Hi, I'm designing my very first slipjoint knife which I plan to make over the next few weeks. I'm basing the design on a whittling knife I own, which has a thin blade (1.3 mm thick), making it better for whittling. I've found some O1 tool steel in 1.5mm and 2mm thicknesses, and want to go with the 1.5mm to get as close to the whittling knife as I can. On forums I've seen people say that 2mm is considered a thin slipjoint knife, so is it a good idea for me to go with 1.5mm thick steel for the blade and spring, or should I choose a thicker material?
To what extent should I bevel the blade before heat treating it? I've seen answers varying from 0.5mm to 1.5mm edge thickness, and want to avoid making the edge too thin in case it warps/ cracks/ etc.
I'm planning to temper the spring with the blade in a 200C oven, and then use a blowtorch after it has cooled to get it to a blue colour. I've seen people let the spring cool in air and quench it after heating the spring. Is there any major difference between quenching it in oil or letting it cool in air? Should this process be repeated a few times, or just done once?
Are there any general design rules when it comes to placing the centre pin on the spring? My spring is 100mm and has two pins, so how far from tang should the first pin be (since I assume this will affect the tension in the spring), or does it not matter too much? Currently it's placed 50mm from the tang.
I know there's probably dozens of opinions on each of the question I asked but I would appreciate a few pointers as I finalise the design.
Thanks
To what extent should I bevel the blade before heat treating it? I've seen answers varying from 0.5mm to 1.5mm edge thickness, and want to avoid making the edge too thin in case it warps/ cracks/ etc.
I'm planning to temper the spring with the blade in a 200C oven, and then use a blowtorch after it has cooled to get it to a blue colour. I've seen people let the spring cool in air and quench it after heating the spring. Is there any major difference between quenching it in oil or letting it cool in air? Should this process be repeated a few times, or just done once?
Are there any general design rules when it comes to placing the centre pin on the spring? My spring is 100mm and has two pins, so how far from tang should the first pin be (since I assume this will affect the tension in the spring), or does it not matter too much? Currently it's placed 50mm from the tang.
I know there's probably dozens of opinions on each of the question I asked but I would appreciate a few pointers as I finalise the design.
Thanks
