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Post by wireliner on Apr 24, 2018 1:09:17 GMT
I have always cut out sword blanks using my trusty 5" angle grinder with cutting discs. And I'm pretty good at it too. But the last sword I cut out, used 19 cutting discs at a cost of $50. And you never get it perfect no matter how good you are. The thicker the steel, the less perfect it becomes. Not to mention the heat you are imparting to the sword's edge.
So I contacted an engineering firm that specialises in profile cutting. I gave them a diagram of the blank, an XVa with 39" blade, full width tang, to be cut out of 50mm x 8mm spring steel. I requested water jet cutting.
The cost? $60!!! So no more discs. No more hours of careful, gentle cutting. And their tolerances for water cut steel is +/- 0.25mm. Not in my wildest dreams could I ever cut a blank out to that tolerance.
It pays to look around.
P.S Australian dollars.
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Post by fe3c on Apr 24, 2018 22:39:56 GMT
Wow, 19 disks is a lot. I have been using a plasma cutter myself. That comes with it's own issues, mainly in grinding off the air-hardened steel edge. Water jet sounds awesome though.
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