- Joined
- Jan 12, 2025
- Messages
- 31
Ok as usual, I uploaded all the pictures onto imgur, but when I use the image link function and paste the imgur URL in there, it says it can't do it. So, I included an external URL for photos in the text body below. Hopefully that works, I still don't understand the image posting on this forum.
For this knife I started with a 1.5" thick piece of overhead crane cable salvaged from the local wire rope supply. They were happy to let me have whatever scrap I wanted. I made sure it was carbon steel, no galvanized, no stainless, and no plastic filler inside the cable.
This. Was. Messy. I cleaned it up as best I could with brake cleaner, and wd40, and a wire brush but, no matter what you do, used cable is dirrrrty. I considered an acid/vinegar bath but, decided against it. I knew the forge would burn out any leftover oil I missed turning it into carbon well before welding temperature. What I DIDN'T KNOW...was exactly how much goop was still inside the interior of the cable. It did in fact come out though. All over my garage floor, and in very liquid form lol. Not to worry though, just let it cool and then scraped it up.
I used anhydrous borax as a flux, heated the cable to really hot, (that is the technical measurement) and hammered quickly in a clockwise fashion, following the twist of the wire rope. No need to weld the ends beforehand, if the hammering technique is correct. I kept going until the dull thud became the sharp ring of solid steel on the anvil, and had a good solid weld.
Then, hammer from rod into square stock. Then hammer into bar stock. Hammer. Hammer some more. Then, yep. More hammering. My right shoulder is now fully convinced of the need for a hydraulic press of some sort.
Sand it flat on both sides, mark out the knife shape. Grinder cut the knife shape. Then, time to stamp the logo. This is where I made my mistake. I'm not very good at the logo stamping yet, I have trouble getting a good solid strike out of one hit. Which, leads me to having to very carefully line it up with the first mark and try again. Well, I missed the punch with the hammer. Everything was going swimmingly, until this moment. Now there was an irreparable hammer mark on the blade. Now I am left with two choices. Start over, or try to make some sort of hammered finish, and try to make it look like it was on purpose. At this point, I still have no idea what (if any) grain pattern might show after, or even the exact steel composition, even the guys at the shop were unsure of that. So, I chose to keep going. At least then I would know how it would finish for future projects.
So, finish shaping, etc. heat it up 3 times for normalization. Then final heat to above magnetic point and about 9 second dunk in parks 50 oil. Temper in the oven at 350. It's not very high carbon content steel, Rockwell hardness somewhere between 50-55 by file test. I start the handle and crosspiece, then etch the blade with vinegar, then coffee.
I could tell through the vinegar within minutes that I did in fact have a grain pattern! In fact, what I thought to be a very interesting and more geometrical pattern than normal Damascus. It was beautiful! Which made me SOOOO extra sore about my earlier errant hammer mark.
This knife is cool, I am still proud of it, the handle is purple heart wood and shellac, but.....Man I super wish maybe I had a second person or something during the logo marking? I'll get better though. Anyways, I hope the picture link works, if not I need someone to explain to me like I'm 5 years old how to upload/attach the pictures.
For this knife I started with a 1.5" thick piece of overhead crane cable salvaged from the local wire rope supply. They were happy to let me have whatever scrap I wanted. I made sure it was carbon steel, no galvanized, no stainless, and no plastic filler inside the cable.
This. Was. Messy. I cleaned it up as best I could with brake cleaner, and wd40, and a wire brush but, no matter what you do, used cable is dirrrrty. I considered an acid/vinegar bath but, decided against it. I knew the forge would burn out any leftover oil I missed turning it into carbon well before welding temperature. What I DIDN'T KNOW...was exactly how much goop was still inside the interior of the cable. It did in fact come out though. All over my garage floor, and in very liquid form lol. Not to worry though, just let it cool and then scraped it up.
I used anhydrous borax as a flux, heated the cable to really hot, (that is the technical measurement) and hammered quickly in a clockwise fashion, following the twist of the wire rope. No need to weld the ends beforehand, if the hammering technique is correct. I kept going until the dull thud became the sharp ring of solid steel on the anvil, and had a good solid weld.
Then, hammer from rod into square stock. Then hammer into bar stock. Hammer. Hammer some more. Then, yep. More hammering. My right shoulder is now fully convinced of the need for a hydraulic press of some sort.
Sand it flat on both sides, mark out the knife shape. Grinder cut the knife shape. Then, time to stamp the logo. This is where I made my mistake. I'm not very good at the logo stamping yet, I have trouble getting a good solid strike out of one hit. Which, leads me to having to very carefully line it up with the first mark and try again. Well, I missed the punch with the hammer. Everything was going swimmingly, until this moment. Now there was an irreparable hammer mark on the blade. Now I am left with two choices. Start over, or try to make some sort of hammered finish, and try to make it look like it was on purpose. At this point, I still have no idea what (if any) grain pattern might show after, or even the exact steel composition, even the guys at the shop were unsure of that. So, I chose to keep going. At least then I would know how it would finish for future projects.
So, finish shaping, etc. heat it up 3 times for normalization. Then final heat to above magnetic point and about 9 second dunk in parks 50 oil. Temper in the oven at 350. It's not very high carbon content steel, Rockwell hardness somewhere between 50-55 by file test. I start the handle and crosspiece, then etch the blade with vinegar, then coffee.
I could tell through the vinegar within minutes that I did in fact have a grain pattern! In fact, what I thought to be a very interesting and more geometrical pattern than normal Damascus. It was beautiful! Which made me SOOOO extra sore about my earlier errant hammer mark.
This knife is cool, I am still proud of it, the handle is purple heart wood and shellac, but.....Man I super wish maybe I had a second person or something during the logo marking? I'll get better though. Anyways, I hope the picture link works, if not I need someone to explain to me like I'm 5 years old how to upload/attach the pictures.
