Jump to content
I Forge Iron

Bonding silver to Hardened carbon steel


Mad Rabbit

Recommended Posts

If this is in the wrong place, please be so kind as to move it.

I have been asked to make a dagger that has Sterling silver bonded down the length of both sides of the blade. The Caveat being that the blade still need to be functional (hardened and tempered). I would like to pick the collective mind to see if you know of a way that I can do this. My first thought was brazing, but that won't work. If done before heat treating it would melt and turn loose and if done afterwards it will draw out all the temper. Any thought? Thanks much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can you provide more information?  How much silver are we talking about?  How do you want the finished piece to look?

A thin strip can be inlaid and the channels possibly started before heat treat and undercut after heat treat using carbide burs.  Holes through the blade, drilled preheat treat can be filled with amalgam after heat treat.  There are low temp silver bearing solders, not nearly as strong as the high temp silver solders that can be used.  

Also what alloy are you thinking of for the blade?  Some alloys have quite high tempering temps...

Also  using differential heat treating you can have a blade with hard edges and a softer spine that is more easily worked.

We need to get from "Can a car go faster than 200 mph?" to "Can this car using tools and skills I have available for a price I can pay be made to go over 200 mph?".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys and sorry for being vague. My idea was to make a 3/4" Fuller down the length of the blade and inlay the silver to be flush. Blade length being 7". Planned on using 1080 for the blade. I don't own a die grinder or anything to electroplate with, just basic hand tools. But in the end the die grinder may just be the most coat effective way to go about it, may have to change my design though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Idea was to have a flat down the center of the blade. The knife itself is intended for ceremonial use, not for fighting of any kind. Especially not werewolves. Thanks for you help. When I get the project off the ground I will post my process and results here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lol, Thomas is correct. If it's ceremonial, then why heat treat? This is a solution.

However, because you want it heat treated, then I agree with a differential temper. Other solutions that work within your tool situation, but perhaps not within your skillset would be to sandwich your 1080 in wrought, like making an axe. Then you can heat treat your blade and inlet the silver into the outer skin of wrought cold.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another thought is to buy Jim Binnion's Mokume Gane book(s?) and solid state fuse silver to the blade. He's done some incredible mokume with iron and steel. Still, I'd electro plate the blade before finish polishing.

Mr. Rabbit: How much blade making experience do you have? A little flash for fancy doesn't make a working blade. Your line of questions don't speak to experience. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Frosty, I have made a couple handfuls of blades, but nothing very complex nor anything custom made to a design. All my previous blades I allowed to form organically from parent material. This blade has right specifications and the desire for flair. I understand that is not a necessary element for a functional blade but that is the commission that has been presented before me. I've never had any luck with solid state fusion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...