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Post by Voltan on Apr 5, 2016 16:43:02 GMT
Thanks to some "motivational words" from TomK , my days of wall-hanger conversions are officially over. I am going to start making blades by stock removal, and began my first project last week. I got a 60" x 2" x 3/16" bar of 1075 high-carbon steel, and cut it into three 20" pieces. These should keep me busy for a while... The first piece will be sort of a short, fantasy Khopesh. I'll be sending it out for heat treat when it's time. This will be a challenge, as I only have my 1x30 belt sander, a pneumatic cutoff tool, a pneumatic die grinder, and a drill press. So far, I finished shaping the blank...the easy part is done. The bevels will be next, and will be the true test for me. That however, brings to mind my favorite quote from Anthony Hopkins in the film The Edge: "What one man can do, another can do." Progress so far:
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Post by chrisperoni on Apr 5, 2016 17:21:18 GMT
Excellent and good for you for starting to make your own. I'm probably a few years away from being able to do that myself, so I look forward to watching you and your experiences.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2016 18:41:28 GMT
Awesome! I'm glad to see that you are starting to make your own blades. I'm interested in seeing how your blade turns out. I'm actually trying to make a large knife (18") with similar tools, but unfortunately my hf sander died. So I'm stuck with only an angle grinder for shaping. I have gained much appreciation for my belt sander, and for those who sharpen knives on belt Sanders (I've burnt a few this way and learned pretty quickly to use a very high grit for sharpening and adding a final edge.) Please let me know how you have your blade heat treated. I'm not comfortable doing it myself, but I don't know the optimal HT for different steels, let alone knives in general. Your blade looks great so far. I've always wanted to see a modern attempt at a khopesh short sword. Best of luck!
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Post by William Swiger on Apr 5, 2016 20:32:16 GMT
Cool - love when our members take the "next" step.
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Apr 5, 2016 22:45:21 GMT
Totally sempriniin. Can't wait to see your progress.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Apr 6, 2016 11:10:01 GMT
Good for you to take the next step! It's a very fun journey though it can be frustrating at times. I'll be watching with interest... don't hesitate to ask questions, it can help immensely.
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Post by aussie-rabbit on Apr 6, 2016 11:53:59 GMT
A 5" angle grinder would help and is not too expensive
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Post by L Driggers (fallen) on Apr 7, 2016 3:31:57 GMT
You're on your way, I would get a cheap angle grinder or at least a 90 degree pneumatic die grinder. Either one will make your work a lot easier. I have both, actually I have way to many angle grinders. But each is set up to do different things.
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Post by Pogo4321 on Apr 7, 2016 4:31:23 GMT
Good job, man. Glad to see it. And a great choice for your first blade. I like outside the norm type thinking with this stuff.
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Post by newfoundviking on Apr 7, 2016 6:16:08 GMT
Sweet, how wide is the handle?
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Apr 7, 2016 9:07:43 GMT
You're on your way, I would get a cheap angle grinder or at least a 90 degree pneumatic die grinder. Either one will make your work a lot easier. I have both, actually I have way to many angle grinders. But each is set up to do different things. I second that, get an angle grinder.
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Post by Voltan on Apr 8, 2016 2:44:08 GMT
Thanks for the encouragement and kind words fellas. This is indeed exiting to be moving forward. You're on your way, I would get a cheap angle grinder or at least a 90 degree pneumatic die grinder. Either one will make your work a lot easier. I have both, actually I have way to many angle grinders. But each is set up to do different things. I actually got a 90 degree pneumatic die grinder two weeks ago. I have 3M Roloc discs in various grits, and will SLOWLY and CAREFULLY start the bevels this Sunday. I used the brown coarse discs to de-burr the bar ends when I cut it down, and it seems they will remove material at a moderate rate.
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Post by L Driggers (fallen) on Apr 8, 2016 3:09:26 GMT
You can get 24 grit to 320 grit for it from 2 to 4in, just will need the backer.
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Post by Voltan on Apr 26, 2016 19:06:32 GMT
I think she's ready to send out to L Driggers (fallen) for heat treat. Established bevels mostly by draw filing, with a little bit done with coarse grit Rolocs in the die grinder. Tang holes drilled, and cleaned up the blank with coarse and then fine grit Rolocs, again with the die grinder. Gave it a final rub-down with a Scotch-Brite pad.
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Post by Bryan Heff on Apr 26, 2016 22:34:08 GMT
Dang! Lookin' nice!
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Post by L Driggers (fallen) on Apr 28, 2016 3:58:17 GMT
Looks good don't get to carried away on the finish it will come back to needing to be polished again. In less you are just wanting to leave it with the heat treat finish.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Apr 28, 2016 9:19:51 GMT
Looking good, congrats. I might have one suggestion though... it's hard to tell from the pics but it seems to me that maybe your bevels are a bit short... don't know how far you blended them in between the first and the second pic but I'm thinking you can make the bevels more acute. It looks a bit like a short axe bevel (and a kopesh, though it has chopping qualities, is not meant to fell a tree). Especially since you're leaving them at heat treating thickness now and have to take them down afterwards, so they will steepen even more (unless you grind the full face of the bevel).
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Post by Voltan on Apr 29, 2016 6:27:42 GMT
The bevels are subtle at the moment. This being my first go-round, I did them this way intentionally, with the heat treat in mind. I plan to refine them after the heat treat, using the areas where my skills are strongest. I have gotten very good at keeping blades cool while using the 1x30, from all the sharpening jobs I've done, so there is indeed a method to my madness. If there are no warping issues from the heat treat, it should turn out to be a good slicer/chopper when it's done.
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Post by L Driggers (fallen) on Apr 29, 2016 8:07:45 GMT
Look fine to me, like Tinker I do most of my grinding after the heat treat. Do you mind if I post pictures of the heat treating here or do you want to do it.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Apr 29, 2016 11:58:11 GMT
Alright then, looking forward to seeing it completed!
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