Today is all about carving the bark.  Above, I’ve begun by using a small carbide bur to begin adding vertical development to my so far very flat bark.  Since the stainless steel scales aren’t terribly thick, I’ve chosen to cut away the top side and left side of each bark element (top and left seen as the image is oriented here).  That will leave the bottom edge and the right side at the original surface level.

Above

, I’ve come back with a smaller carbide bur and carved the top and left edges a bit deeper, and better defined the edges.  I want them to be fairly vertical.

Above, I followed up the tiny carbide bur with a much larger one.  I’ve done this to eliminate the tiny “scribbled” texture the tiny bur leaves.  The top image is unpatinated, and the lower image has had a quick patina added.  Notice how the patination really cuts the shine, and improves the appearance immensely.  It’s actually starting to look like bark now.

Of course, most tree bark has deep cracks separating the “elements.”  Above, I’ve come back with a Lindsay Detailing graver (96 degree V), followed by a small onglette to cut those deep lines.

The bark still looks too “defined” and sharp.  So, above, I’ve used a large and slightly rounded punch to “beat the bark into submission.”  You can see the face of the punch in the image.  I’ve also textured the face of the punch by hammering it lightly into a 600 grit diamond lap.  This grips the stainless steel better, causing it to move more efficiently, and leaves behind a nice, dull surface.  I’ve also concentrated on the edges of the bark elements to slightly round them over, and lower the very flat bottom and right edges in spots.

Above, this is a far as I’ll go today.  The two large areas with the original surface will end up as bark eventually, but I need to inlay the beetle antennae in gold first, followed by carving away the bark up to the edge of the gold inlays.

Thanks for looking!

Today, I carved the rotten wood at the back end of the scale.  Above, you can see the basic carving with small carbide burs.  The only direct engraving I’ve done at this point are the original cuts I made at the start, establishing an indelible pattern.

Above is the finished wood and knothole, both in the plain steel from the gravers and burs (top image) and after using my super-secret stainless steel patination process (Jax Silver Blackener, followed by Birchwood Casey Super Blue).

But, I’m not completely pleased with the rotting wood yet.  In the top image above, I’ve circled the area that I don’t like.  It just seems a little overworked, and the bottom edge looks more like a copy of the top edge.  In the image below, I’ve gone back and fixed that!  Much improved.

So , that’s enough for today.  Above, you can see where I got to, completing the right side of the beetle legs, and carving the rotten wood at the rear.

Thanks for looking!

Installing the Shibuichi Pocket Inlay

Today is all about getting the shibuichi inlay into the stainless steel scales.  As far as I’m concerned, this is the make it or break it phase.  If I should fail to get the inlay properly in place, that is probably the end of this knife scale.  There might be a second chance if I’m lucky, but even that would entail a LOT of extra work, so this is a very worrisome time.

Once the pocket was of sufficient depth and fit (side to side), I once again undercut the bottom edge, and then cut in a forest of tiny “hooks.”  Using a flat graver, I cut parallel lines running the length of the pocket, and then went back at 45 degrees and cut a second set of rows.  This left lots of tiny hooks on the bottom that the shibuichi beetle will catch not, helping to hold the inlay into place.  For a more in-depth look at cutting these hooks, take a look at my “Beneath the Blood Moon” Pendant.

I’ve annealed the shibuichi beetle once again, to ensure it is as soft as I can get it.  Above, I’ve used a small lead block and small hammer to seat the shibuichi inlay firmly into place. This little lead block works really well to provide a “dead blow” action, without marring the shibuichi inlay, causing the little hooks to dig into the shibuichi, and force the bottom of the shibuichi into good contact with the bottom of the inlay pocket, just in case it isn’t completely flat.  This little lead block hint comes courtesy of Ford Hallam, and you can see it in action in Part 1 (at 11:40) of his film Utsushi – In Search of Katsuhira’s Tiger  Be certain and watch Part 2 as well, it’s well worth the time.

Here’s a view from the side – notice the raised edges of the steel around the inlay.

Above, a view under the microscope.  I’ve used the punch you see in the photo to begin punching down the raised steel edges of the inlay pocket – I started at the top (between the two blue arrows), then moved to the bottom between the two blue arrows.  This locked the shibuichi into place in the center of the inlay pocket, so I could continue on around and punch down the rest of the raised edges down.

Above, I’ve finished punching down the edges.  The shibuichi is now completely locked into place.  To remove this inlay now would require destroying the inlay, or the scales, or both.

And, above, just because I wanted to before I stop for the day , I’ve used a carbide bur to roughly carve the beetle body to shape.

Thanks for looking!