# Hamon - what paste/clay/cement



## Matus (Apr 30, 2018)

Hello,

I am about to try to make a blade with a hamon (125sc and 1.2442). The HT itself will be done by Achim Wirtz, but I need to coat the blade with some 'stuff'. 

I have got a special fire cement, but after a brief testing it seems to be way to coarse and once dry it has little mechanical stability. 

Then I have (just) mixed a more traditional clay from: powder clay, fine sand and a powder from charcoal. It would probably work, but the sand is again too coarse (the finest I could get - the grain size should be around 0.4 mm).

I am wondering - what other options I might have? I am located in Germany. I have zero experience with this kind of stuff.

Thanks in advance


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## Kippington (May 4, 2018)

I wish I had an answer for you, but I dodged clay altogether. The last thing I wanted to do was play around with mud in an already frustrating situation. I ended up mostly edge quenching and messing about with some quench plates.

Good luck, and let us know what happens!


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## Matus (May 4, 2018)

I actually got a tip directly from Achim - I should get a Diatomaceous earth - should be available at drugstore (or Amazon). Apparently it should be fine like a flour and work very well for this purpose


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## RDalman (May 4, 2018)

Water down the fire cement. Apply and cook it at 200 c and it will be very strong.


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## Matus (May 4, 2018)

Thank you Robin


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## Kippington (May 4, 2018)

Matus said:


> I actually got a tip directly from Achim - I should get a Diatomaceous earth - should be available at drugstore (or Amazon). Apparently it should be fine like a flour and work very well for this purpose



Have you seen what that stuff looks like under the microscope? Trippy sh1t!







I actually looked into getting some of this for the lamellar pearlitic anneal (i.e. burying a red hot blade in an insulating powder blanket), I didn't realize it could be used for clay. Did Achim mention how you would you get the powder to stick together in a paste without crumbling? Does it adhere/cure to itself?


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