Unobtanium

george tichbourne

george tichbourne

Joined
Apr 19, 1999
Messages
3,560
I got my hands on a sample of Liquidmetal(TM) yesterday and began to grind away at it. Here is what I found out.

It is a titanium alloy so grinding eats belts, it is heat sensitive and has to be kept cool during grinding or it pushes all over the place. It polished to a super mirror finish with only one small blemish caused when I got too agressive and pushed the metal around during grinding.

For the guys in the Northwest there will be some knives made from liquidmetal at the Oregon show this weekend and I will have one at the CKG show this weekend in Toronto.

Availability is very limited at this time however.
 
I thought they said in the article in Blade that they wouldn't be letting anyone else mess with the stuff for a while.
How did you manage to get your hands on some?
 
Trace Rinaldi also has some (he mentioned this on CKD when AG Russell asked what steels people were working with).
 
Originally posted by Belstain
I thought they said in the article in Blade that they wouldn't be letting anyone else mess with the stuff for a while.
How did you manage to get your hands on some?
Click to expand...


cause George does damn good work :D :D :D
 
The Liquid Metal guys came by here and gave me some billets a few weeks ago..

When Ron first got the stuff, we made a huge mess cutting crap up here at my shop.. :D

They are supplying select makers with billets to get the stuff out there, at this point..
 
Be REAL careful with the heat issue. Not only are you "pushing it around" but you are also changing its structure. At around 450c (the temp that it begins to move at) it will start to crystalize. If it crystalizes it is no longer amorphic and will be brittle as all get out.

I can not say this enough, keep that heat low when working it. Work it slow. There is no visible way to tell if you have overheated the atoms (short of an electron microscope). It will only show up when it breaks in a customers hand. This is why we limited it to a select few top makers. You guys are the ones who should know better then to get it too hot.

One bad blade on the market could kill the whole project. I have worked and nursed this material for about a year now. If you have any questions PLEASE call me. 909-279-4394

To answer the question as to why it is being used by other makers. I gave the interview about 5 weeks before the mag hit the stands. This project is moving much faster than that. I could have put the breaks on it and kept it to myself for awhile longer, but it was in the best interest of LMT and the industry in general to start having other well known makers work with it. The number of makers using it will be very limited. It was my understanding that the samples that were given out were to be used for R+D only and not to be used for retail sales. Also the material should not be given out to makers that LMT has not approved.

If I seem a little tense, it is because I am. While LMT is fully behind the knife industry, it took a hell of alot of work to get them that way. If we do not play by their rules, they very well could pull the plug.
 
Well I didn't get any! :D Probably because everyone knows I use dull belts and burn everything.

Seriously, I'm really interested in this, I enjoyed the article and am sure looking forward to lessons from the field. R.W., thanks for being so open and sharing, this is a great industry.

Dave
 
Speaking of Unobtainium, did anyone else see The Core? Talk about maximum metal, that stuff got stronger under heat and pressure - YeeHaw! Don't you just love fantasy?

Dave
 
It is great for the industry but it is making me a nervious wreck. Its like sending your daughter out on her first date. Who knows what the evil awful guy will try to do to your baby girl:D :( :eek:
 
I didnt get any either. I presume they dont want a pistol made from it yet. There maybe still hope.
 
RW, you just have to have a long talk with the perp, uh I mean potential boyfriend before the date. Invite him over for dinner and talk to him while sharpening your knife and s"skinning the "mountain oysters" for dinner.

WOO HAHAHAHAHAHa:eek: :eek: :eek:
 
George, Where you going to be located at the show? I'd like to come by and see this material and say Hi....... Ray
 
For the people who have it, could you use a Tormek water grinder to do much work on LM1?

s-2005.jpg
 
Gaben, you could use the Tormak but there is really little reason to. So long as you grind it bare handed and are mindfull if the heat you will not have any problems. Your hands will not let you get it much hotter than 150-160f. With a 50 grit Cubitron you can remove alot of material before you have to cool it. But all it takes is one little miss up to ruin a $100 piece of material.

Also I will be in Oregon with the Liquidmetal guys walking around on Saturday. If you see us say hi. I will also have some blades for you guys to play with.
 
now, i may be wrong here, but isnt one of the real benefits to liquid metal that it can be cast into a final form requiring no grinding at all? i guess its not possible to do in a shop environment though?
 
That is exactly right, However, at about 25k per mold it is best left to the factories to do it that way. For us poor hand makers it is better that we stick to good ol fashioned stock removal.
 
Raymond I will be at the Canadian Knifemakers Guild show in Toronto this weekend, my usual spot near the back left corner of the room.
 
As Director of R&D for Liquidmetal, I want to thank Ron for all his hard work and skill in helping to introduce the Liquidmetal alloy to the custom maker fraternity. The alloy will be more available but on a selective basis, for the time being, while it proves itself. As a technology company, we are attuned more to science, testing and results as opposed to market hype. Bob Dinunzio and I will be at the following shows wearing Liquidmetal logo shirts. Feel free to flag us down and talk "Liquidmetal". Oregon April 12-13, Solvang April 26-27. and Atlanta June 14-15.
Questions,....... bob.dinunzio@liquidmetal.com
Jerry Croopnick
 
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