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Ben Potter
Industry Professional
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 Posted: Mon 07 Dec, 2009 4:32 pm Post subject: Ballock Knife |
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Click on the image to go to the gallery page with the full specs. and more pictures.
And here is a link to a video of the process:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwVwfkcv968
This knife was a commission.
Let me know what you think.
Ben Potter Bladesmith
It's not that I would trade my lot
For any other man's,
Nor that I will be ashamed
Of my work torn hands-
For I have chosen the path I tread
Knowing it would be steep,
And I will take the joys thereof
And the consequences reap.
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Addison C. de Lisle
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| Posted: Mon 07 Dec, 2009 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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Looks nicely done. I don't think I've seen a ferrule like that though, the ones I've seen pictures of have more shape to them, or don't have them at all.
You might want to fix the unfortunate typo on the image 
www.addisondelisle.com
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Ben Potter
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Mon 07 Dec, 2009 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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I fixed the typo in the image.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Ben Potter Bladesmith
It's not that I would trade my lot
For any other man's,
Nor that I will be ashamed
Of my work torn hands-
For I have chosen the path I tread
Knowing it would be steep,
And I will take the joys thereof
And the consequences reap.
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Jim Mearkle
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| Posted: Mon 07 Dec, 2009 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Ben Potter wrote: | I fixed the typo in the image.
Thanks for pointing that out. |
Darn! I missed it!
It looks like you cast the silver right on the wood?
Jim
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Ben Potter
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Tue 08 Dec, 2009 9:03 am Post subject: |
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The hilt fittings are cast in-place, which saves a lot of time over the lost wax method and also mounts the blade very tightly.
Ben Potter Bladesmith
It's not that I would trade my lot
For any other man's,
Nor that I will be ashamed
Of my work torn hands-
For I have chosen the path I tread
Knowing it would be steep,
And I will take the joys thereof
And the consequences reap.
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Dustin R. Reagan
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| Posted: Tue 08 Dec, 2009 11:45 am Post subject: |
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| Ben Potter wrote: | | The hilt fittings are cast in-place, which saves a lot of time over the lost wax method and also mounts the blade very tightly. |
That's really interesting. I was wondering about that part of the video. Could you explain this process further? It looks like you form some sort of material around the blade to act as a simple mold? What is that material?
I really enjoyed the video.
Thanks,
Dustin
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M. Eversberg II
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| Posted: Tue 08 Dec, 2009 1:03 pm Post subject: |
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And with a 1763°F melting point, why does it not obliterate the wood?
M.
This space for rent or lease.
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Nick Larking
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| Posted: Tue 08 Dec, 2009 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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| M. Eversberg II wrote: | And with a 1763°F melting point, why does it not obliterate the wood?
M. |
I'm also wondering how he did it 
Im not sure if it would have worked for this particular project but there is an option to put heat resistent and absorbant material in the wood carvings. After you have put that in you can pour in the silver without damaging the wood.
I'm not sure if he has used this method or that its even possible for this, and if its possible is the fitting still tight and strong enough to hold the tang/blade.
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Jim Mearkle
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| Posted: Tue 08 Dec, 2009 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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| M. Eversberg II wrote: | And with a 1763°F melting point, why does it not obliterate the wood?
M. |
Those fittings aren't very big. They must cool off fast enough that they don't do much damage to the wood. If the outside mold is something conductive, that would help cool the silver, too.
Jim
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Ben Potter
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Tue 08 Dec, 2009 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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Casting the fittings is one of the hardest parts of this type of knife.
First to wait till the full moon, carefully write your runes in a circle around the casting area, take mistletoe, motherwhort and oak leaves, toss them in to the fire and with a gold ladle...
Actually, it is all in the metallurgy.
The fact is that If you use 99.9 fine silver it would burn the handle (not to mention destroy the temper on the blade. But if you alloy the silver with tin it lowers the melting point enough that you can use it in this manner. That said, you must be very careful when you cast it as if you get it too hot it (the silver alloy) will cause the wood to smoke too much and cause voids in the fittings. It is hot enough to burn the wood and would except that the liquid metal doesn't allow oxygen to come in contact with it.
In fact you can (and though out history many cultures have) cast different metals in wood molds, As late as the end of last century (1960's) people were still using wooden bullet molds in some parts of the US (see Foxfire 5, UNC Charlotte, if I am not mistaken).
The "mold" is made of heavy cardboard ( NOT corrugated) and masking tape. There is an art to getting the mold just right, to thin and the metal cools too quickly and doesn't flow creating voids (necessitating a VERY difficult repair), too thick and the metal cools too slowly and burns the wood creating smoke voids and a loose fit(and the need to do it all over).
Ben Potter Bladesmith
It's not that I would trade my lot
For any other man's,
Nor that I will be ashamed
Of my work torn hands-
For I have chosen the path I tread
Knowing it would be steep,
And I will take the joys thereof
And the consequences reap.
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Matthew Stagmer
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Tue 15 Dec, 2009 9:19 am Post subject: |
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One again beautiful work. Clean!
Matthew Stagmer
Maker of custom and production weaponry
Youtube.com/ThatWorks
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J Helmes
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Tue 15 Dec, 2009 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Ben Potter wrote: | Casting the fittings is one of the hardest parts of this type of knife.
First to wait till the full moon, carefully write your runes in a circle around the casting area, take mistletoe, motherwhort and oak leaves, toss them in to the fire and with a gold ladle...
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Oh! thats how they taught me to do it......
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This is a standard topic