Blue-able steel guards

I

itrade

Joined
Jul 3, 2002
Messages
645
I saw a knife with a blued guard. Got inspired. Question is which steel? And where? I'd need a piece 1" x 1" x 1.5" to form the guard. And I don't have any means of heat treating.

Can I use annealed 5160? Then cut shape, polish, blue without a heat treat?

Or will I have to shape then heat treat, then polish and blue?

Recommendations please,

Steve
 
You can use 1018, plain old mild steel. I doesn't need to be heat treated. If you are planning on soldering the guard on, I would use cold blue afterwards. However, others may have better solutions.:D
 
heat treated o1, at least the particular blade I did this on, takes an almost black cold blue. and it gets that way quick. I actually have another knife I will be doing that way sometime here, after I spend some time grinding wood to get used to new grinder. But yeah, any non stainless steel will take a cold blue, at least in my experience.
 
For a cold blue try Birchwood Casey's Super Blue (not the Perma Blue). It was designed for touching up nickel steel barrels and is very aggressive. Best I've found so far. It is also great for oxidizing nickel and sterling.
Chuck
 
I use mild steel and nitreblue the guards. You can get a color range from yellows, browns, purples, to blues just by the temperature of the salts.

Before I blue the fittings I will very tightly fit the tang slot in the guard to the tang, I will then use JB Weld as a moisture sealant to protect the tang. I'm not trying to take credit for this method as several makers use it, but rather just letting you know about another option.

eba00244590f00000013.jpg
 
Nice bowie, which I believe will be for sale tomorrow at the St. Louis knife show. ;)
 
OK I've been shopping for 1018 - dang is that stuff cheap!

Does is polish OK?
C-Camerer, is that the same/similar to your mild-steel?

Are you sure it'll work OK cold rolled? (Soft enough to drill, cut --- hard enough to make a workable guard)


Steve

And I mean cheap - 5/8" x 1" by 66" for $7.50
 
Originally posted by itrade
OK I've been shopping for 1018 - dang is that stuff cheap!

Does is polish OK?
C-Camerer, is that the same/similar to your mild-steel?

Are you sure it'll work OK cold rolled? (Soft enough to drill, cut --- hard enough to make a workable guard)


Steve

And I mean cheap - 5/8" x 1" by 66" for $7.50
Click to expand...


1018 is mild steel, it polishes fine,should be no problem to work at all. It is hard enough to make a guard. Gotta figure, a lot of folks use brass, and nickel silver, 1018 is a lot harder than those.
 
The mild steel that I use is what can be bought at most any hardware store. I believe that it would probably be A-36 but that is just a guess. It works much easier thatn hardened steel but probably not as easily as nickel silver. If you've worked any 316 or 303 stainless you will probably find the mild steel a little easier to work.

Danbo, you are correct this will be at the St. Louis show bright and early tomorrow morning.:)
 
Steve-

Check you local scrap yard, you should be able to get any size or shape for about $0.20 a pound. That would make that 5/8 x 1 x 66 $2.34.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top