[TheForge] Oregon fusion blades

[Peter Fels & Phoebe Palmer]

Aren't there electro-deposition processes that puts down a surface layer 
of  carbides?..In lieu of case hardening one face...might be it.

James Binnion wrote:
> 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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