Bent 25" Gelbu Update

I use this stuff:

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=276-1535

But unless you have the right equipment setup, you'll be in for a nice mess.


First time khukuri etchers should do this:


1. Thoroughly clean the blade with hot soapy water

2. Thoroughly wipe the blade clean with Windex

3. Heat some vinegar in the microwave (in a throw-away tupperware) to just barely above "hot tap water" temperature (around 120 degrees if you've got a thermometer). Add a few drops of liquid soap to the vinegar.

4. With the blade on its side on a ratty ole towel (or cloth), dip a cotton ball in the hot vinegar and start rubbing the blade lengthwise with it, keeping the cotton ball well-soaked.

5. Repeat on the other side.

6. This will take more time than a FeCl etch (using PCB). But it makes a nicer etch, in the opinion of certain bladesmiths. In other words, you may need to keep rubbing for while...don't give up on it...don't expect immediate results. Put on some relaxing music....:D

7. When you've got it where you want it, you'll want to neutralize and remove the surface oxides. Rinse it first with Windex (or baking soda & water). Then load up a cloth with Flitz or Simichrome and lightly buff the blade by hand.

8. Last step is to clean it completely.


Final note:

This is going to stink - bad. :barf: Do it somewhere ventilated, or suffer the consequences.
 
Oops...almost forgot....

Norm - I was hoping you could delineate where the bend occured, relative to the tip. Maybe if a pic won't work, perhaps a few measurements? (or did I miss them somewhere else) I just thought a simple side-on pic with a pen pointing to the spine as well as the edge.....that would do it for me. Call if you got any questions.
 
...this just in from my agent in Kathmandu:

My 25" Gelbu Special is expected to arrive next week.

Will compare specs with Norm & see if it's beefed up...

If not, my plans for chopping up all those broken pier pilings will have to go to plan B, a chainsaw.

Seriously, the only damage I've ever done to a khuk is hitting nails and notching the edge. I thought that normal and a diamond stone fixed it. Bent a tip; so what? I consider that normal wear too. Have cut bamboo with a BAS but it wasn't tree-like.

I do need to etch everything. Garage shop was destroyed in Sept. '04, flooded again in June, '05. But none of my power tools were lost... and today I bought a maple top steel frame bench. Last week a HF 1x30 belt sander.

Tomorrow I''m going to start putting it all (back) together... can't wait.


Ad Astra
 
Thanks Nasty and Dan for the vinegar info. I'll try it that way and let you know how it comes out. I'll also get a pic for you soon Dan and attach it to this thread, hopefully with a pic of the etched blade as well. It will be interesting as to how it turns out.

Thanks again!

Norm
 
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