A2 tool steel

m. wohlwend

m. wohlwend

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Has anyone used this steel for forged knives? I had about 20 lbs given to me, but it is in small round disks about 1/2 inch thick. I did some research and seems it can be forged as long as it is kept above 1850 degrees. Would it be worth the time and effort to forge it out?
 
A2 is great stuff, don't let it cool too much when forging, and treat it as an air hardening steel (cause it is), but oil quench is OK in my book too.
 
So what about grinding it after it is forged. Would you need to anneal it before using the grinder?
 
Fresh belts, and plenty of them, even after just forging due to the air hardening. I suggest shaping your tang with the grinder and drilling your pinholes BEFORE forging the blades, as you will be VERY hard pressed to drill them afterwards.
 
forging A2 almost seems a bit wasteful no? It's not a forging steel and is suppose to be heat treated in a controlled environment. kiln.
 
Well I don't think I would buy it to forge, more for a stock removal project, but this is in round disks about 7 inches across and almost 1/2 inch thick, already hardened, and it was FREE..:D. I was just wondering if it was worth the effort to forge it into something. Due to reading alot on this forum, I am trying to stear away from "mystery" steels. This is clearly marked from the machine shop " A2 tool steel".
 
I have forged A2 knives from round bar. It makes a great knife. Sam is dead on about not forging at too low temp. With round bar, or your disks, you can't do the tang and holes ahead of time. I normalize it a couple of times and grind, then drill the tang with carbide tile cutting bits with the drill press. You don't get too many holes per cutter, but if you buy them in larger packages, they are not too expensive.

It takes a lot of work to forge A2 from non-bar stock. It does not move as easily as the carbon steels and is somewhat stiffer than 52100 under the hammer.

I plate quench A2. I used to do it with oil, but with the plates it is clean and fast and I haven't much of any warping.
 
You can preheat at 1200-1250 F to reduce time at forging temperature .Do not forge under 1650 F !! As an air hardening steel cool in ashes to prevent hardening and do not normalize !
 
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