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Chisel build thread
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10133&t=37220
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Author:  Tony_in_NYC [ Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

I could watch you do this all day. Thanks for preserving an old world art and letting us watch you do it!

Author:  Dave Stewart [ Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

Great stuff Phillip! Reminds me of a wonderfull PBS (I think) show chronicling the old world making of a samurai sword. Love these kinds of demonstrations.

Author:  Phillip Patton [ Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

Thanks guys, I'm glad you're enjoying this.

Dennis, the purpose of the twisting is to manipulate the layers of steel to produce the desired pattern, it doesn't affect the performance. This is a variation of the basic twist pattern, where you twist a single bar. Another twist pattern I like is turkish twist. Here's an example of that pattern:

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And here's a knife with the same pattern as the chisel will be:

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Author:  Phillip Patton [ Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

Here's what I got done this morning. First, I ground the bar clean. When twisting a square bar, you make deep grooves, almost like screw threads. The bottoms of those grooves can get forged into the surface, and if you don't grind them out before final forging, you might be in trouble.

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Then I started drawing out the tang:

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Then the blade part is drawn out width-wise. I was shooting for a finished width of 3/4", so I want it a bit wider to allow for grinding:

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Now the whole thing is thermal cycled a few times. This relieves stress and refines the grain.

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Once that's cooled down, I'll start grinding.

Author:  Tony_in_NYC [ Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

The knife with the twist pattern the same as the chisel will be is un-freakin-believable! I absolutely love it! I see one of those in my future. Gorgeous Phillip. Just gorgeous.

Author:  cphanna [ Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

Phillip, I see you are making a tanged chisel this time. I've been wondering up to this point whether it would have a tang or a socket. If you have also made socket chisels, would you post a few pictures? I'd be very curious to know whether you would forge or lathe a socket. Many thanks for this excellent demonstration.
Patrick

Author:  Rodger Knox [ Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

Wow, this is very cool. Makes me wish I had a chance to win! laughing6-hehe

Author:  Joe Sallis [ Fri Aug 03, 2012 7:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

just wanted to chip in and say that I'm really enjoying this thread too!
What a prize!

Author:  Mattia Valente [ Mon Aug 06, 2012 5:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

Every time I see stuff like this, I get the urge to build a forge.

Then I price everything out and realize I don't even have enough hours in the day to do half the things I've already got on my wish list, and figure I should just enjoy watching other talented individuals work.

Author:  theguitarwhisperer [ Wed Aug 08, 2012 10:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

If I don't win one how much to just buy one?

Author:  oval soundhole [ Wed Aug 08, 2012 11:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

theguitarwhisperer wrote:
If I don't win one how much to just buy one?



+1, but when I don't win, how much to buy one?

Author:  Phillip Patton [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

cphanna wrote:
Phillip, I see you are making a tanged chisel this time. I've been wondering up to this point whether it would have a tang or a socket. If you have also made socket chisels, would you post a few pictures? I'd be very curious to know whether you would forge or lathe a socket. Many thanks for this excellent demonstration.
Patrick



I haven't made any socket chisels yet. If I did, I'd probably try to forge it close to shape, and use a guide for grinding and filing the rest of the way.

theguitarwhisperer wrote:
If I don't win one how much to just buy one?


About $175. :)

Thanks everybody else for your comments, and I'm glad to facilitate a walk down memory lane, Filippo. :)

Author:  Phillip Patton [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

Ok, time to get working on the handle (actually, I made the handle a couple weeks ago, it's just easier for me talk in the present tense ;) ).

I'm making this handle out of scraps of knife handle wood I had laying around. Arizona desert ironwood and african blackwood.

First step is to clamp the pieces in the four jaw chuck on my lathe:

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and drill all the way through one piece, and most of the way through the other:

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I'm using a piece of bronze between the two pieces of wood to add contrast and to keep them lined up right:

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Author:  Phillip Patton [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

Now the pieces are all glued together (using CA):

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then ground clean:

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Then I hog off the material where the ferrule will be using the bandsaw:

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Then chuck it up in the lathe again and turn it round:

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Author:  Phillip Patton [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

Now for the ferrule. I'm making it out of bronze also, and the only turning stock I had was 1.5" diameter. But, it was partly turned down to size from a previous project. [:Y:]

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Now the ferrule is cut off, and glued to the handle blank:

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And the handle starts to get shaped:

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Author:  Phillip Patton [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

Initially, I shaped it with a thumb stop:

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but didn't like the way it felt, so I ground it off. The spacer in the handle is a different kind of bronze than the ferrule, and is very hard to machine, so all the shaping after the above pics, were done free hand on the belt grinder.

After rough shaping, it was sanded with slack belts through 600 grit, then buffed:

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Tomorrow, I'm hoping I'll be able to heat treat the blade.

Author:  Jaybird840 [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

It's so amazing to me to watch people with real talent. Were I to win the chisel, it would become one of my prized possessions. What a work of art!!!

Author:  weslewis [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

that is so cool!!!!! looks great!! [:Y:]

Author:  Tony_in_NYC [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Chisel build thread

So nice!

Author:  Darryl Young [ Sun Aug 12, 2012 10:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Chisel build thread

I can't believe I just now seen this thread. Thanks so much for posting this step by step tutorial. I've enjoyed it very much!

Author:  Marcus [ Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

There needs to be a knife-making subform. I could look at pictures like this all day long.

...or I could just go find a knife makers forum. Bah, like I need another forum to go to.

Author:  WudWerkr [ Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

That is beautifull work Phillip . This is by far the best thread of the challenge LOL

Author:  Phillip Patton [ Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

Well, I didn't get around to heat treating until Friday, because I wanted to get a bunch of knife blades ready to do at the same time, to conserve energy. So here's the chisel:

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and here are the knives I did:

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The gray coating you see is anti scale compound. It protects the surface from the effects of oxygen at high temps.


Here it is after quenching. The steels I used for the chisel are shallow hardening, so require a fast quenchant. Traditionally, this was done in the urine of a red headed virgin, but it's hard to find virgins nowadays, so I use a quench oil designed for fast steels. It's almost as fast as water, but without the risk of cracking, which would be very disgusting this far along...

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After tempering, which is done twice at 350 degrees for a couple hours, it's back to the grinder to clean up the grinds, trying to make everything symmetrical and straight:

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I finished up on the grinder with 240 grit, then went to 400 grit by hand:

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Author:  Phillip Patton [ Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

Then into the etching tank. I etch in ferric chloride. I like a fairly weak solution, because I think it looks nicer to do many slow etches, with light sanding in between, than to do a couple deep etches.

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I etch for 10 minutes, and here's how it looks:

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Then sand with 600 grit, etch for 10 more minutes, then buff with a fairly hard wheel and green chrome compound:

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Then etch for another 10 minutes, then it goes into the neutralizing bath, which is just water and baking soda.

Author:  WudWerkr [ Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Chisel build thread

I think you might make more money by building custom guitar chisels for luthiers ! Amazing work Phillip . [:Y:]

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