R
Ruppe
To what grade of wet or dry to you take the blade before heat treating? 220? 240? 320? 400? etc..
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Blade Finish Question
- Thread starter ShadedDude
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 5, 1998
- Messages
- 286
I'd go to 400...it is better to get as many scratches out as possible before you make the steel really really hard...mainly because after wards...the scratches are really really hard.
just my 2 nickles.
just my 2 nickles.
- Joined
- Oct 4, 1998
- Messages
- 427
Well it all depends on what you are going to finish it to after the heat treatment. When I am planning on a mirror polish, I mirror polish the blank before heat treatment. If I am planning a bead blasted blade, i take the blank to a 400 satin to remove all the scratches before heat treat, so all I have to do is get it back and blast it again. For a hand rubbed finish, i take it to mirror polished and then heat treat, and when the blade is ready I will take it backwards through the grits to get to the hand rubbed finish that i am looking for..
Alan..
Alan..
- Joined
- Dec 14, 1998
- Messages
- 4,870
Not unless its a deep scratch Joe I mean really deep . Then its a very slim chance that it will crack.
As Alan above.. I take the damascus to about a 600 grit finish . On the stainless with satin finish I take it to the finish Im going to..Just to get the scratchs out. I most often grind the stailess after heat treat a bit. The carbons I finish and heat treat in a salt bath. The warpage and oxidation are very small on carbon steels for me ..
As for the stainless and carbon procedures.. If you dont have a salt bath.. You can heat treat in a foil pouch. Spray a little wd 40 in the bag to stop oxidation. Same with the carbon if you dont have a salt bath place a wire on the blade , put it in a pouch, spray wd 40 in it .. (just a very little bit) bring to critcal temp , Get two pairs of pliers and gloves. Then yank the blade out and into the oil.. This take some practice and the way you fold the bag ends is the trick. THIS WORKS very well.. stops the crude and allows you to semi finish the blade.
As Alan above.. I take the damascus to about a 600 grit finish . On the stainless with satin finish I take it to the finish Im going to..Just to get the scratchs out. I most often grind the stailess after heat treat a bit. The carbons I finish and heat treat in a salt bath. The warpage and oxidation are very small on carbon steels for me ..
As for the stainless and carbon procedures.. If you dont have a salt bath.. You can heat treat in a foil pouch. Spray a little wd 40 in the bag to stop oxidation. Same with the carbon if you dont have a salt bath place a wire on the blade , put it in a pouch, spray wd 40 in it .. (just a very little bit) bring to critcal temp , Get two pairs of pliers and gloves. Then yank the blade out and into the oil.. This take some practice and the way you fold the bag ends is the trick. THIS WORKS very well.. stops the crude and allows you to semi finish the blade.