- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
- Messages
- 3,375
Well I tried it out. TMickley sent me some and I appreciate it. My kiln dropped a element at 1800 so I went with the forge. I took the PBC special and made a pig salt shaker for it with about 8 3/32 holes. I had made up a quick skinner with some 19C27 and had tig welded on a piece of 304 for the tang about an inch into the tang. This steel calls for 1940f (as per Sandvic) for 3 minutes and an oil quench. An ideal place to use of the special I would think. I got the forge running steady at 1950 and did another blade in foil which worked out fine. The instructions on the special said to preheat to 450 but Midwest Knifemakers site says to go to 750. I already had the forge to 1950 so I held the knife in front of the opening and when it started to turn blue I went to sprinkling over the box. I covered the blade portion well on both sides and then inserted into the forge it was thick and black going in. After 5 minutes I pulled it out and hit the oil. After it was cool the stuff kinda felt like soapstone and would chip off like slag on a weld. Under the parts where the special got glassy the steel was perfect. Unfortunately on the one side (down side?) a spot on the tip and a spot on the spine near the tang lost the coverage and there was some pitting. By the way both blanks are veery hard and a good file won't even scratch them. Here are some photos of the PBC blade before and after. After is still not all cleaned up and it is now in the oven and going for a RC of 61. I think this stuff would work if you had a way to keep the blade good and hot while you sprinkle it on and placed it in the forge on edge. But the foil is easy and not that expensive and almost no clean up. Just my opinion and I do appreciate the opportunity to try the stuff. May give it one more shot and set the blade up in a vise, Heat with torch sprinkle. Then turn over and repeat to try to get a solig coat.