Arrow head. Need advice

[MotoMike]

Hello friends:

If this is not the correct location for this, rest assured it was not placed here carelessly.  I searched and did not find a thread on point, though I don't doubt there might be one.  

 

My uncle lost most all his possessions in Katrina.  One of the items was a decorative arrow head that bore the initials of an ancestor.  I did not see the arrow head and no photographs exist.   I gather from discussions with him that it looks somewhat like the attached image, was a heavy metal probably steel, had a finish that sort of replicated knapped flint.  I would like to recreate it for him.  I will likely use mild steel but am not set on it.  finished length would be in the 2 inch range.   I would like to inlay the letters with some contrasting metal.  copper, brass, stainless.    would one make the arrow head first, chisel out the letters, place wire or other contrasting stock in the channels then lightly forge them into firm position?  Or is there a different procedure to follow.  

Your assistance is greatly appreciated.  

 

[Frosty]

Can you get him to make a sketch? Both sides on graph paper would make it easier.

How much like knapped flint did it look? Hammer marking with a ball pein can make a decent representation of the conchoidal fracture patterns of knapped flint. 

If you want more correct up to exact copy have a stone point knapped and make a casting.

Inlay is about like you describe though you'll want to read up on it before trying, you've missed a couple points. Are the letters wire say pencil lines fashion? Are they solid block style? Or. . . ?

One rather creative kid in jr. High made bronze lettering by chiseling it in as channels, brazing them full and sanding the rest clean.  Silver solder would work too. 

You can mask with a resist and have it plated as well.

Well. . . . Maybe I should wait for some details before I get completely out in left field eh? 

Frosty The Lucky.

 

[MotoMike]

Frosty

I appreciate the quick response.  I did not really want him to know I was doing it.  so too many questions about the specifics of the design would be a give away.  I guess I don't necessarily want an exact copy, but something that looks nice.  Block letters is what I intend.  my initial thought was to use 12 gauge copper wire  or similarly sized stock.  I quite like the idea of the sliver solder though.  if forging copper wire or brass wire in, would you try to under cut the channel bottom, or is that too much fiddling about?   

[Frosty]

Ahhhh, a surprise! Yes, the grooves are undercut and the wire hammered in. Do a search for "Wire Inlay Techniques" a quicky yielded several pages of hits, I'd like one but the UR is looooong. 

I agree, trying to duplicate the lost one wouldn't be as meaningful as making him a replacement.

Enamel would be nice too and there isn't really a limit too the shapes and colors. 

You might want to chase in the conchoidal fracture patterns for that bit of extra special flare. Hmmmm?

Frosty The Lucky.

 

[MotoMike]

Thanks Frosty.  all taken on and more work to do before I get to work. 

[Marc1]

Search on you tube for:  Metal Inlay Techniques Part 1 of 2 by Matthew Parkinson, AP

or : Hammer & Chisel Engraving by Sam Alfano  for some more professional engraving 

[MotoMike]

thanks for the recommendation Marc

 

[MotoMike]

So did some research, checked the recommended instruction and found a couple more.   This one is rough I know, but the next one will be better.  the one after that probably good enough to give my uncle.  had some rail car spring that I'd already straightened, so used a small chunk to be my graver.  made a little fuller too but did not use it.  I knew I wanted it hard so risked not tempering back the tip.  let the hammer end cool in air before fully quenching.  was worried it would be brittle, but it  held up through the chiseling of these letters.  Needed stones to sharpen it.  Oh and I got to use my new grinder quite a bit.    Arrow head of half inch square mild that I upset to give me more to work with.  Spend a lot of time replicating knapping  before cutting the letters and inlaying.  but then after heating and tapping them in a lot of copper bonded to the surface and I ended up grinding away all my decorative work.  Ending up here.  

[Frosty]

Looks nice Mike, I agree a couple more and they'll be a marketable item.

You might be able to use whiteout / liquid paper as a resist to keep stray copper from sticking to the rest of the piece so you don't need to grind off the texture. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[MotoMike]

Thanks Frosty, I'll look into thatl

 

[rockstar.esq]

I seem to recall a knifemaker who used a ball tipped cylinder bit in a die grinder to create "knapped" texture.  They alternated sides such that the hollow on one face was aligned with a ridge on the other face.  The down side of that knapped texture is that your lettering would be difficult to keep straight.