annealing question

C

csizma

Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Messages
5
I have started the process of making a knife from an old file, and read about the necessity of annealing. However, I can easily work on the file, as it is now. Is this a bad sign? Does this mean it's useless? If not, do I still have to anneal it?
 
What tools are you working it with? Modern abrasives will cut hardened steel but will wear/dull much faster than if you were working with annealed steel, and will not remove metal nearly as fast.
 
I tried a cheap hacksaw, cuts into it very easily. I forgot to mention that this is a rasp, made for working with wood. Could this be the reason for the softer material?
 
csizma said:
I tried a cheap hacksaw, cuts into it very easily. I forgot to mention that this is a rasp, made for working with wood. Could this be the reason for the softer material?
Click to expand...

The reason for the softer material is that it is probably crap steel. You should not be able to cut any rasp with a cheap hacksaw

_page
 
Hey, Welcome to BF. BTW fill out your profile and read the stickies. It will help you to ask intelligent questions, and cut down on the number of the same questions we answer every week

-Page
 
If you can cut it with a hacksaw then it is junk as a rasp and would likely be junk as a blade no matter what you do to it. A Nicholson metal file is about the only file I would suggest for making file knives. They are fairly consitent in their alloys and are therefore as easy to HT as you can ask for in recycled steel. Anything else and you risk putting sweat and blood into junk, IMO. Unless you just want practice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top