A few years ago I had the fantacy to make a 'star knife'. One made from a nickel/iron meteorite.
This was the start of a steep learning curve of sourcing materials )meteorite, suitable blade steel, interesting wood for handles etc)
I had no idea at the time where to find a meteorite but I trolled several lapidary shows and eventually an old geologist who had some samples from Henbury in the Northern Territory. We developed a friendship.
I found a blacksmith who was willing to hire me his forge (under supervision) and by then I had read a few books on 'pattern welding' steel (damascus) Fortunately my first attempt worked out and I created a billet of pattern welded steel with the meteorite in it. It was about 40mm wide 4 mm thick and about 400mm long. Enough for three knives.
More head scratching and reading about blade and handle designs.
I pulled out my trusty hacksaw and fitted a new blade and with the help of a couple of linishers from ALDI I created some shapes.
More research to revise heat treatments, since no charts exist for laminates steel. With the help of a soft refractory brick and a LP gas torch I did the hardening and when my wife was out I tempered in her oven, fanning out the smell of burning oil.
More linishing for handles as well as discovering little abrasive pads the pen makers use to create a lovely shine on steel and wood.
I needed some ferric chloride to etch the steel to highlight the contrast and some wikipedia search told me it was used for water treatment. A call to the local water treatment plant and a chat with the chief chemist and we exchanged some ferric chloride for a bottle of bubbly.
SO each knife has taken almost a year to finish--it has never been a race.
I have some more meteorite and have sketches for a gas forge and a drop hammer to explore once some of the 'work around the house' is complete.
hope you can make out the pics--I'm crap at pics
This was the start of a steep learning curve of sourcing materials )meteorite, suitable blade steel, interesting wood for handles etc)
I had no idea at the time where to find a meteorite but I trolled several lapidary shows and eventually an old geologist who had some samples from Henbury in the Northern Territory. We developed a friendship.
I found a blacksmith who was willing to hire me his forge (under supervision) and by then I had read a few books on 'pattern welding' steel (damascus) Fortunately my first attempt worked out and I created a billet of pattern welded steel with the meteorite in it. It was about 40mm wide 4 mm thick and about 400mm long. Enough for three knives.
More head scratching and reading about blade and handle designs.
I pulled out my trusty hacksaw and fitted a new blade and with the help of a couple of linishers from ALDI I created some shapes.
More research to revise heat treatments, since no charts exist for laminates steel. With the help of a soft refractory brick and a LP gas torch I did the hardening and when my wife was out I tempered in her oven, fanning out the smell of burning oil.
More linishing for handles as well as discovering little abrasive pads the pen makers use to create a lovely shine on steel and wood.
I needed some ferric chloride to etch the steel to highlight the contrast and some wikipedia search told me it was used for water treatment. A call to the local water treatment plant and a chat with the chief chemist and we exchanged some ferric chloride for a bottle of bubbly.
SO each knife has taken almost a year to finish--it has never been a race.
I have some more meteorite and have sketches for a gas forge and a drop hammer to explore once some of the 'work around the house' is complete.
hope you can make out the pics--I'm crap at pics
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