[TheForge] Oregon fusion blades

[James Binnion]

Except they say they are not adding a layer to the edge in the blurb.  
The quote is


> The manufacture of these blades includes an exclusive electrofusion  
> process that
> makes the cutting edges extra hard and tough. The process does not  
> add a layer to the blade, it
> alters the molecular structure of the steel and becomes an integral  
> part of the blade along its
> cutting edge.

This almost sounds like some kind of ion implantation process but that  
seems like a lot of money for just a lawnmower blade. Of course the  
information comes from a press release that is full of weasel words so  
who knows for sure. They claim to have a patent pending which should  
be searchable on the USPTO database but you need to know something to  
identify the inventor or patent owner or other info that would allow  
you to find it.



James Binnion
jbin at well.com



On Aug 10, 2009, at 6:56 PM, Keziah's Forge wrote:

> Good thought. I realised thats' the principal behind my suggestion of
> hardfacing: air quenching.  The term fusion suggests to me that  
> there is a
> combination of metals involved.  Hence, using ordinary steel for the  
> body of
> the blade and air-queched for the edge.  ANd sharpen it as muchas  
> you want:
> the sharpening would never soften it. no matter what the heat.   
> Betchaa
> that's it
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Spencer" <mspencer at tallships.ca>
> To: <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 2:19 AM
> Subject: [TheForge] Re: Oregon fusion blades
>
>
>>
>> PF wrote:
>>
>>> ...or maybe, like case hardened knives the harder surface would then
>>> be self sharpening.
>>
>> I have this vague recollection of seeing something about a system
>> where the sharpening process hardened the workpiece at the edge.  Say
>> you use air-hardening steel for a blade and heat-treat the piece for
>> maximum toughness.  Then if you (re)sharpen it with a power tool with
>> just the right grit at just the right speed, you'll bring the edge to
>> the critical temp and as it air-cools, it will harden. Just at the
>> very edge where the temp got high enough.
>>
>> Obviously not for collector knives or luthier's chisels but for mower
>> blades, pulpwood shredders and such industrial stuff, it might be a
>> good trick.
>>
>> I suppose to get the "just right", you'd need a mechanized grinder.
>> Just whacking it by hand with the angle grinder or flap wheel would
>> give unpredictable results unless the metallurgy wonks discovered a
>> very forgiving alloy.
>>
>> Digression: after seeing what *real* sharpening means, watching a guy
>> in a paper mill sharpen a 10' paper-shear blade and watching techs in
>> a hospital research lab sharpen microtome blades, I just sharpen my
>> pocket knife with a smooth file.  Perfection is just out of my
>> reach. :-)
>>
>>
>> - Mike
>>
>> -- 
>> Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~.
>>                                                          /V\
>> mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
>> http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^
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