I know there's probably many threads on hamon lines and things but if anyone could help me i would appreciate it.
I tried making a wakizashi, forged it from an old leaf spring, then attempted to make my own clay to temper it with - i used pottery clay, water, regular fire ash, and some iron filings, then applied it and waited a couple of days for it to dry. Within a few hours i noticed many spots showing through, which i think turned out to be rust. I heated it to non-magnetic temperature, and a bit more, before quenching (in water). However, i have polished the blade a fair bit and still not even a hint of a hamon. Did i use the wrong recipe? Any ideas what could cause the rust spots? I cleaned the anvil of any scale each time.
Also on a side note, as this is my first attempt at bladesmithing, i also ended up with a slight bend sideways, im pretty sure this could be because i didnt put the clay on perfectly evenly, although i also didnt normalise the blade beforehand to relieve stresses so that could be it too. Is normalising the blade just heating it to cherry red and then letting it cool slowly?
Many thanks
Hugh
I tried making a wakizashi, forged it from an old leaf spring, then attempted to make my own clay to temper it with - i used pottery clay, water, regular fire ash, and some iron filings, then applied it and waited a couple of days for it to dry. Within a few hours i noticed many spots showing through, which i think turned out to be rust. I heated it to non-magnetic temperature, and a bit more, before quenching (in water). However, i have polished the blade a fair bit and still not even a hint of a hamon. Did i use the wrong recipe? Any ideas what could cause the rust spots? I cleaned the anvil of any scale each time.
Also on a side note, as this is my first attempt at bladesmithing, i also ended up with a slight bend sideways, im pretty sure this could be because i didnt put the clay on perfectly evenly, although i also didnt normalise the blade beforehand to relieve stresses so that could be it too. Is normalising the blade just heating it to cherry red and then letting it cool slowly?
Many thanks
Hugh
