Work in progress - If I remember. . . .

**irbailey** · 16-03-09, 03:13 AM

After a couple of requests

, I've decided to do a work in progress thread. I'm afraid the idea came about just after I'd cut out my blanks and annealed them, but hey! not to worry.
The first picture is rather disturbing, and if you are of a nervous disposition, or have any small children in the room, turn the computer off now.

Yes, its me, and yes, I do look like an escaped psychopath. I just thought I'd show myself, rather than make it a faceless thread. Sorry

Next up is a picture of my steel of choice - CPMS30VATS34AUS8ZDP149440Chighcarbonhighchromiumhi ghmolybdenumhighvanadium154CM Commonly known to the layman as a rusty old saw blade.

Next up is the pits being ground out, profiles ground, and holes drilled.

This is the two after being ground flat, ready for the tang tapering.

Now time to grind a nice hollow ready for flattening and tapering the tangs.

**irbailey** · 16-03-09, 03:23 AM

Hello again! Bored yet? If so just say and I'll stop!
Heres the tangs after being nicely flattened and tapered

View of taper from bottom

And yes - you guessed right, the view from the top!

Thats all for tonight, as its now ten past two in the morning, I've got to be up at six, and as you can see, I really could do with some beauty sleep

Hopefully I'll remember to take some more pics as I progress. However don't be surprised if this suddenly jumps to making the sheath......
Thanks for looking

Ian

**Prophecy** · 16-03-09, 03:26 AM

Great work!

The transformation from the rough shaping of the rusty saw blade to shiney new knife blade is really cool.

Looking forward to seeing the rest!

**Frankallen** · 16-03-09, 04:11 AM

Can't wait to see the knives finished. I have a blade like yours.Here's
a photo of it ...I think it's 28 inches..

Frank

**Stuart Ackerman** · 16-03-09, 05:10 AM

L6 steel is the most likely source for both those blades...we hope...
Howard Clark will tell what a great steel it is...

**Stuart Ackerman** · 16-03-09, 05:11 AM

and...the Loveless influence is in these creations, and I am eager to see the result, Mr Bailey...

**GHEzell** · 16-03-09, 05:22 AM

I have a piece of CPMS30VATS34AUS8ZDP149440Chighcarbonhighchromiumhi ghmolybdenumhighvanadium154CM that looks eerily similar, in fact I had to check to see if it was still there.... I don't know what mine is either, other than good steel based on the simple tests I've done on it. Very nice takes on the Loveless style, will the big one be double-ground?

**irbailey** · 16-03-09, 08:20 AM

Glad to hear I'm not the only one using such high tech steel

The biggest of the two will be an elongated (6 1/2") chute knife, but with a full flat grind rather than a sabre grind, as I'm not good enough to do a "proper" chute grind

I've tried, but I always seem to get a wavy grindline. I've also tryed using a jig. But found it just annoyed me even more. Hence I do what I can free hand.
The drop point will have a full 10" hollow grind.
Knowing my luck, this thread will come to an abrupt halt halfway through. I'm bound to ruin something now I've started this

Thanks for looking

Ian

**Iron Hoarder** · 16-03-09, 08:28 AM

Cool, thanks for the pics. Now your not just another faceless BB Monster. How do you heat treat the saw blade stock?

**irbailey** · 16-03-09, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by Iron Hoarder

Cool, thanks for the pics. Now your not just another faceless BB Monster. How do you heat treat the saw blade stock?

Now I'm probably THE BB monster

I've just noticed how wonky my eyes are

Still, thats Norfolk breeding for you. . . . . .
Heat treat is as follows - Once the I'm ready, I normalise, and get my stamp done before it cools too much. Its then heated to non-magnetic, and edge quenched in my super death mix. This is waste oil I acquired from a garage I was working at. I'm pretty sure that as well as used engine oil, it contains anti-freeze, brake fluid and screen wash. The birds drop out of the trees when I quench, but it does do a very good job!
After this I temper twice at 220c for one hour. This seems to give a very good balanced edge. The smaller 4mm German blades I use only get a single temper, as this seems to work well. I guess different blades, different compositions. The steel on this one by the way is 7/32" thick. This ends up at 3/16" by the time its had the pits removed.

Ian

**The Blunt End** · 16-03-09, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by irbailey

G
Knowing my luck, this thread will come to an abrupt halt halfway through. I'm bound to ruin something now I've started this

Thanks for looking

Ian

We'll only make you start again

Love seeing your work when it's done and it's fascinating to see the process.
Hope all goes well and thanks for showing

John

**Iron Hoarder** · 16-03-09, 09:11 AM

Thanks! I think you could call that poor man's super quench.

**fluffy** · 16-03-09, 11:10 AM

Good stuff.

...No slacking now.
3 hours sleep should be fine for operating heavy machinery and knifemaking

**Steve George** · 16-03-09, 02:36 PM

great thread Ian,

**irbailey** · 17-03-09, 02:12 AM

Thanks Chaps (and chapesses - its hard to tell).
Well, heres tonights instalment. So far so good. (I need a "Wiping sweat from brow" smilie)
First up, was marking the grind lines on the edge.

The grinder rest was then set at about 45 degrees ready to grind the lead- in bevels. Before anyone asks, the grinder is one of BB Aly's minigrinders. And what a super piece of kit it is too

. 3-speed provided by simple pulleys, 1.5 hp motor, and exceptionally well made. Plus he is a good bloke to deal with.
I can now do in 1/2 hour what it used to take 2 nights to do.

Heres a shot of the pair after the lead-in bevels were ground

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