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mpj13

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Oct 5, 2001
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Tomarrow I am planning on heat treating my first knife. Please help with a few quick questions. I have the blade ground down to what it should be, I left a dull some what thick edge on it to preven the edge from being too thin, I started to sand it down with 60 grit sand paper, I am sanding handle to point. The problem is I can see a lot of vertical scratches, spine to edge, I tried to file it down again with a single cut file, it make it look like they are taken away but then I sand it down again and the vertical lines are still there. Is this normal for 1084? 1084 have a heavy grain patter? The only thin I can think is I either went hog wild when I used the double cut side of my file or the grain is heavy. When I heat and quench the knive will the grain get tighter and smoother looking after I sand it down?

Thanks for any advice on this. I don't want to harden the knife if the scratches should not be there. Maybe I just need to keep sanding away. I have sanded a lot though. I appreciate any help.
 
If the scratches are not in the cutting edge you should be fine...But you will eventually have to rub those scratches out and it is easier while the steel is normalized or annealed versus fully heat treated..
No this doesn't sound like grain,but scratches that you may have gotten by some steel getting caught in the file teeth when cutting the bevels and thus creating some deep scratches..
Hope this helps,
Good Luck,
Bruce
 
When I first started out with knifemaking I used a handheld drill with a flat rubber sanding disc, a can of elmers spray on glue and several different grits of sandpaper when removing scratches after grinding.Buy the sandpaper in sheets and cut to fit your disc, its cheaper than buying premade sanding disc sheets, start with a 120, after grinding and then go to a 220 to remove the 120 scratches, just be careful of the cutting edge, if you have it very thin it will cut and tear up you sanding disc if you try sanding it the wrong direction. Always run the disc turning from spine to cutting edge, you can clean a blade up pretty fast this way and sand it after heat treating to clean all the scale off, just don't get to aggressive and get it real hot. Good Luck

Bill
 
You aren't telling how you are filing. Make sure you clean the file after each stroke with a file card. (Final passes) this helps a lot. After that, it's good old elbow grease. Don't try to do it all at once. I would suggest you put off the heat treating until it's right. It will only be harder after it's hardened. Take it to 220 grit then heat treat and finish after it's tempered. Good luck. We've all been where you are.
 
I took a look at my file after seeing these posts and it lookes like it might have some scratches in the file itself, I'm not totaly sure, but I cleaned the file off and it still left marks on the blade. I was able to use my dremel and hand sand paper to get the major marks out, now it looks fine. I will be getting a flat disc sander soon, I just wanted to hurry up and start making my knife, once I get it that will help a lot.

My next step is heat treating. I will try and use a propane torch but it seems like it wont get that hot, I'm not sure. I may just build a fire and do it that way or use a grill with charcole. Any advice on these methods?

I have really had a lot of fun so far making this knife, it is fun to run into problems and then find out how to deal with it and then take care of it. I can't wait until it is finished. Thanks a lot.
 
Get a MAPP gas torch to heat treat. I heated my first blade with a propane torch and it took forever. I bought a MAPP gas torch for my second one and it brought the blade to non-magnetic in a bout 1/3 of the time. They cost just a little more than a propane torch.
 
Originally posted by samhell
Get a MAPP gas torch to heat treat. I heated my first blade with a propane torch and it took forever. I bought a MAPP gas torch for my second one and it brought the blade to non-magnetic in a bout 1/3 of the time. They cost just a little more than a propane torch.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I tried to anneal a spare piece of steel, and it took a while. I allready have a propane torch coul I just buy the MAPP tank and screw the torch I allready have onto the new tank? Sorry I'm not familiar with a MAPP torch so I don't how the torch will fit on it. Thanks.
 
I think the torches are a little different so you will prolly have to buy a new torch. The one I bought was around $35 for the torch and bottle. I believe the refill bottles were around $7. I've seen them in Wal-Marts, Lowes, Home Depot etc... Not too hard to find.
 
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