Southwestern bowie phase 2....what next?

[jdm61]

okay.......here is the newest bad web cam pic (hence the glare and lack of detail) of my little W2 southwestern bowie project. I have given a quick (ha!) hand sand down to 2000 grit and the hamon is fairly visible. I have some Archer echant and was wondering how long to leave it in and how to clean the gunk off of the balde after I finish. i have never used FeCl echant and have only used vinegar to loosen up scale.

 

[warrior24]

Looks good I didnt know you could use vinigar to loosen up scale.

 

[jdm61]

OR....since it is all purty and shiny and 99.9% of the scratches are gone, should i just leave it as is and see if I can screw u the guard and handle? lol. The hamon is visible in the right light,

 

[BRTATCK]

Hello Joe. What I do in order to bring out the hamon is to use a 3 to 1 solution of ferric. 3 parts water to 1 part Fecl. I etch it for about five seconds and then rinse with windex and then water. The ammonia in the windex neutralizes the Fecl. I then use auto body rubbing liquid a medium cut which is about 1200 grit to remove the oxidation, and finally polish with simichrome or flitz. You can also re sand the blade VERY lightly with 2000 grit to give it more of a polish. I repeat these steps until I get the look I want. Check out Don Foggs tutorial about on his website. Good looking bowie blade by the way.

Brion Tomberlin
Anvil Top Custom Knives
ABS journeyman

 

[jdm61]

Hello Joe. What I do in order to bring out the hamon is to use a 3 to 1 solution of ferric. 3 parts water to 1 part Fecl. I etch it for about five seconds and then rinse with windex and then water. The ammonia in the windex neutralizes the Fecl. I then use auto body rubbing liquid a medium cut which is about 1200 grit to remove the oxidation, and finally polish with simichrome or flitz. You can also re sand the blade VERY lightly with 2000 grit to give it more of a polish. I repeat these steps until I get the look I want. Check out Don Foggs tutorial about on his website. Good looking bowie blade by the way.

Brion Tomberlin
Anvil Top Custom Knives
ABS journeyman

Thanks. Brion. It has some warts like slightly rounded over edges on the plunge cuts, but it sure is shiny...lol. I remember looking at your knives at the Fall "05 Hammer-In and thinking that I would never even get to where I am now, much less to where you were. I'm still not there.....far from it, but things are getting a bit better....lol This fit and finish business is a real PITA.:grumpy: I've already lost one 1018 guard due to severe gap-itis and the second one isn't much better. Maybe third times the charm.
Edit....i think I figured out a cure for the mild case of gap-itis on guard number 2. A while back, somone, I think it was Bruce Bump, said that he got a tight fit on guards by lightly stomping on them with his press. As my press is not set up yet, I used the next best thing.......a hammer. Seems to have worked.......lol

 

[BRTATCK]

Congratulations Joe you have just discovered the quick Mike Williams method of guard fitting. Of course then you have to reshape the guard as it is now all hammered up. Seriously, Mike told me about this a few years ago and it does work with SMALL gaps and thinner guards. Hope to see you at a future hammer in or the Blade show.

Brion

 

[jdm61]

Congratulations Joe you have just discovered the quick Mike Williams method of guard fitting. Of course then you have to reshape the guard as it is now all hammered up. Seriously, Mike told me about this a few years ago and it does work with SMALL gaps and thinner guards. Hope to see you at a future hammer in or the Blade show.

Brion

Fortunately it was a flat 3/16 piece of 1018 and was only roughed out to shape. I may have to miss the Spring Hammer-In once again. I am planning a trip to Dallas around that time and I may bring my son over for a half day on Saturday. Batsons was my Spring Fling, I guess, but I had never been before ad it was close....or so I thought....lol. I will be at Blade. I reserve a room at the Sheraton last week.