CPM 3V

S

Steve Beckwith

Joined
May 29, 2004
Messages
393
I have an acquaintance who has presented me with a piece of CPM V3 (5" x 36" x 1/4") that he wants me to make into a "zombie axe". Axe handle shaped handle with approx. a 16" multi curved head. He is willing to pay to have the pattern converted to a CAD file and have a local outfit cut it with a water jet. The advantage of this is that I could have the canvas micarta scales cut at the same time. But I am not a draftsman and I really don't know what it takes to convert a full sized paper outline and convert it to CAD.
Alternately, while I have never used one, I have access to a plasma cutter. Would this cut the profile without warping the steel? Also, there has to be quite a few holes drilled for the fasteners for the scales as well as to lighten the handle as much as possible. I have managed to work harden more than one piece of blade steel when drilling and I assume this steel will be no different. Money doesn't seem to be an object. Any feedback would be appreciated.
 
I'd reccomend against plasma cutting it. It won't have tight tolerances and will harden the steel and leave a lot of difficult profile grinding. If it were my project, I'd concentrate on producing a paper pattern and have a local water jet cutter liberate it from the slab. The water jet cutter will most likely have a method of converting the paper pattern to digital. If no water jetted is local, cut it out with discs. You'll be an expert by the time your finished. Good luck
 
I just cut two blanks from quarter inch 3V on a porta band...no issues, cuts just fine. I wouldn't use a plasma cutter. If needed waterjet, but that seems like an excessive and unnecessary expense for a one off.
 
I once used plasma cutter to cut out a dozen A2 blanks. My accuracy to line sucked and the steel harden around the cut so was major pain to grind to profile.
 
CPM-3V correct. I have no intention of cutting this out with discs and all I have is a porta band with about a 5" depth of cut. I have no problem grinding the bevels and finishing the handle although I have never ground anything that weighs as much as this. I believe it is probably going to weigh 5 lb. or better. It appears that plasma is out so I will contact my local water jet guy and take it from there. My acquaintance have kind of jumped the gun ordering the steel and micarta.
 
man, what I could do with a sheet of 3V that size!😍
 
The steel was not my choice. I thought something like 52100 would do the trick. I will do something fun with the drop
 
3V will make a killer axe saw or water jet make a camp knife with the scraps for yourself. HT full ramp 1500f 5 min 2000f 20min plate quench Cryo over night temper 400f 2X 2 hours Rc 61 hardness and takes all kinds of abuse
 
You can take air hardening steels just about to final dimensions prior to HT without problems. I recall a CPM M4 petty knife I sent to Peter's years back that was 0.010" and it came back perfect. I do my own heat treating now, and prefer to leave a little more meat on the edge, about what Crag said above, and grind it down to where I want it post HT.

Oil quenches are another story. 0.020" is the lowest I have ever gone for a hunter. On long tall blades (chef's knives, etc), they need to be even thicker.
 
This will definitely be sent out for heat treat. I don't have a kiln large enough for this (36") nor do I have the heat range required.
 
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