- Joined
- Jul 26, 2006
- Messages
- 6,038
My JYD is extremely sharp, and I've been really happy with it as a utility blade, so Saturday when I started another house renovation project, I brought it out for the abuse test (the last one I did like this was a Spyderco Native, cutting the flashing off of sawed conduit).
I used my super sharp JYDII CB to cut and place two sheets of drywall yesterday. I had a 30 degree grind on the blade. There was a huge bay window between the two sheets, so alot of cutting and shaving was required.
I also washed the knife numerous times during the day in tap water and left it to air dry to test the corrosion resistance (I believe corrosion testing is phase 2 of any abuse test, and the same Native that I did last time spent a week in my swimming trunks in the Bahamas through the sand, sea, and pool).
I knew the knife was going to take a beating, and when I was done, the inch of blade edge on the tip was indeed flat, and the rest of the blade would still cut very well, but wouldnt shave a single hair. Also, there were some green pits on the D2 portion of the blade, and some long lines of very faint rust.
So I began to sharpen the knife last night, and I began to think of ways I could make the blade look good again, because most of the finish either had some discoloration, or the finish was worn smooth from the gypsum dust.
DISCLAIMER - If you want to try what I did, follow the directions!
First off, I wanted to clean the corrosion from the blade. I was thinking to myself, hrm, copper, carbon steel, and stainless...what a cool combination for some acid etching...
I disassembled the knife to separate the blade for refinishing, and used a plastic hook to move the blade through the steps. I cleaned all of the oils off of the blade with acetone.
OUTSIDE and UPWIND, I took a disposal plastic container (with a lid) and coated the track of the lid with grease to make a gas tight seal. I poured in enough vinegar to cover the blade, about 6oz. I submerged the blade, then I poured in 2oz of bleach, and immediately closed the lid, giving the mixture a slight circular stir.
This creates a strong acid (I dont remember the technical name), but also releases CHLORINE GAS, so you have to make sure to cover it, and not inhale any of the fumes, as the gas can be fatal in high concentrations. If you have any experience handling serious chemicals, or you remember your high school chemistry classes safety precautions, this one is rather safe. If you do not, don't try any of this!!!
Once the blade was submerged for about 15 seconds, i gave it a slight stir, and could see a dark line of sediment in the mixture come off of the blade. The top layer of the copper had been removed to reveal a vibrant orange line, and the D2 had most all of the corrosion pulled from the blade. Unknowingly, this also removed some of the makers marks and model name from the blade. It still can be seen, but is very faint.
I removed the blade with the plastic hook, and dipped it in a 5:1 solution of water and baking soda to stop the chemical reaction and neutralize the acid.
I poured the bleach/vinegar mixture on my concrete driveway and diluted them to a safe level with 20oz of the 5:1 baking soda mix, then about 20 gallons of water.
Next, I took a small zip lock bag, and placed the blade in with JUST vinegar. The trick here is to put the bottom edge of the bag in the middle of the blade so that the blade holds the bag upright. As the acid in the vinegar puts the patina on the blade, small bubbles of gas are released and need to drift to the top of the bag so you dont get a spotty finish. I let this react for about 3 hours. Then i removed the blade, and washed it thoroughly under water, dried it with a hot air gun, then coated the blade in some light oil to seal the pores on the D2.
I ended up with a shade on the D2 that is about 5-8 times darker than that of the original. Im sure you could turn one almost perfect black (will test soon).
Hope you all like it.
(pics will follow, Ive been powerless for a couple days due to the storm)
I used my super sharp JYDII CB to cut and place two sheets of drywall yesterday. I had a 30 degree grind on the blade. There was a huge bay window between the two sheets, so alot of cutting and shaving was required.
I also washed the knife numerous times during the day in tap water and left it to air dry to test the corrosion resistance (I believe corrosion testing is phase 2 of any abuse test, and the same Native that I did last time spent a week in my swimming trunks in the Bahamas through the sand, sea, and pool).
I knew the knife was going to take a beating, and when I was done, the inch of blade edge on the tip was indeed flat, and the rest of the blade would still cut very well, but wouldnt shave a single hair. Also, there were some green pits on the D2 portion of the blade, and some long lines of very faint rust.
So I began to sharpen the knife last night, and I began to think of ways I could make the blade look good again, because most of the finish either had some discoloration, or the finish was worn smooth from the gypsum dust.
DISCLAIMER - If you want to try what I did, follow the directions!
First off, I wanted to clean the corrosion from the blade. I was thinking to myself, hrm, copper, carbon steel, and stainless...what a cool combination for some acid etching...
I disassembled the knife to separate the blade for refinishing, and used a plastic hook to move the blade through the steps. I cleaned all of the oils off of the blade with acetone.
OUTSIDE and UPWIND, I took a disposal plastic container (with a lid) and coated the track of the lid with grease to make a gas tight seal. I poured in enough vinegar to cover the blade, about 6oz. I submerged the blade, then I poured in 2oz of bleach, and immediately closed the lid, giving the mixture a slight circular stir.
This creates a strong acid (I dont remember the technical name), but also releases CHLORINE GAS, so you have to make sure to cover it, and not inhale any of the fumes, as the gas can be fatal in high concentrations. If you have any experience handling serious chemicals, or you remember your high school chemistry classes safety precautions, this one is rather safe. If you do not, don't try any of this!!!
Once the blade was submerged for about 15 seconds, i gave it a slight stir, and could see a dark line of sediment in the mixture come off of the blade. The top layer of the copper had been removed to reveal a vibrant orange line, and the D2 had most all of the corrosion pulled from the blade. Unknowingly, this also removed some of the makers marks and model name from the blade. It still can be seen, but is very faint.
I removed the blade with the plastic hook, and dipped it in a 5:1 solution of water and baking soda to stop the chemical reaction and neutralize the acid.
I poured the bleach/vinegar mixture on my concrete driveway and diluted them to a safe level with 20oz of the 5:1 baking soda mix, then about 20 gallons of water.
Next, I took a small zip lock bag, and placed the blade in with JUST vinegar. The trick here is to put the bottom edge of the bag in the middle of the blade so that the blade holds the bag upright. As the acid in the vinegar puts the patina on the blade, small bubbles of gas are released and need to drift to the top of the bag so you dont get a spotty finish. I let this react for about 3 hours. Then i removed the blade, and washed it thoroughly under water, dried it with a hot air gun, then coated the blade in some light oil to seal the pores on the D2.
I ended up with a shade on the D2 that is about 5-8 times darker than that of the original. Im sure you could turn one almost perfect black (will test soon).
Hope you all like it.
(pics will follow, Ive been powerless for a couple days due to the storm)
