taking the time to do this. I really am enjoying watching and reading this thread. I am new to the knife world. I just bought some bench stones and felt accomplished learning to sharpen by hand. Than I see this thread:eek: Very nice work, your english is good, by the way.
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Wow, I'm very happy with your impressions brother. Keep watching! Hugs brother!
 
Great thread Eduardo. I appreciate your nice clear pics and your attention to detail! Thanks for sharing.
 
To grind the surface of contact between the blade and the handle, just hold the blade in the file guide, in the opposite direction. Before that, make a prior machining Tang, ligning it the back and the edge.


Start grinding the most extensive part of the bolster, in the vertical direction of this. Grind until your file no roughing anything and start to slip on the file guide.


After that, to grind in circular movement, as the arrows show. This standardizes the entire surface in the same plane. Not to chip away at the base of the tang, remove the teeth of one side of his flat file, so that this surface it does not remove material. I like working with flat files 12 inches. Always use the more fine files because the most rough files did not grind to precision of the high percentage of carbon steels used in bladesmith, and produce very deep scratches.


Perfectly aligned back and tang. For a kitchen knife, I understand that the tang not need more than 2 1/2 inches length, which provides more resistance mechanics of what is needed. For other projects, such as camp knives, I get to make tangs with up to 4 inches long.


A break to relax and smile. I trying to kill my friends Jerry Fisk and Daniel Jobim. International Show of Bladesmithing Sao Paulo Brazil 2012. Good thing I did not do it! I love this picture and this guys!!! Look the expressions!!!


Now all serious Guys!


Back to work!
Edge and tang aligned!


Completed grinding. Knife ready for quenching. I prefer to keep the bolster still in square section, because if there is further need for any more adjustment to the file in
front and rear surfaces, it is easier to hold the file guide. If she was already ovate, it would be much harder.


Both blade sides perfectly welded. No welded fails.
 
Three of my chef knives.


Remember that for this alloy SAE1095 and 15N20, due to the possibility of residual hardening, I chose to do annealing, which was shown in the previous photos. So, before quenching is required who make at least one normalization cycle, which for this alloy is recommended to 855°C (1571°F).


While reaches the temperature, a cafee and a time to think about life and talk to God.


Be careful when removing the blades of the oven. If you beat it or tear it down while hot, they can bend.


Also beware burns.


Leave the knives cool in quiet air, preferably hanging, it is supported on any surface, the cooling will be irregular.


Preheat the quench oil, or diesel. A temperature and better results for hardening is 60°C (140°F). Remember the thermal inertia phenomenon, where even after turning off the fire, the oil keeps rising temperature by a few degrees. The area that I live is very hot in the summer I turn the oven to 52°C (125°F) and in winter to 56°C (133°F). On both occasions come to 60°C (140°F).


To preserve my oven, I made a frame where I hang knives. Keep knives away from the walls during heating, to be more regular.
 
This equipment is absolutely essential for a bladesmith workshop! According to guidelines from my friend Major Carnevale, the Fire Department, the most suitable is the chemical powder, it extinguishes electrical fires and liquid fuels. Excellent investment in their own safety. I have my handy especially after my accident to temper a sword, where almost burned down my house in 2010! My brother Adam DesRosiers an Haley went through a terrible experience recently.
The phenomenon that produces the fire called boil over. When the piece to be hardened is very large and extensive heat accumulates by being dipped in the oil, can cause fire and starting boiling. To avoid this, use a container with too much oil. The more oil, it will dissipate more heat and reduces the possibility of boil over.


Hardening temperature for SAE1095 and 15N20 is 800ºC (1472°F)


SAE1095 steel is very demanding with respect to hardening. It demand cooling 550°C (1022°F) in one second to better results. This requires a fast and precise maneuvering of the oven and oil. It recommends low viscosity oil, less dense. Very dense oils such as vegetable oils, widely used today, it is do not meet the rapid cooling needs of this alloy. You can use quench oil or diesel.


I prefer a large container for a few reasons:
1. The largest base prevents overturning and consequently fires;
2. The greater amount of oil absorbed more readily temperature, without inflaming easily.
3. Allows you to quite shake the blade in the longitudinal direction (back / edge) providing excellent cooling.
For my kitchen knives, I hardening full hard, or seasoning every blade. Needless selective temper, because these are knives that do not cut upon impact during normal use. If you want to cut a sequoia tree or go to war with a Chef knife, recommend selective!


After hardening, wipe the blade with a dry cloth, removing the oil so that your oven do not get the smell of this. Be careful not to drop the blade before hardening, because it is at maximum hardness and can be broken!


If your shop is full of smoke, turn your fan pointed out, on a door or in a window. Plug it internally only circulates the smoke, but does not remove it!


Location my fire extinguisher in forging area. When hardening, I leave my side!


Knives ready for tempering:
1 hour at 210°C (410°F);
water cooling to prevent the formation of carbides;
+ 1 hour at 210°C (410°F);


Cooling water between cycles.


Knife aspect after tempering.
 
Thanks again for such a detailed and informative WIP. :cool:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The warpage is a normal phenomenon, especially on long knives and narrow back. This knife is specifically with 3.9 mm at the thickest part of the back and measures nearly 11 inches long from the cutting area. The warpage happens for two reasons:
1. Asymmetric grinding; or
2. Asymmetric cooling.
If one of the sides of the knife is more grinding than the other, where there is less material cooling will be faster and "pull" the edge, which will be concave to this side. If one side is cooled a split second before, this side first and harden again happen the phenomenon quoting above. This can happen during "dip" during the blade cooling. It should be perfectly perpendicular to the surface of the liquid cooling. 1 degree tilt to one side or the other, can result in warpage. So it is normal and not unusual!


I drew the blade the center of the concavity of the warpage. Below the knife a hammer made especially for straightening. I will start working on the marked area and will checking evolution of straightening, going to work where needed.


Tip of straightening hammer: 4 mm!


Perfectly support the knife on the anvil and go always hitting near the back, where the straightening effect is more effective. I must emphasize that this technique was not developed by me. I learned generously with Luciano Dornelles, great cutler and my first teacher, to whom manifest my thanks!


It works very well also on the tang!


The small micro deformations which together cause increased surface, which extends the material and realigns the blade.


Blade perfectly aligned. It is easy to do. Will produce a video explaining this step!


I start machining with 50 grit sandbelt, vertical table, with the support table so as to reduce the thickness of the edge.


Then I go to free standing, with the sandbelt 50 and tensioned, where do the geometry of the edge.


Back to vertical with support now at 220 sandbelt to remove the scratches.
 
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Vertical without support, with sandpaper 220. Many of my friends bladesmiths sanding machine with much fine sandbelts. I think valid, but rather then make forward hand!


Sanding by hand in front of the integral bolster.


Rounding bolster vertically supported. 50 grit sandbelt.


Measuring the depth of the lateral bolster on both sides so as to make them symmetrical.


Removing the scratches of bolster, with the carousel and 220 grit sandbelt.


Removing scratches of choil. Beware of accidents with the arm in this position!


Removing scratches of back. Horizontal table, 400 grit sandbelt.


To start sanding manually remove the scratches near the bolster, working primarily in the direction of the arrows.


Then make circular movements. This method works perfectly also in areas near the ricasso, the mounted knives.


Then I sandnding in the longitudinal direction of the blade.
 
Sanding along. I use an old file as support of sandpaper.


Taking scratches and bulging the choil. For this use an old strip of sandpaper, 400 grain flexible. This technique, which also used a lot to give finishing handles and called it "shine", because of similar movements to the nearly extinct polishers shoes.
 
I like that straightening method. I will have to try it when I get the opportunity! Thanks for sharing.
That blade is looking good, nice robust clean lines at the bolster and heel.
 
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