Stew’s Stuff.

[Stew]

I haven’t managed any real knifework since moving into this house. A bit of sheath work but diy and a lack of suitable workspace has had anything else on hold.



A few weeks back I brought a box home from work. Finally got round to having a sort through it today. This was put into store, as is, a couple of years ago.

A box of rusty sludge!



In actual fact a box of knives in a molasses mix. I was concerned that they would all have rusted away if the molasses had given up the ghost so had been putting it off.

The first dig through was promising. Lots of sludge but blades there. Some stuck together, lumps of crud - lots of rinsing and flushing!



Finally all tipped out:

And then some more rinsing and scrubbing.



They’ve come up well.

Most of these had a full coating of rust following the salt bath heat treat. Wasn’t happy about getting it cleared so tried a few things over the years. The blades where they’ve all but disappeared on the handles are from where I tried a vinegar soak and forgot them!



How good does this wrought iron look!!!

All lined up but then realised that they’ll probably rust up quite quickly again without some other treatment so I’ve made a fresh molasses batch up and dropped them all back in.

Maybe a few more years yet??

 

[Nice65]

Blimey, some nice ones in there. I like those cleaver type ones top left, 3 in.

WTF are the scissors made out of!

 

[Stew]

I’m guessing the scissors are plated as the inner face is black as the other blades. I don’t recall where they were found but they were quite a mess. It’ll take a bit of cleaning up to get them back but hopefully worth it.

As to the others, a number of the blades that are squared off are to leave the potential to have a different blade shape (laser cut blanks). I think the one you note is my version of a breacher bar.

 

[Greg]

The squared off ones look roughly the right size and shape for blade sports?

 

[Fast but dim]

Come on...educate me.

Why the molasses?

 

[Stew]

The squared off ones look roughly the right size and shape for blade sports?

I missed replying to this before - a little bit small! The blades on that are maybe 4 - 5 “. Think EOD breacher bar but more ergonomic.

 

[Stew]

Come on...educate me.

Why the molasses?

I will then.

It’s called chelating / chelation.

Basically ‘stuff’ in the molasses bonds with the iron oxide and detaches it from the blades.

 

[bushwacker]

I will then.

It’s called chelating / chelation.

Basically ‘stuff’ in the molasses bonds with the iron oxide and detaches it from the blades.

Cheleated iron or sequestered iron is added to the soil to help acid loving plants like rhododendrons and azaleas when they are planted in the wrong soil and showing signs of chlorosis ( yellowing leaves) Sequestrene is the common brand

 

[MaC]

Chelating cannonballs.....all 1,248 of them from the Mary Rose......well, rusting problems thereof.

https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/142775/1/2021seifertjphd.pdf

 

[Stew]

Cheleated iron or sequestered iron is added to the soil to help acid loving plants like rhododendrons and azaleas when they are planted in the wrong soil and showing signs of chlorosis ( yellowing leaves) Sequestrene is the common brand

I pored the waste water on my lawn where the moss is getting out of hand. I thought I remembered that moss doesn’t like iron so thought it might push it back a bit.

 

[bushwacker]

sulphate of iron mixed with sand is sold as lawnsand. It will turn the moss black.

 

[Greg]

I missed replying to this before - a little bit small! The blades on that are maybe 4 - 5 “. Think EOD breacher bar but more ergonomic.

Ah, fair enough

 

[Stew]

Ah, fair enough

I have got some bladesports chopper blanks somewhere. Great fun!

 

[Stew]

The squared off ones look roughly the right size and shape for blade sports?

Moved the blanks to some oil so got a pic:

 

[Nice65]

I have got some bladesports chopper blanks somewhere. Great fun!

Be good to see them ground and handled. Always thought one of them would be better than a billhook for cutting the walking sticks years ago. That was pre Skrama days, and I nearly ground the hook off my Fiskars as an experiment but thought it would lose necessary weight at the tip for a hard swing.

 

[Greg]

Moved the blanks to some oil so got a pic:

That’s neat!

 

[Stew]

After fitting my new garage door last weekend, I had chance to do some sorting and have come across some(!) knives. I doubt I’ll be back at any real making any time soon but there a few I might consider working on.



This one is quite a significant knife for me. The blade was the first handmade piece I ever bought, along with a blacksmiths one piece knife, direct from Trond.



I’ve made quite a few knives by now but for this one, it is at least the third attempt at a handle. The first was way too ambitious for a first attempt though I think I could have rescued it now. The second suffered a split and this one, I’ve taken too much off the rear!!



It’s cow bone for the bolster, yellow mallee burr for the spacer and ironwood at the back.

I need to get the crayons out but I think I need to just commit to chopping a section off the back and sticking a bigger bit of something on. What that is, I’m not too sure.

To me, it needs to look different enough but not odd (I don’t have any more yellow mallee to match) I feel like I need some Mik-spiration! I bet he could make it work!

https://i.postimg.cc/jSsyZqtq/IMG-3845.jpg

 

[noddy]

That tight tail in the handle can work really well, Stew

 

[Stew]

It feels fine ina standard grip but just hurts my eyes. It needs a bit more swoop to the tail.