Check out what I bought

mattd

mattd

Joined
Oct 6, 2003
Messages
252
I wanted to run the list of stuff I bought online by all of my friends here just to see what kind of comments you guys have. I am just starting out, I haven't made a knife yet, one of the things I'm being told by the experts is just go for it. I will continue to read but am ready to dive in. I have a few kits on the way and will put atleast one together before I make a knife "from scratch." I got the bolsters by accident.

01 toolsteel 5/32 x 1-1/2
01 toolsteel 1/8 x 1-1/2
5160 forging steel 1/4 x 1-3/4
clear optic rod 1/8 x 12
mosiac pin 7/32
ATS34 stainless (white) 1/8 x 1-1/2
bolster set
What do ya think?
 
Looks like you've got plenty to play with :)
How are those trappers coming along? Post some pics when you get them done.

You'll like the O1 it workes nice (heat treat is easy) and makes for a really good using blade. Rusts pretty easy, but a little oil solves that.
ATS34 is great stuff, I've used it and had texas knifemakers supply heat treat it for me since it takes special equipment. They did a great job. Paul Bos will heat treat it for you also, and is the best in the business, I don't have his contact info though.
 
I agree with Matt on the O1. You will like it all around except that it does discolor very easily. It is a great blade steel and you can heat treat it right there. The 5160 may be best suited to larger blades such as those for chopping or for utility use. I would, and actually did, save the ATS-34 for a little later. Jolly good going on that grab bag of goodies. Great start up on quality materials. Be sure we get to see the results.

All your steel sizes look good to.

RL
 
thanks for the response. ATS34 what does it need? I haven't recieved the trappers yet, I can't wait! I'll post as soon as they are done. My scales are going to be black tail deer horn I hope, I am looking forward to feed back. A few weeks ago I asked what a good sharpener would be for under one hundred dollars. Inocent enough. I had no idea it was going to be life altering.:eek:
 
Well, its complicated.
In a nutshell, it has to be hotter longer. There's a really specific cycle you go through heating it up, holding it at a specific temperature, and then quenching it. Just not possible to do a good job with the equipment most folks have. Has to do with it being a high alloy steel.
It will probably cost in the neighborhood of $10 a blade to have it heat treated commercially, and it will make a damn good knife when its done though.

If you want to heat treat stainless, do a search for the threads on triple quenching 440C. Roger(rlinger) did some very informative trials with different methods and a rockwell tester, and a few other guys including myself have been using 440C and trying to work out a good heat treat. It takes less heat for a shorter time period, so you can do it at home. I definitely wouldn't even begin to try it until you have a good handle on O1 though.
 
great, thanks for the info! I have read a bunch, maybe too much, its all gumbled together right now and I have more info coming. After the kits I'll start with the 01.
 
Mattd, here is one taught me by Tim Zowada. I did a search here to find it and I believe this is from my last posting of it:
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As for O1 steel (as taught me by Tim Zowada):

All lights should be off and shades drawn in order for the untrained eye to see the shadows (ghosts).

Heat to 1475 F. As the steel austinitizes, If you watch carefully you will see one or more shadows in the steel. I call these ghosts and what you are seeing is the steel actually austinitizing. They appear to look like cold spots. They are not. They should also appear to move about the blade. You do not need a magnet for testing. When the ghost(s) finally disappear pull the steel - at that point and do not be more than a few seconds late in doing so. Quench in a manor so as to cut the oil in a back and forth motion, NOT side to side. Quench for approximately 7 seconds. When the blade is pulled the oil on it should smoke but NOT flame. If it flames quench another second or two. Try to pull the blade when it is about 350 to 400 F. (it smokes). The quenching oil should be pre-heated to about 140 F. so as not to over shock the steel. After quenching grip the end of tang in a vise and let 'still air' cool to no less than 125 F.. Simply laying the steel upon something prevents the steel from cooling uniformly.

I first snap temper once at 50 F. lower than I temper. I have been tempering at 375 F. It is vital that you temper (snap or regular) before the quenched steel falls below 125 F. but should not be greater than 150 F. So, have your temper oven pre-heated before quenching. I do three tempers, not including the snap temper. Although I have not yet done this: the second and third tempers may be best performed about 25 F. lower than the first temper. This may better preserve the original RC of the first temper (not talking about the snap temper here).

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If you can not see the shadow you can also use a magnet. The first method is, I believe, best.

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Mattd, I used to sometimes temper below 400 F.. I no longer do and use 400 F. as my absolute bottom EXCEPT for snap tempering.

I will post you a ATS-34 HT I am pleased with next.

RL
 
Mattd, here is my last ATS-34 blade that I posted the HT of here some weeks back:
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ATS-34 HT Sample:

(special thanks to Kit Carson for rightly advising me to use lower end tempering ranges for martensitic stainless steels)

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Equalize: 1250 F. - 7 minutes

Austenitize: 1965 F. - 25 minutes

Rapid air quench (a small vertical wind tunnel) to handling temp.

Remove foil

Deep Cryo (without delay but after cooling to room temp.): 12 hours

Still air warm to room temp.

Temper (without delay): 600 F. - 2 hours 15 minutes

Still air cool to room temp.

Temper: 600 F. - 2 hours 15 minutes

Still air cool to room temp.

Rockwell test. Results: 60 RHc (three sample average taken just behind front bottom of bolster area)
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Mattd, the foil is used to help keep the steel from decarborizing (scaling, pitting, and such). Without it or some other atmospheric control the steel, at those temperatures and times, could pit very deeply.

RL
 
Although I think you will gain considerably from trying your hand at heat treating your own carbon steels such as O1 is Matt has given you good advise on having a professional heat treater such as Paul Bos to do your high alloy steels such as ATS-34 is. Later and after you have decided you are just too hooked on this stuff you can put some money into heat treating equipment able to do the so called 'super' steels.

RL
 
RL,
thanks for taking the time to help me. The 01 sounds like something I can handle and I will probably just send the ATS-34 to a professional. I am a little confused on when to heat treat in the proccess and what is snap tempering? How do you tell how hot the blade is?
 
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