Who Would Be Interested In Doing A Collaboration Classic Hunter With Me??

FWIW I'm still in, scared but in.

So keep your distance, I have 2000 grit paper and I know how to use it.
;)

BTW is everyone taking pictures? I want to see Nick's place with sparks and steel and everything. Pics of everybody's face and shop should be in the final package.

More fun that way and we can all keep that, unlike the knife itself.

Steve
 
(All us including sheath maker and cert. maker. We are all equal makers in this.)

Let's all get our votes into Dan about our choice of the blue ivory. Dan is expecting them and if we're going to do this knife lets start getting as much of it behind us as soon as parts of it come up. Its been a long time now since I first asked opinions on the ivory. Email Dan please so he can let me know. Dan has worked hard on this and I have burdened him once again, so please don't leave him waiting to give me your decision.

I have my wonderings about whether one of the pieces will work properly but don't worry it will if that's the one you choose.

EDIT: Otherwise I'll sick Steve on all you with his 2000 grit paper !!!

MICHAEL, please let all us know here as soon as you receive Nick's twist. That will be a big lift to the rest of us and I expect it on your door step very soon since Nick has not notified us otherwise since he promised it to you.

DAN, you decide when you feel enough time has elapsed to wait for emails about ivory to arrive. Let me then know what the majority decision is. That part will be behind us.

If any one of us wants out for any reason its time to say so. I could not possibly fault any of us, myself included, and I doubt any of the others could either. It has been a long drawn out period of highs and lows with little being done except by a few who have really worked very hard at this. We do have a very accomplished unnamed replacement for anyone that is tired of waiting and I don't argue with any of us for being aggravated. However, it is not my wish we loose any of us. Quite the opposite.

RL
 
I ain't going no where!!!! :D

Don't worry, we'll get this puppy done, and it will be great.

I'll let you know when I get the damascus in. :)
 
Michael, keep practicing that fast draw with the 2000 grit :cool: .

I have done a little research and have asked for and gotten some advise from Mete on the HT of this damascus. I will experiment with the scrap cut off that Micahel will send me and cut it into a couple or three pieces, depending on length. I intend to normalize just as Nick advises. As of now I am planning to harden at 1450 F. with a maximum 5 minute soak, temper at 400 F., deep cryo, temper.

Any thoughts pro or con? I don't know if I can Rockwell this stuff because of the 15N20 but I can score and snap the test pieces and send them off to Bruce, Nick or who ever for examination.

Thanks.
 
Roger-

You shouldn't have any problem at all doing a Rockwell reading on the blade or test pieces. 15N20 is pretty much 1075 with some nickel in it for flash in the damascus. It's not like using pure nickel (nickel 200) that won't harden during heat-treat. That's why I, and sooooo many other bladesmith/damascus makers use this mix. It is two high carbon steels that weld easily, forge well, and have very similar heat treating characteristics.

Both of these steels would typically be considered shallow hardening. But if you take a steel like this and do a short soak (5-10 minutes) at the lower end of critical, it will fully harden (like glass).

As Michael will receive the steel, it will have been forged down and normalized twice in the forge. After grinding the forging scale off of it, I ran it through my salt bath. First at 1500, 1450, then 1400 three times. It is easily machined in this state. After grinding and one to three more normalizing cycles at 1400...this blade will go into the austenitizing cycle with extremely fine grain, and will come out that way as well.

Please keep in mind I live in a very tiny town where they seem to do things slower than the big cities...so it might take a couple more days than if I lived in Seattle for the mailmen to get Michael the steel.

I'm looking forward to hearing when he gets it and how it goes from there. He should have no problem cutting, drilling, and grinding it.

Nick
 
Thanks a bunch Nick for all that. I will normalize as recommended. I do like to equalize for a few minutes (about 7 or 8) on my way up to austenitization temp.. Do you have any cons about that??

I am very pleased to hear I can Rockwell it. This will be great for testing the scrap pieces. Also I would like to snap them and pass them around for opinions.

RL
 
You da man, Roger! I have two more cuts to make on the jade slices,( the width cuts), then the drilling and sawing the cutouts. The drilled holes will be for the retaining pins and a starter hole for my jeweler's saw entry. The drilled holes will be aprox. 1mm for the retaining pins to stabilize for final handle profiling, in case our readers havn't read all the postings.The 4 pin holes will be 1/8" outside the cutouts, at each corner of the square hole cutout. This should leave enough room for the profiling, unless someone has another suggestion. The width of the cutout is 1/2",so the jade should have enough room for play adjustment and large pins, if you use them.
 
:cool: :cool: :D lets go :D
AND
all the votes are not in on the Ivory
but we have enough for the go
the rest can't sway the out come now.
it's the outer set left and right.:)
Roger can you send me the picture of those only?
 
sweet. Those were some pretty slabs. Just send the other two crappy ivory pieces to me and I'll dispose of them properly. :D
 
Jolly good on the jade John. Thanks for the update.

I am glad I was able to assemble both my grinders with variable speed. I may feel like the ol'diamond cutter riding in the back of the Mercury Marquis commercial except for one thing: I ain't never touched jade before ! Nick has done one really good thing for me. He has delayed my nervous break down :cool: :eek: . ;)

RL
 
You are most welcome, Roger! And nervous? Not Roger! We know ol' Roger has nerves of steel! You should have seen me working with the jade over a concrete floor! Now, THAT'S NERVOUS! I have a good death grip.My new shop has a WOOD FLOOR, and that is where I plan to finish the scales.
 
You are correct John. All will be well so long as I retain patience. I have to kid with myself and share with others in order to have the nerve. OH-GOD PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS JADE !!!!!!!
 
Any steel yet Michael? If you haven't gotten it yet, you should soon.

Look out for a small brown box (I put it in the box diagonally).

Oh yea, I sent it Priority USPS as this has been proving to be the fastest and reliable for the cost. I considered sending it overnight UPS, but that would have been about $55.

I'm hoping you might be able to take a shot of it, as I couldn't (no camera).

Thanks!
Nick
 
Got a little present in the mail today!

Nick -- would it have hurt you to toss in a couple of your bowies in with the package? ;) :D

I'm horrible at taking pics of damascus, but here is a "taste" of what it looks like -- you guys are going to have to see it for yourselves to appreciate it though.

:eek:
 

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Having no experience in forging, looking at the pictures of Sean's mokume and Nicks twist amazes me how well they appear to match each other in pattern. I thinkst this can surely become a real beauty.

RL
 
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