- Joined
- Jan 17, 2008
- Messages
- 3,721
I am wondering how you guys apply clay for quenching?
Generally when i do it, i just roll it in little balls and stick it to the blade along the knife from the spine down, then put a long layer over the whole spine , except the last 1'' or so of the tip. I usually put it on, then warm it over the stove for a minute, but for the most part only the out side is dry, and inside it's still kind of wet, and usually this works fine, and holds on pretty good.
Last eve, I coated one, and with a tooth pick, removed everything I didn't want, and let it dry over night, when I heated it to quench, it started to peel off , and the hammon came out kind of plain, not bad, just not as complex as what I layed it out as.
Is it better to heat the blade for quenching with the cley still wet, so it bonds better, or was it just a fluke thing.
Im using furnace cement, and the blades ive been quenching have been forged 1090.
One other question, how can I get a wilder looking hamon? even when the clay dosent fall off, it's never as complex as the way it is put on?
I hope I didnt jump arround with the questions to much.
thanks andrew
Generally when i do it, i just roll it in little balls and stick it to the blade along the knife from the spine down, then put a long layer over the whole spine , except the last 1'' or so of the tip. I usually put it on, then warm it over the stove for a minute, but for the most part only the out side is dry, and inside it's still kind of wet, and usually this works fine, and holds on pretty good.
Last eve, I coated one, and with a tooth pick, removed everything I didn't want, and let it dry over night, when I heated it to quench, it started to peel off , and the hammon came out kind of plain, not bad, just not as complex as what I layed it out as.
Is it better to heat the blade for quenching with the cley still wet, so it bonds better, or was it just a fluke thing.
Im using furnace cement, and the blades ive been quenching have been forged 1090.
One other question, how can I get a wilder looking hamon? even when the clay dosent fall off, it's never as complex as the way it is put on?
I hope I didnt jump arround with the questions to much.
thanks andrew
Last edited:
