BM454 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I made this one from an old lawn mower blade someone was going to throw away. The handles are purple heart a friend gave me. It's tempered and holds a great edge. It's not perfect but, I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Looks good,,,did youharden before tempering?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BM454 Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 Yes. Oil quenched then tempered at 400 for one hour two times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BM454 Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 Looks good,,,did youharden before tempering?? Thank you Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin1050 Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Looks good! Just be aware that purple heart will react to UV rays from sunshine. You can use marine varnish to help protect the wood if you want. Or any other finish that has UV protection in it. Think of it as sunscreen for wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robakyo Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Nice job recycling. Great knife. I like the fat blade. I made something with a similar blade shape and like it a lot. Most of my steel is from bed frames at the moment. I'll have to check into lawn mower blades though. Much thicker and you don't have to flatten first! To Kevin 1050: What color does it turn to w/o UV protection? Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin1050 Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Purple Heart wood can darken up in color if exposed to sunlight. 'The trees are prized for their beautiful heartwood which, when cut, quickly turns from a dark brown to a rich purple color. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light darkens the wood to a brown color with a slight hue of the original purple. This effect can be minimized with a finish containing a UV inhibitor.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robakyo Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Thanks Kevin 1050, I appreciate you clearing that up for me. As a novice at this, I've not purchased anything exotic. Most of my scales are pallet wood. Oak, I think. I do have a fair bit of Ipe, scrounged from a remodeling site that I did a mosaic back-splash for. Very dense wood, and horrible splinters if shaped incorrectly! I wonder if the color change is all that undesirable though. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BM454 Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 I'll try to get some pics of the wood before working. What I have was cut well over 60 years ago so its had plenty of time to change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwisatz Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 looks great. How long and thick is it? I am about to finish work on a large chopper made from a lawnmower blade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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