Nugget Work- How Is It Done?

Peter Atwood

Peter Atwood

Joined
Oct 26, 2000
Messages
2,468
I've been wondering how the texture is achieved. Is there something added on to the Titanium or is it a removal process? What the heck is it?

I looked at the photopoint album that Dexter Ewing posted on the visit by he and Senator to Darrel's shop. Fascinating stuff.

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Peter Atwood

email:fountainman@hotmail.com
 
Peter
It is done with a dremal and carbide burrs.
Differnts size ball burrs give different looks to the nugget. Just try it.
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Web Site At www.darrelralph.com
MADD MAXX !
 
Darrel-
You tried one of those pneumatic hand held tools? S'posed to hit 56K rpm...too uncontrollable compared to Dremel/Foredom?
Harry
 
Thanks Darrel. I was fooling around with a Dremel yesterday trying to see what kind of textures I could get. Didn't know that was what you used for your effects. Is the texture sanded or buffed afterwards?

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Peter Atwood

email:fountainman@hotmail.com
 
fountainman - here's a pic of my EDC that I helped make during that visit to Darrel's place:

http://home.carolina.rr.com/senator/images/Darrel_Ralph_EDC.jpg

I did the gold nugget work in the handle designs. I think it adds a lot to the knife. Simply use a figure-8 motion with the Dremel to create the nuggeting. (Be sure to practice on a scrap piece of titanium first!) Although Darrel simply holds the Dremel, I'd like to try using the Flexi-shaft attachment to do this kind of work. I think holding the Flexi-shaft like a pencil might be a bit easier to control than trying to hold the whole Dremel.

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Kelly
My Custom Knife Collection

Member NCCKG, SCAK, and AKTI

Deo Vindice

[This message has been edited by Senator (edited 01-22-2001).]
 
BTW - we didn't sand or buff the nuggeting afterwards. We first anodized the handles at the higher voltages to get the blues and purples that Dexter and I wanted on our knives. Then we did the nugget work, which exposed the titanium again. Back to the anodizer at the lower voltages to get the golds. My first try resulted in the nugget work turning more of a pink, so I had to go back and do the nugget work again to expose the titanium. We lowered the voltage again and got the gold we were looking for. You can still see some pink scattered throughout the nuggeting.

Moral of the story - go a bit lower on the voltage than you think you'll need to get the desired color. You can always easily go back and increse it if you want to, but you can't decrease it to achieve the desired color without exposing the pure metal again.
 
Beautiful work Kelly! Did you use a ball shaped burr or a flat end one??

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Take care!! Michael

Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!
http://www.nebsnow.com/L6steel
Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms!!!
 
As for speed .. The Ti cuts better is you use a little lower speed. (the burrs last much longer) More control also..

I have a high speed graver also. The ti burns the cutters up.



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Web Site At www.darrelralph.com
MADD MAXX !
 
That is one gorgeous knife Kelly! The anodizing is very beautiful as are all the details. That is very interesting how the process had to be repeated to get the color you wanted. I have not tried anodizing yet but I've done a lot of heat treating of titanium to get colors. Sounds like you have a lot more control with the anodizing.

Two questions: Do you find the anodized colors to be fairly permanent or do they scratch off easily? I once had a titanium ring that was a rainbow of color but it wore off very quickly. My bracelet and the one my girlfriend wears were made by me and heat colored and the colors are good for a couple of years of daily use before needing recoloring.

The other question pertains to the finish of your EDC. It looks from the pics like there is a somewhat brushed finish to the handle slabs under that color. I wonder what grit Darrel goes down to in the grinding. I know from experience that going to a mirror shine is a real pain with titanium although colors will be more brilliant. But I bet having a brushed finish tends to wear better for daily use. The knife is very attractive just like that.

Just picked up some more titanium today and am going to give the texturing a shot. Thanks for the info.

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Peter Atwood

email:fountainman@hotmail.com
 
Here's some more visuals:

View


when I went up to visit Darrel last October, he taught me how to nugget and I then went to town on my small un-nuggeted Apogee. The above is a view from above. It is hard to see but my right thumb is restiing on the workbench while the rest of my hand has a firm grip on the Dremel. Running it at slow speed, do figure 8's and interloop them all together. It's best to practice first on a scrap piece of ti so you can get the motion down and get a feel for how much pressure is needed to produce the nuggeting.

View


And above is the finished product. Following nuggeting I anodized the scales again at a lower voltage so the exposed areas turned gold. In doing so, the previously anodized parts of the handle took on a darker purple hue which further enhanced the appearance. If you look closely, I kinda ran off in a couple places but overall, I'm very satisfied as this was my first time I've done nuggeting.

Here's a link to a bigger pic of the opened knife: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=55151&a=9331203&p=30476342&Sequence=0&res=high

Hope this helps clear things up.


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Proud member of AKTI, NCCKG, NCKK, and SCAK

In memory of James K. Mattis

[This message has been edited by Dexter Ewing (edited 01-22-2001).]
 
Nice work Dexter. Both you and Kelly got very nice pieces out of your visit. I really appreciate the tips on the nugget work and will try it out tomorrow. This evening I'm trying to get the house aired out after grinding some Ti.
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I got a little carried away with the fumes here!

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Peter Atwood

email:fountainman@hotmail.com
 
Peter - IIRC, the handles were hand rubbed to 100 grit. This will give a better wearing anodized finish than a higher polished finish will.

The clip and all screws were heat colored. The screws were textured as well. Hint - heat all of the screws at once to get a consistent color on all of them. I did them one or two at a time and got inconsistent colors. Live and learn...
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Kelly,

Sometimes it's better to have some variation, it gives more subtlety and interest. Personally I'd probably rather have different colored screws especially where titanium is concerned. I guess I kind of live by the old axiom that variety is the spice of life.

Thanks for the info on the grit size.

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Peter Atwood

email:fountainman@hotmail.com
 
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