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Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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Turkish damascus bowie, extensive WIP
- Thread starter Manuel Quiroga G.
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2008
- Messages
- 7,187
Thank you Manuel for such a detailed step by step.
I am learning quite a bit from your photos and explanations.
Amazing pattern in the steel.
I can't wait to see how everything comes together.
I agree with Nick.
There must be some geographical effect that enables you guys in Argentina to make such amazing patterns in your steel.
Or......maybe you had a good teacher?
I am learning quite a bit from your photos and explanations.
Amazing pattern in the steel.
I can't wait to see how everything comes together.
I agree with Nick.
There must be some geographical effect that enables you guys in Argentina to make such amazing patterns in your steel.
Or......maybe you had a good teacher?
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 414
Thank you all for the comments.
Today I worked on the guard and collar
That is the guard
Taking some meat of the collar
Getting there...
Preparing for milling the slot in the guard
Checking the alignment of the vise
Ok, the blade has 5,40 mm at the recasso, I used a 4 mm bit.
(Note: I never actually learn how to mill, I just got the machine and tried it until I could do something decent)
I take 0,25 mm per pass, so it's a rather slow task, fortunately I had Led Zeppelin to help me endure...
(I think NASA uses this same cooling system for their milling operations...
)
What do you know...5,40 mm also
After sanding
It turn out that the slot was a bit smaller in some parts, I am not at all a good milling operator, so I had to file a little bit the slot, and it turn out that some parts now where to big... I use to belive that that problem was unsolvable, that's why I use to file all around the shoulders and tang, and make the little step.
But a few month ago, a friend of mine gave me a solution, it was one of the greatest tips I ever got, so here it is. Sorry if you know it and is not big deal, but for me it was LOL
There you can see the gap I was talking about
And here is my solution
With a dulled center punch I tap it lightly all around the gaps, creating a burr. Then present it again in the blade, and the burr copies the shape of the tang, and close everything beautifully.
Then I went to the surface grinder to take those little holes, they are not at all deep, so it's really fast
A little hand rubbing in that
And you can see how it is now, the gap is almost gone, I have a little more work to do tomorrow on this part but it is almost ready.
Thank you Mariano Yanonni for the tip!
I continue tomorrow...
Today I worked on the guard and collar
That is the guard
Taking some meat of the collar
Getting there...
Preparing for milling the slot in the guard
Checking the alignment of the vise
Ok, the blade has 5,40 mm at the recasso, I used a 4 mm bit.
(Note: I never actually learn how to mill, I just got the machine and tried it until I could do something decent)
I take 0,25 mm per pass, so it's a rather slow task, fortunately I had Led Zeppelin to help me endure...
(I think NASA uses this same cooling system for their milling operations...
)What do you know...5,40 mm also
After sanding
It turn out that the slot was a bit smaller in some parts, I am not at all a good milling operator, so I had to file a little bit the slot, and it turn out that some parts now where to big... I use to belive that that problem was unsolvable, that's why I use to file all around the shoulders and tang, and make the little step.
But a few month ago, a friend of mine gave me a solution, it was one of the greatest tips I ever got, so here it is. Sorry if you know it and is not big deal, but for me it was LOL
There you can see the gap I was talking about
And here is my solution
With a dulled center punch I tap it lightly all around the gaps, creating a burr. Then present it again in the blade, and the burr copies the shape of the tang, and close everything beautifully.
Then I went to the surface grinder to take those little holes, they are not at all deep, so it's really fast
A little hand rubbing in that
And you can see how it is now, the gap is almost gone, I have a little more work to do tomorrow on this part but it is almost ready.
Thank you Mariano Yanonni for the tip!
I continue tomorrow...
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 414
Thank you all.
Stefanj, I do one or two cycles of spheroidizing and then harden only the edge, so there is not much bending or warping.
Today was a slow day, couldn't do much on this one
After finishing on the guard slot I milled the collar slot
Everything in it's place
Checking in everything is straight, and it is...
Thank you Nick Wheeler for that tip, a learn so much from your "stuck in the metal..." threat!
Super glue
Drilling the pin holes
They get there really tight, the way I like it
Ungluing
I found this thing existed a few weeks ago, this is the first time I use for an actual work task, its great, it will really come in handy when I have to remove cured cyanoacrylate from scales.
That is it for today, now I have to start on the damascus for the frame handle, its gonna be the same twisted bar as the blade pattern
Stefanj, I do one or two cycles of spheroidizing and then harden only the edge, so there is not much bending or warping.
Today was a slow day, couldn't do much on this one
After finishing on the guard slot I milled the collar slot
Everything in it's place
Checking in everything is straight, and it is...
Thank you Nick Wheeler for that tip, a learn so much from your "stuck in the metal..." threat!
Super glue
Drilling the pin holes
They get there really tight, the way I like it
Ungluing
I found this thing existed a few weeks ago, this is the first time I use for an actual work task, its great, it will really come in handy when I have to remove cured cyanoacrylate from scales.
That is it for today, now I have to start on the damascus for the frame handle, its gonna be the same twisted bar as the blade pattern
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2007
- Messages
- 2,142
Marvelously detailed WIP, Manuel. Not only do we all learn a lot, but it's fun, too!
John
John
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 414
Thank you John, I'm really glad you like it.
Today was a welding day, I had to do a new billet for the handle's frame. I didn't take pictures of that part because it's the same as I showed at the beginning of the thread.
Here I squared up the bar to make easier to keep it that way in the power hammer
(my press is not at all loud, I had the ear things because I was also working with the powe hammer)
Bar ready
That is going to be the shape of the handle
I use a pice of wire to measure the length that I will be using
And cut a piece of bar that size, I learn from practice that at the end you get a very similar lenght.
So I went and twisted
(I think that is the dirtiest shirt I own…
And that is where I stand now.
Thanks for looking
Today was a welding day, I had to do a new billet for the handle's frame. I didn't take pictures of that part because it's the same as I showed at the beginning of the thread.
Here I squared up the bar to make easier to keep it that way in the power hammer
(my press is not at all loud, I had the ear things because I was also working with the powe hammer)
Bar ready
That is going to be the shape of the handle
I use a pice of wire to measure the length that I will be using
And cut a piece of bar that size, I learn from practice that at the end you get a very similar lenght.
So I went and twisted
(I think that is the dirtiest shirt I own…
And that is where I stand now.
Thanks for looking
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2007
- Messages
- 2,142
Manuel,
Do you keep the bar heated with a torch as you twist, or twist in several heats? Or does the fixture allow you to twist so fast you can do it in one heat?
John
Do you keep the bar heated with a torch as you twist, or twist in several heats? Or does the fixture allow you to twist so fast you can do it in one heat?
John
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 414
That is a good question John, I think that ideally, if the bar was heat it up in a perfectly even temperature, with one fast twist it would be enough, in fact with really short bars that's what happens.
But with this long bars I make several heats in the forge, I dont use a torch, I don't actually own one!
But with this long bars I make several heats in the forge, I dont use a torch, I don't actually own one!
Timothy La Combre
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2011
- Messages
- 50
One of the best WIP's I have ever seen - Will be giving your techniques a try sometime. Am curious though, did you build that power hammer? I would really like to see some close up pics of the working parts if possible. I have to build a new hammer soon and like the way yours looks. Am looking forward to the finished blade.
Tim
Tim
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 414
Thank you Ron and Tim.
Today I did a little work on this one, I get bored on sundays if I don't do anything
Everything started up just fine:
I squared and flatten the bar for the frame, and then bend it to copy the shape of the template, I try to get what would be the edge of the frame in the middle of the bar, to get the best pattern I can out of it.
But, it wasn't all fine. The bar ended up being a bit to thin, and after the surface grinder it was a couple of hundredths of a mm thinner than the recasso. Damn. So after curseing for like 10 minutes I knew I had to start again... So I twisted a longer bar. The problem with the first one was than in order to achieve the lengh to coincide with the good part of the twist a had to forge it a little bit more.
This was the new bar:
Another thing that I did to make sure everything was going to be fine was to grind of the spirals before the final flattening of the bar.
After that I did the exact same procedure as I show with the first one, no pictures of that.
When the bar was annealing I made a template for the guard
When the frame bar was ready I scribed it and cut the excess, again trying to get the middle part of the bar in the edge.
The guard was almost ready so I presented everything in place
Enough for a Sunday I think...
Today I did a little work on this one, I get bored on sundays if I don't do anything
Everything started up just fine:
I squared and flatten the bar for the frame, and then bend it to copy the shape of the template, I try to get what would be the edge of the frame in the middle of the bar, to get the best pattern I can out of it.
But, it wasn't all fine. The bar ended up being a bit to thin, and after the surface grinder it was a couple of hundredths of a mm thinner than the recasso. Damn. So after curseing for like 10 minutes I knew I had to start again... So I twisted a longer bar. The problem with the first one was than in order to achieve the lengh to coincide with the good part of the twist a had to forge it a little bit more.
This was the new bar:
Another thing that I did to make sure everything was going to be fine was to grind of the spirals before the final flattening of the bar.
After that I did the exact same procedure as I show with the first one, no pictures of that.
When the bar was annealing I made a template for the guard
When the frame bar was ready I scribed it and cut the excess, again trying to get the middle part of the bar in the edge.
The guard was almost ready so I presented everything in place
Enough for a Sunday I think...
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 414
Thank you dude.
The frame (chassis) is not actually attached to the collar, but the scales will be pined with the same pins that go through guard and collar, and the frame will be pined and glued to scales.
Thanks for looking, I will continue with this one tomorrow.
The frame (chassis) is not actually attached to the collar, but the scales will be pined with the same pins that go through guard and collar, and the frame will be pined and glued to scales.
Thanks for looking, I will continue with this one tomorrow.
- Status