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Viking wire inlay

by ben potter on April 28, 2009

Table of Contents
intro: Viking wire inlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 1: Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 2: Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 3: Test piece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 4: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 5: Engraving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 6: Engraving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 7: Under cutting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 8: Under cutting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 9: Under cutting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 10: Under cutting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 11: Forming the wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 12: Forming the wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 13: Inlaying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 14: Inlaying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 15: Inlaying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 16: Inlaying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 17: Inlaying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 18: Inlaying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 19: Making the wire twists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 20: Inlaying the twists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 21: Blade after inlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 22: Fileing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 23: Finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

step 24: Finished . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

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http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-wire-inaly/

intro: Viking wire inlay

Wherein Ben endeavors to explain one of his methods for inlaying non-ferrous metals into steel for knives and swords.

step 1: Layout
The first step is to mark the pattern on the steel. I like to do the layout in pencil.
Then I go over it in pen.

step 2: Tools
The gravers I use are (top to bottom): 1/8in flat, 1/16in flat, 3/64in flat, 1/16in V graver, knife graver, and round punch. For most of the work I drive the gravers with a
hammer.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-wire-inaly/

step 3: Test piece

This shows the test piece that I did to try the techniques for this blade. Doing a test piece allows you to make sure that all your tools and materials will work with each
other.

step 4:
Here is the clamp set-up I use to hlt the piece. The 2x2in oak board is held in the vice and the C-clamps hold the blade. I use a towel for padding to help prevent
scratching and to further secure the blade

step 5: Engraving
I use the 1/8in graver to cut the channel for the twisted wire border. Different patterns can be achieved by varying the depth of the cut.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-wire-inaly/

step 6: Engraving
Next, using the V-graver, I engrave the trinity knot and herringbone lines.
I cut the runes using the 3/64in flat graver.

step 7: Under cutting

All the areas to be inlayed must be undercut or the inlay will work loose. I do this on the longer lines with the knife graver held at an angle. The finished channel should
look like this /_\.

step 8: Under cutting

For the shorter lines I use one of the flat gravers to undercut the edges. The undercutting is the most critical part of the process. Done right, the rest is easy and the wires
fly into the grooves. Done wrong, the wires will not stick and must be scraped out and the undercut redone.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-wire-inaly/

step 9: Under cutting

The undercut notches on the bottom of the wider channels help lock the wires down.

step 10: Under cutting

Here is the blade with all the under cutting done.

step 11: Forming the wires

For the runes I first draw the wires out and square them. I use pliers
for this because I don't have a draw plate.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-wire-inaly/

step 12: Forming the wires

Here you can see the wire drawn to the proper width. All wires must be
annealed to dead soft by heating up to red and quenching in water.

Image Notes
1. The squared wires should fit tightly into the channels.

step 13: Inlaying

The wires must fit very closely or gaps will be visible in the finished piece

step 14: Inlaying

I use the 1/8in graver to cut the wires to size.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-wire-inaly/

step 15: Inlaying

For the dot inlays I form a bead on the end of the wire using a torch.

step 16: Inlaying

Then I hammer them into place with a flat-end punch.

step 17: Inlaying

Then I hammer them into place with a flat-end punch. Then once they are fixed I cut the wire and hammer them down all the way.

Image Notes
1. Start hammering on the end of the wire untill it is firmly fixed.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-wire-inaly/

Image Notes
1. Wire cut and ready to be hammered in.

step 18: Inlaying

For lines with sharp corners it helps to work from the corners out.

step 19: Making the wire twists

This is my set-up for twisting the wires. They must be annealed several times during the twisting and again at the end before inlaying them. It also helps to square them.

step 20: Inlaying the twists

The two sets of twisted wires must be inlayed at the same time. Setting about a half-inch at a time helps keep them even. By changing the alignment of the twists different
patterns can be formed.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-wire-inaly/

step 21: Blade after inlay

Here is the blade after all the wires have been inlayed.

step 22: Fileing

I then file off most of the extra metal being careful not to scratch the blade.

step 23: Finishing

Finally the inlay is taken down flush with the rest of the blade using 220gt sand paper and a hardwood sanding block.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-wire-inaly/

step 24: Finished

Here is the finished inlay polished to 1000 grit and a shot of the reverse side of the blade.
Thanks for looking.
You can see pictures of the finished knife on my website
FIERCE FRIEND SEAX GALLERY PAGE
http://www.seekyee.com/Bladesmithing/past%20work/fiercefriend/fiercefriend.htm
BEN POTTER, BLADESMITH
http://www.seekyee.com/Bladesmithing/index/index.htm

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Comments
32 comments Add Comment

Turnpike7a says:

Apr 29, 2009. 5:54 PM REPLY

good article, but very evasive for beginners, you mention nothing about treating the metal prior to your work. you make it seem like you use a hunk of metal
off the shelf, you cannot just take a piece of steel and start carving on it with a set of files without softening it to work with

jtobako says:

Apr 29, 2009. 4:51 PM REPLY

Would be nice if you went into more detail about how to sharpen the gravers, which parts of the knife are soft and hard, HOW you vary the depth, the
punches for hammering the wire in...
It makes a nice slide show, but the details on how to do it right are missing : (
BTW, there are ways to cut the excess off the top of the inlayed wire without using a file : )

instructables4ever says:

Apr 29, 2009. 4:15 PM REPLY

Wow. That looks incredible great work and great instructable. :)

jdtwelve12 says:

Apr 29, 2009. 1:58 PM REPLY

I am at a loss for superlatives. Simply beautiful workmanship. The exacting detail in this piece bespeaks the tremendous reverence with which it was made. I
commend your ability to make tangible that devotion, and I heartily recommend the author's web site to anyone who feels similarly.

Kaelessin says:

Apr 29, 2009. 2:26 PM REPLY

agreed! I'm absolutely speechless!

l96470fps says:
at step 21 i thought you had ruined the knife, then i saw that you were gonna file it down and sand it great job!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-wire-inaly/

Apr 29, 2009. 1:07 PM REPLY

tgrundle says:

Apr 29, 2009. 11:40 AM REPLY

Yes thank you. This picture shows the detail much better. Thats some great work.

holyfire says:

Apr 28, 2009. 6:16 PM REPLY

Great 'ible, but what do the characters on the blade mean?

ben potter says:

Apr 29, 2009. 8:24 AM REPLY

The Runes on the blade say, "Fierce friend" in double reference to the dragons on the reverse and the seax being a friend to its owner.

mightywombat says:

Apr 28, 2009. 7:42 PM REPLY

It spells "Fierce Friend" phonetically in viking runes. Literally it says FIRS FREND, but ancient Norse doesn't have all the letter we have in modern
English, so you have to make do.

UltraMagnus says:

Apr 29, 2009. 1:58 PM REPLY

so, the ancient Norse people used text speak? who knew languages travelled in cycles!

mightywombat says:

Apr 29, 2009. 2:21 PM REPLY

The ancient Hebrews didn't use vowels either, so yeah.

Rabarbervin says:

Apr 28, 2009. 8:13 PM REPLY

Fierce Friend...

mightywombat says:

Apr 29, 2009. 2:21 PM REPLY

And actually the letters you have there are not quite standard. There's an M-shaped rune called "eolh" for E, and one called "dagaz" which looks
like an hourglass on its side that are different from the runes you used for those letters. The alphabet for this language developed so rapidly and
in so many isolated places that there are many similar alphabets with subtle and interesting differences.

mightywombat says:

Apr 29, 2009. 2:16 PM REPLY

Some younger futhark alphabets actually have a rune for "c" or "CW" called "cweorth" but it's more of a Middle Norse invention.

RocketScientist2015 says:

Apr 28, 2009. 6:37 PM REPLY

Iz runes!

tgrundle says:

Apr 29, 2009. 6:13 AM REPLY

Nice work. Do you have a closer picture of the finished work? I would like to see how the twisted wire looks and the detail around the trinity up close.

ben potter says:

Apr 29, 2009. 8:21 AM REPLY

I have more pictures on my website there is a link at the end of the instructable.

PKM says:

Apr 29, 2009. 6:44 AM REPLY

Ditto- I'd love to see a close macro (like step 19/20) of the finished article. If you don't have a light tent yet that would probably give you some fantastic
pictures.

ben potter says:

I added a step showing a close up of the finished blade (both sides)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-wire-inaly/

Apr 29, 2009. 10:27 AM REPLY

maruawe says:

Apr 29, 2009. 7:35 AM REPLY

Very nice work

Stew2 says:

Apr 29, 2009. 4:34 AM REPLY

Wow! That is beautiful! Awesome instructible :).

ironsmith says:

Apr 28, 2009. 6:05 PM REPLY

im not sure exactly what undercutting means could you recomend a website on engraving with a little more detail on the subject. Nice instructable !!!

mightywombat says:

Apr 28, 2009. 7:48 PM REPLY

You have to make the bottom edge of the cut wider than the top level so that when you tap the wire in it forms out at the bottom and is held in, rather
than just falling out.

mightywombat says:

Apr 28, 2009. 7:45 PM REPLY

It's beautiful. I may try something like this with my hammer, but since it is hardened tool steel i don't know if it will grave very easily.

RocketScientist2015 says:

Apr 28, 2009. 6:37 PM REPLY

Much coolness!

tubbychick3n says:

Apr 28, 2009. 3:52 PM REPLY

Are any of these knives up for sale? If so, how much?

ben potter says:

Apr 28, 2009. 4:58 PM REPLY

Yes, here are the knives I have for sale:

BEN POTTER BLADESMITH AVAILABLE PAGEhttp://www.seekyee.com/Bladesmithing/available/available.htm

mynameisjonas says:

Apr 28, 2009. 4:08 PM REPLY

thats amazing! where do you get those tools?

ben potter says:

Apr 28, 2009. 4:56 PM REPLY

Some of the tools I used in this tutorial came from otto frei and the rest I made.

Father Christmas says:

Apr 28, 2009. 3:52 PM REPLY

Wow. That is absolutely amazing.

scoochmaroo says:
Beautiful!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-wire-inaly/

Apr 28, 2009. 3:42 PM REPLY