Will W.

That is possible i suppose. But i would think that it would make the whole pattern not show up, not just in spots. I will take some fresh etchant in a new conatiner and give it a try. Thank you.

Strangely enough, no.

Likely not a grease issue. I am certain it was clean. Also, there is no way its a hardness issue. I just remembered i have a pic of right after i heat treated it. Ill add it in. The only thing that changed between then and now is that i sanded it down. Thank you for your reply. The above pic was directly after tempering. I wanted to see the pattern, so i quickly sanded it and etched it. After that, i ground in the final edge and sanded the scratches out. Strange, huh?

Hello everyone. I need some help with a knife im etching. The blade etches great in some spots, but barely at all in others. Ive made quite a few damascus blades before, but ive never had this happen. For the last few hours ive been experimenting with every variable i can think of; time in acid, grit of sandpaper used to remove oxides, etc. For some reason, it simply refuses to etch properly in this one spot, on both sides of the blade. Any help that can be given will be appreciated. And this knife is supposed to go out to the customer tomorrow, so quick replies would be even more appreciated. Sorry if this topic seems brash and hastily written but im at my wits end here. Apologies for the bad pictures, but all i have is my phone. Blade is o1 and 15N20, and it is being etched in hydrochloric acid. Thanks.

I made my blower from a fan similar to the one you are talking about. Using it electrically is going to be WAY too much air, but making it a hand crank works a treat. Some 2x4s for a frame, a few pulleys, and some round stock to act as axles is all you really need. Oh, and a welder. Its worth considering anyway. Gives you way more control than a hair dryer.

Now this thread is just downright metamorphic!

I usually dont watch FIF, but ill be tuning in for your episode, Theo. Looking forward to it.

Im just going to break a piece off. I have a chip on my shoulder anyway.

Uh-oh. This thread is becoming conchoidal...

Then dont pay that much for it. Try to haggle with him. But keep in mind that at $350, thats $4.37 per pound. For a Fisher in that kind of condition, thats not a ridiculous price, imo.

I have a 150 lb Fisher, and its a cast anvil with a steel plate. It works absolutely perfectly for anything I do, which is mostly bladesmithing. Nice thing is too, its naturally quiet! More of a thud than a PING. Just because its cast doesnt mean its low quality. The steel plate is the important part. Hows the rebound?

I live in central NY, likely not far from you, so the values should be similar. For the most part, around here, anvils go for ~3 dollars per pound, depending on condition. Some are more, some are less. That would mean yours should be worth between ~1500 dollars, as it appears to be in good shape. This is subjective though, i dont know many people who would pay that much for an anvil (or need one that massive.) Usually though, something like that is worth what someone is willing to pay. Oh, and by the way, that is an AWESOME anvil!!!

When you dream about someone cutting an anvil in half with a torch, and in your dream, youre yelling, kicking, and screaming but you just cant save it! (This is actually what i dreamt of last night lol)

Not only did I open the door, I prepared a meal and invited you in! Lol.

And so it begins... The game is afoot!

I consistently underestimate the speed with which you drop the grammar hammer lol.

Yet another example of common vernacular getting in the way of truth and detail. When i said "all" i suppose it was an exaggeration. What i wrote and what i meant were different things. Apologies for any confusion. I really need to learn to proofread what i write.

That depends on a lot of factors, including size of the stock, temperature that it was brought up to, ambient air temperature, whether it is in contact with a heat sink or not (the anvil) and for how long, etc, etc. Im sure even humidity has an effect. Its very hard to place a specific number on that, but you can usually figure on a few minutes before it loses all glowing heat. Yup. Thats all hammer control. Make sure your anvil is at the proper height for YOU so that your hitting the steel with the flat of the hammer, and its not pitched towards the front of the hammer or the rear. Many other smiths may consider my anvil too high for their personal tastes, but its right where its comfortable (and effective) for me. Take your time with your hammer blows. Well placed, accurate, firm hits, are much more efficient and effective than trying to smite the steel with all of your force. Using an appropriately weighted hammer is a must. Try to place your blows so they overlap each other (the middle of your hammer strikes the edge of your last hit.)

Looking good so far. I like the way the eye looks in particular, nice and clean. Good work. Now you just have to weld in a high carbon bit and youre good to go.

And also, probably, the most helpful of any of us (after all, without Glenn, we wouldnt be helping anyone here lol)

They are, what you call, "frequent flyers."

Take and suspend them from a piece of wire going through the hole in the scrolls, get as many on as you can, but leave spaces so you can hit the sides as well. Spray them down, let it dry, and call it good. Avoid creating dust near them while its drying, or it will be embeded into the clear coat. You should be able to do quite a lot at one time, depending on how many you can suspend at a time.

Clear coat?

Wonderful work.

Masterfully crafted, as usual. I really like that bowie. And the pattern in both look amazing. Thank you for sharing.