Post by Admin on Jan 30, 2015 0:17:08 GMT -5
(09:52:22 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exeter Metal Works ]
-Within the immense complex that has a large forge with several furnaces, a bright and open studio for sales and slave branding, and a well appointed office in the back...-
says to ALL: I wander into the Exeter Metal Works, having come down from my villa, Synneva still asleep after I kept her up late last night following my spar with Sy'lar. I knew that I had a large project that needed to be completed as soon as possible. I'd finally finished my drawings and had looked through all of my books on enameling and black steel in my library. I had notes in my pack that once I enter the Exeter Metal Works I set out on one of the work benches. I wave to Omega who is already at work this morning and I call over a couple of the thralls that take care of the furnaces to the one that I always used. I tell one of them to begin heating the fires by using the bellows and another one to tend to the coals and add some wood to the fire itself. I had a special project that needed to be done and so I begin to find the different core elements that I need. Selecting some of my best iron ore to start with and also some of the dark coke, which was burnt down wood that had been turned into pure carbon. I get out an obsidian trough which looked much like a ladle. This would be used to mix the steel first and then the glass enameling later. It was interesting to me that the glass would completely bind with the steel and make it one solid unit. I'd tried the process before on armor and it always seemed to be sturdy and impact resistant. This would give the final product a very unique texture though and would make it look exactly like the real Obsidian Collar of Minus. I fetch a mold, vice grips to clamp the mold together, and then some crushed black glass that I would melt for the enameling process. Once all of the materials that I need are collected I take off my cotton tunic and slide on my thick leather apron and heavy leather gloves. These would protect me a bit from the heat of the fires and keep me from burning myself, at least in some way. I glance back towards the furnace itself and I can see that the coals are burning hot, cool air from outside forced over the top of the coals through a billows to make them burn at a temperature much higher than regular wood could burn in that situation.
(10:01:05 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exeter Metal Works ]
-Within the immense complex that has a large forge with several furnaces, a bright and open studio for sales and slave branding, and a well appointed office in the back...-
says to ALL: In order to make the black steel that the base collar would be made out of, I needed to mix just the right amount of carbon, iron ore and other materials that would give it strength but would also turn the steel itself to a midnight black. Black steel was made in much the same way that regular steel was made, beyond adjusting the carbon mixture by adding extra coke from the fires. I have the ladle sitting out on the surface of the work bench, weighing out a specific amount of iron ore with a set of scales that I have on the edge of the work bench and dumping it into the obsidian trough, I then measure out the carbon base very carefully, along with some magnesium and a few other ingredients that would finalize the process. I was extremely careful with the amounts of each ingredient that I use. Finally satisfied that I would both have a perfect coloring of black steel and that I would have enough material for the collar itself I take the ladle and set it into the fires, yelling to the thralls to work harder or they would be sleeping outside this evening. They snap to it and start to both pump the billows and keep moving the coals around in the fire. The hottest coals would be from the wood that had burnt down considerably already, for this reason a rake was used to pull coals forward from the back of the fire to the front so that they could burn down more completely. It was already stiflingly hot in the forges, but the billows forcing air across the top of the coals made it even hotter. I set the trough with the carefully measured ingredients into the fires so that everything can start to melt down. Within a few moments I could see that the iron ore was starting to melt, I use a long steel rod to stir the mixture as it would have to homogenize before it was completed.
(10:09:19 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exeter Metal Works ]
-Within the immense complex that has a large forge with several furnaces, a bright and open studio for sales and slave branding, and a well appointed office in the back...-
says to ALL: I continue to let the mixture melt down, stirring it regularly to keep it mixed correctly. This takes a little while, the whole time I am watching it closely. The old adage that a watched pot never boils is true, but a pot of mixing and melting steel should not boil anyway. The mold was already clamped to the work bench which would give me two pieces that would then have a hinge and lock attached. The hinge and lock would be nearly seamless when everything was completed and the collar itself would look like an unbroken band. Finally satisfied that all the materials were melted and mixed I grab onto the steel pole that protrudes from one end of the obsidian trough that looks much like a ladle. I draw it from the fires of the forge and turn towards the mold that was clamped to the work bench. Pouring very slowly and carefully into the holes at the top of the mold to fill it up. Steam rises from the mixture as I pour it, a heat haze hanging over the mold as I fill each section to the correct level. My hands are steady in this process, it was so important to keep everything steady so that nothing was spilled since I made just the right amount of the steel. Once this is done I quench the obsidian ladle in the bucket of brine that is alongside the fires of the furnace, this cools the obsidian quickly and makes the leftover black steel flake off and settle to the bottom of the barrel of cool water. Steam rises again, this time smearing the soot that was already staining my face. Little runnels of sweat were also forming on my torso and dribbling over my arms and face leaving additional streaks of the soot. Fortunately, my hair is pulled back at the nape of my neck so that I do not catch it on fire or anything. I set the ladle to the side to be sued to melt the black glass for the enameling process in a little while and turn back towards the work bench, waiting for the steel inside of the mold to cool.
(10:20:23 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exeter Metal Works ]
-Within the immense complex that has a large forge with several furnaces, a bright and open studio for sales and slave branding, and a well appointed office in the back...-
says to ALL: I wait for the steel in the mold to cool, once it has been cooling for a sufficient time, not long enough for it to harden completely but long enough for it to harden most of the way, I crack the mold open to look inside. This point was always one of minor uncertainty, would the steel be the right color, would it have set the right way so that it would look like I wanted it to. I sigh in relief as the steel came out the perfect midnight black color that I was hoping for and also had set correctly in the mold. I pull each side of the collar out of the mold and look them over, holding them in my gloved hands as they were still hot enough to burn exposed flesh. I liked the look, now I would just need to take care of the rivet holes. I take one half of the collar first and pick it up with a pair of long steel tongs, turning to the fire I set first one end of the steel collar into the fires, letting it warm up for a while so that it would be hot enough for me to punch a rivet hole through. I turn back to the anvil, with a hammer and steel punch, setting the end of the collar against it and driving the steel punch through it, creating the perfect sized hole for the rivet. I would be putting the collar itself together before the enameling process so these rivets would essentially disappear from view. I then push the other end of this half of the collar back into the coals, allowing it to heat so that I could again drive the hole for the rivet. I repeat this process with the other half of the collar. I'd already selected the right locking mechanism, it would use a tumbler system and would have a long cylindrical key that would open the collar itself. I also had selected the black steel hinge that would draw the other two ends together and would disappear once the collar was closed. This would keep the collar easy to take on and off for when it was passed from one winner of the Obsidian Collar Challenge to the next. With all of the rivet holes punched I move on to the next step. Usually, I would both grind down the steel and then I would polish it, interestingly enough from my research, the enameling would bind to the steel better if I left the surface of the collar rough though, the small channels from the grinding process would give the enameling something to fuse with so that it would be nearly as strong as the steel itself.
(10:47:19 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exeter Metal Works ]
-Within the immense complex that has a large forge with several furnaces, a bright and open studio for sales and slave branding, and a well appointed office in the back...-
says to ALL: Now that the rivet holes have been placed and the collar had been formed I take the two pieces and step over to the grinding or whet stone wheel that I have on one side of my work area in the forge. The whet stone wheel is a large grinding wheel, it is maneuvered by using foot peddles to start the wheel turning and a pulley system to make the wheel spin much faster than it would by trying to turn it with my feet alone. I sit down into the seat and begin to pump the peddles, the wheel had a trough on the bottom that could be filled with honing oil if I was working with steel that I was trying to smooth down, in this case though I wanted to leave the steel rough so that it would easily accept the enameling process so I had the trough at the bottom empty. I begin to carefully grind the steel collar pieces back and forth over the incredibly fast moving stone. This causes sparks to fly everywhere, angled down somewhat so that most of them impact the front of the apron that I was wearing, but still small sparks were hitting exposed areas of my skin and burning little spots, because of this I already had thousands of small burn marks against my upper chest and upper arms, this would only leave a couple of new ones probably. I was watching so very carefully as I first grind off any burrs that were left from the molding process and then start to even out the collar itself, shaping it on the ends where the lock and hinge would sit so that they would end up disappearing when the collar itself was closed. This was accomplished by narrowing the edges just a bit, grinding them flat and then evening them out. I had black steel rivets that would sit into the collar itself to permanently bind the hinge and lock, once the enamel was covering the entire piece, even these would disappear leaving a smooth surface that would look much like the stone obsidian even though it was made from steel and enameled black glass. I would turn the collar this way and that, creating cross hatching grooves that would accept the enamel and let it permanently bond with the surface of the collar. Each time the steel of the collar touched the whet stone wheel the sparks would briefly illuminate my face, showing the great concentration that I was applying to this project.
(10:52:22 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exeter Metal Works ]
-Within the immense complex that has a large forge with several furnaces, a bright and open studio for sales and slave branding, and a well appointed office in the back...-
says to ALL: The grinding finally completed I stop moving the peddles of the stone wheel and get up from the seat that is in front of it, leather gloved hands rubbing over the steel, I felt as though it was in good enough shape at this point, I would not be buffing it so I took out a rep cloth and wipe it down carefully, making sure that I clean the steel as much as I possibly can, that would be very important for the enameling process. I then step back to the work bench, taking up the hinge for the collar and slotting it into place, I then clamp the two pieces of the collar into a vice to make sure that they would remain steady while I put in the rivets. One rivet was set. a steel block set under the collar and then I take up a steel punch and a hammer in my hands, with practiced ease I hit the end of the punch with the hammer, the other end of the punch pressing against the rivet, this expands the black steel rivet in the hole, permanently bonding one side of the hinge, I then do the same with the other side of the hinge. Now that this is done, I move on to the locking mechanism, slotting that home and clamping the collar down in a different position. Using the same process to expand the rivets in both holes. I take the collar up in my hands again after freeing it from the vice, testing that the lock was working correctly, using the key on it a few times and then testing the hinges both for strength and positioning. Satisfied that all was as it should be I begin with the next step of the process, well really the last step for all intents and purposes, the enameling which would give the surface the look of obsidian, which would create the perfect replica for the Obsidian Collar of Minus.
(11:04:54 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exeter Metal Works ]
-Within the immense complex that has a large forge with several furnaces, a bright and open studio for sales and slave branding, and a well appointed office in the back...-
says to ALL: Now that the collar was put together, and the steel was prepared I needed to move on to the enameling process. I had read a significant amount about how this was done but it would be my first attempt at actually doing it. I take several moments to look over my notes again, reading each section carefully as I would only get one shot at doing this and I wanted to be sure that it was perfect. Interestingly enough, since I did not want a perfectly mirror smooth surface, it would not be nearly as hard to do it. I would want to get the glass heated up to the right temperature, put it into a shallow basin and then sit the collar itself into the glass mixture for a certain amount of time until enough of it had bonded to the surface of the collar. I would then need to open the collar up to be sure that the glass did not harden over the hinge or the locking mechanism. I did need to keep the key in the keyhole, luckily I had more than one of them as this would ruin one of the keys, by keeping the key in the lock it would keep the glass from getting down into the locking mechanism, thereby protecting it from the enameling process. I move over to the place on the work bench where I have located a satchel of black glass, this was something that we had around the forge, enameling was often done on helms and on the hilts of swords but I thought perhaps this was the first time it had ever been done on a collar. I dump the crushed glass out into the obsidian trough that I was using earlier, using a gloved fingertip to even it out in the bottom of the trough before setting the ladle shaped trough into the fires of the furnace again so that the glass would melt into a consistent liquid. Once it was melted and drawn from the fire I would only have a very short window of opportunity to put the collar into it, let the glass harden just enough, and then take the collar from the enameling mixture and open it to make sure the hinge and lock were not fused closed by the process.
(11:21:18 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exeter Metal Works ]
-Within the immense complex that has a large forge with several furnaces, a bright and open studio for sales and slave branding, and a well appointed office in the back...-
says to ALL: It does not take all that long for the silicate particles that make up the glass to melt, I add a few other ingredients off the chart that I had one one of my pages of notes that would make the glass both stronger and more likely to bond with the steel of the base collar. I wait until the ingredients are mixed and the glass has melted completely, setting the black steel collar into the basin that I was going to use, it was just a little bit larger than the collar itself, it would still take a significant amount of the melted glass to completely cover the collar in this basin but I had prepared enough of the glass to be sure that it would create the desired effect. The large ladle of the bubbling melted mixture is now sitting on the coals of the fire. I pull it from the fire and turn towards the basin, dumping the melted glass into the basin until it completely covers the collar itself. I then quench the trough in the same way I did with the steel, causing the glass to flake off and settle to the bottom of the water. I start counting in my head, the collar needed to be submerged in the glass for about 200 beats of my heart. I watch it, resisting the urge to stir the mixture or anything, trusting that the research I had done would turn out to be what I wanted. I then finally reach into the midnight black melted glass and draw forth the collar, noting that it has a perfect coating of the glass, only perhaps a millimeter thick, but plenty thick enough to create the effect that I wanted to do with the enameling. Before the glass could harden completely I crack the collar open, careful not to break the glass itself, but also not wanting the entire piece to fuse closed permanently. I remove the glass coated key and set it to the side for disposal later, the collar hanging open as the rest of the glass cools and hardens, permanently bonding on a molecular level with the rough ground exterior of the steel collar that was serving as a substrate.
(11:28:59 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exeter Metal Works ]
-Within the immense complex that has a large forge with several furnaces, a bright and open studio for sales and slave branding, and a well appointed office in the back...-
says to ALL: I held the collar aloft until the glass enameling had bonded and cooled completely. I then set the collar down and remove my gloves, running my fingertips over the collar, checking for any burrs that might cut the throat of someone that was wearing it. Finding none and deeming the collar worthy of the replacement for the famous Obsidian Collar of Minus, I carefully wipe it down, buffing the surface with a soft cloth so that it shone. The black steel underneath and the enameling on the outside made the collar seem to almost glow in the low light in the forge. I knock the collar against the surface of the workbench, making sure that the glass would not crack and that it was bonded in the way that I had read about with the enameling process. It was perfect, a completed project that would serve as trade for one of the most valuable things I'd ever traded for. I carefully slide the new replica of the Obsidian Collar of Minus into a leather satchel, then I put the leather satchel into my pack, from there I would deliver it to the Administrator of Minus in the very near future. I felt good about the final product and I hoped that he would feel the same, none would ever know that this was not the original. I'd had ownership of the original for some time and knew exactly what it looked like, this would simply not be able to be distinguished from the real thing which could now be put into a safe place so that it would never again leave the Town of Minus. I remove my apron and pull on my tunic again. I was covered in soot, quite filthy really from working for this long in the heat of the forge and in front of the furnace that was still blasting heat. I tell the thralls that they can take a break for the remainder of the day since they did such a good job for me with this project and then I leave the Exeter Metal Works, to return to my villa and see if Synneva was there. I would return to town later in search of Cimber so that I could deliver the final product.