Mad Rabbit Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 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?". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 How about just silver electroplating it? I doubt that the owner is going to run into any werewolves in any case so a very thin layer will probably give the effect desired... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Excellent idea! I wonder about a deeply etched design, then electroplated and then stone the blade so that only the etched part retains the silver plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Rabbit Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Flush?: will this blade have a flat down the center or will you be modifying the inlay to create a spine? Stay brite might be your best bet... I do not recommend fighting werewolves with knives---if they are in range, you are in range! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Rabbit Posted February 18, 2020 Author Share Posted February 18, 2020 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Ceremonial use: does it need to be hardened then? What about a hammer hardened silver blade? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Rabbit Posted February 18, 2020 Author Share Posted February 18, 2020 It does need to be hardened as it will still need to function as a knife in the ceremony. I believe the answer you gave of stay brite is the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 A.G.Russell once flattened and honed an Al beer can till he could shave with it. An unhardened blade can still be sharpened and cut with; it will just need resharpening more often. I like the san mai using a soft outer layer idea too. Would allow much more ornamental inlay work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Rabbit Posted February 20, 2020 Author Share Posted February 20, 2020 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCalvert Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Electroplating will cost almost nothing, as it can be done with scrounged bits. You will, however; have to do a bit of reading. You can get a grinder from Eastwood pretty cheap, harbor freight for super cheap.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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