Anyone else hate nickel silver?

David Schott

David Schott

Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
3,041
Let me predicate this post by saying that once it is finished, i LOVE nickel silver. I love how it looks and polishes....love how pins peen into it....but HATE working it. I hate cutting it with a hacksaw, hate how it tends to clog up my files, hate how it buffs black onto everything touching it unless masked....I feel sometimes like its TOO soft or something, which makes chunks stick to saw blade rather than falling off...I would rather make bolsters out of O-1 toolsteel than nickel silver these days. I also hate how it retains heat. Sometimes I will dip it in water, only to pull it out and feel the heat work right back out from the center. I feel like it just takes forver to work compared to steel. Should I swap to mild steel for bolsters? What do i use for pins then? Brass works fine but Im not as big a fan of brass fittings on the types of knives i make. What are your alternatives to nickel silver? it also has been getting increasingly expensive to find in barstock.....
 
Hey dude,
It gets so hot because silver is one of the best conductors of heat. It looks great but I find it scratches almost as easily as brass which sucks unless it's a show piece. I prefer to use stainless for bolsters. It's a little more scratch resistant and looks great in a satin or mirror finish. I've tried various types.. .416 SS being the most common (you can get it in rods too). I'm also dabbling in a little 304 SS right now and am happy with it so far. You're also right about the cost. For the price difference I honestly don't think it looks that much better than stainless and it's less resistant to wear.
Mike
 
I use 303 SS for a lot of stuff. It machines and grinds fairly-well, but take care when drilling as it does tend to weld on. Be sure to use coolant. 303 is pretty versatile in that it will take a mirror polish, satin polish, or any degree of hand polishing. It takes to heat-bluing very well, and rich deep blues and purples can be had. You can also age it with FC. :thumbup:
 
I agree with you on all points and have thought about going to SS but I hear that SS guards are a bugger to silver solder. Is this true, and, if so, what's the best method for attaching SS guards - JB weld?

Thanks in advance,
Dana Hackney
Monument, CO
 
DHackney said:
I agree with you on all points and have thought about going to SS but I hear that SS guards are a bugger to silver solder. Is this true, and, if so, what's the best method for attaching SS guards - JB weld?

Thanks in advance,
Dana Hackney
Monument, CO
Click to expand...

I use JB Weld, and "The Primos Method." :D :thumbup:

One caveat though... if you use JB Weld, your fit had better be perfect. Once in a great while I will solder an SS guard, but they are a real bugger like you say. I had a hank of really nice Eutectic solder someone gave me to try and that works really well, but it can be done with our beloved Stay-Brite if you are really careful to make everything absolutely perfect before you begin.
 
I think I'll look into the 303SS and pay really close attention to fitting the guards.

Best regards,
Dana
 
Am I the only one who's pretty sure there's no silver in nickel-silver? or was that a joke?

- Chris
 
I once also bucked the system about using Nickel Silver.I hated it for the same reasons you do.But after using it for awhile I learned how to work it efficiently.Have tried the SS for guards,303 is a bugger to solder,but it can be done.410 works really good.I like steel and wrought Iron for guard material now,plus then you can go the Damascus route also.Plenty of options to use without having to use Brass,unless you just want to.Nothing wrong with Brass in my book,Just wasnt used allot on the reproductions that I like making.

Nickel silver is a mix of copper zinc and pure nickel,anything labeled less than 18%nickel will tarnish to a light gold color (I found out the hard way)

Anything will scratch if it is not handled carefully,for a user just expect to get scratches and finish accordingly.
Bruce
 
Thanks. Good to see i am not alone. I would not mind working it if I was able to rough cut the shapes easier than I can with the hacksaw. I wish I had a bandsaw that could cut fine curves. Is nickel silver solft enough that a tiny jigsaw could cut intricate curves in 3/8" stock? My main beef is that it takes me almost as long to profile out two curved bolsters than it does to lay out, profile and start grinding the entire blade. Seems like a tremendous waste of time, though the result is often worth it....
 
TikTock said:
Thanks. Good to see i am not alone. I would not mind working it if I was able to rough cut the shapes easier than I can with the hacksaw. I wish I had a bandsaw that could cut fine curves. Is nickel silver solft enough that a tiny jigsaw could cut intricate curves in 3/8" stock? My main beef is that it takes me almost as long to profile out two curved bolsters than it does to lay out, profile and start grinding the entire blade. Seems like a tremendous waste of time, though the result is often worth it....
Click to expand...

Where's the fire man... Time = Quality

..and I agree with the above. 416 or 303 for me.
 
Yeah time does=quality, but it seems if an alternative is as good and easier to work with and cheaper, then in that case time=money. :D
 
Tic,

The NS is not that bad but it can give you a pita finding the right pins or the right thickness ect.
The 416 is tougher thats for sure. It just works better because NS is soft like copper almost.
This causes heat problems and several other little pita's.
 
TikTock said:
Yeah time does=quality, but it seems if an alternative is as good and easier to work with and cheaper, then in that case time=money. :D
Click to expand...
Well yeah if you're in it for the money more than yourself. I'm not saying every knife has to be amazingly difficult but as far as being "as good"....most can see when something takes longer and more care to make and appreciate/value it accordingly. I understand what you're saying but in most cases in my opinion what's cheaper and easier to make is NOT as good and not worth as much.
Mike
 
Well what I was saying is if there are alternatives that are better or as good in terms fo function and aesthetics, then there is no reason to stick with the nickel silver in the light of rising costs etc.

I am with you 100% when it comes to your comment, though. I will always favor what is best over minor difficulies working with a particular material.
 
i am about to make my first knife after having done a couple kits. im using 01 and i plan on sending it out for heattreat due to being in an apartment, but for bolsters, if i get some SS stock to use...do they also need to be sent for HT?
 
cwend said:
i am about to make my first knife after having done a couple kits. im using 01 and i plan on sending it out for heattreat due to being in an apartment, but for bolsters, if i get some SS stock to use...do they also need to be sent for HT?
Click to expand...

No, they don't need to be sent in for HT.

I have switched over to 416SS for the most part and will still use NS on occasion. If any engraving is the be done, 416SS is hard to beat. Mild steel isn't bad either. Nickel Silver, and 303SS for that matter are a little gummy.

As far as fit goes, whether using JB Weld or soldering, it should be as close as close can be, if not perfect. If not a good fit, then once soldered, it looks like it was done by a gorilla with a hot brick!

Terry Primos did everyone a great service by posting that tutorial on using JB Weld years ago.

That is all I do any more. I CAN solder but was having the same problems that Terry was...being haunted by the flux a few months down the road, even after a thorough cleaning afterwards.

Terry, thanks again, pal...mean it.

Craig
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top