file knife problem

N

NJ Hunter

Joined
Dec 11, 2015
Messages
9
Hi everyone,
Im working on my first knife and need some advice. I've finished several blade blanks and am now going to start making my own blades. I have some 1095, and O1 coming soon, but being impatient i decided to make a knife from a Nicholson file. I tempered the file, ground the primary and secondary bevels, and so far it is coming along great. Here's my problem. I'm ready to start working on the handle but can't drill holes for the pins. The steel is still way too hard. I thought about cutting a slot with an angle grinder but wanted to see if anyone had a better idea. Let me know if you've got any tips to get these pin holes in the blade.
Thanks
 
Im attemting to not have to re-heat treat the knife. Since the file in its original state is very hard, i tempered it twice for an hour at 400 deg. To soften it so it wouldn't be as brittle. I don't have the ability to heat treat it myself, and being a cheap file knife, i don't want to send it out for heat treat.
 
Ok, then I don't know what to tell you. The hardness of a file is not the hardness that a knife needs to be. Maybe someone else will come along who knows, but the only way I know is to anneal the steel. A file is going to be harder than most drill bits (maybe you could try carbide bits) but by tempering it, you have no idea how hard it is. Good luck!!
 
The 400F won't do anything. You need to go much higher . Idealy a 1200 F subcritical anneal but that's too high for the blade. Best bet would be to suspend the blade in water and heat the tang high but below the critical.Carbide bit would help.
 
Stick the blade in water. Use mini torch to heat up the drill spots. Just heat hotter than 700F would be soft enough to drill with hss bit.
 
Awsome, thanks for the water idea.
Im new to all this heat treating stuff. So do you think that the blade itself is still too hard (brittle) being tempered twice at 400?
 
Hardness of majority of file sub 62rc, although they heat treated for sufficient toughness and high wear resistant. So 400F tempered probably didn't change hardness much, maybe drop max 1 or 2 rc. Which should be fine for most non-chopping knives. You can also submerge the edge in cold water and spring temper the spine with a mini/micro-torch, an insurance to keep your blade in one piece, in event of sudden lateral impact (such as drop the knife onto concrete from high places).
NJ Hunter said:
Awsome, thanks for the water idea.
Im new to all this heat treating stuff. So do you think that the blade itself is still too hard (brittle) being tempered twice at 400?
Click to expand...
 
Chuck a nail in your drill press and spin it against the knife until the metal is as hot as you can get it - should be orange red. Let air cool then drill as usual. If you are worried about it wrap the rest of the knife in a damp rag before you clamp it down.
 
NJ Hunter said:
Hi everyone,
Im working on my first knife and need some advice. I've finished several blade blanks and am now going to start making my own blades. I have some 1095, and O1 coming soon, but being impatient i decided to make a knife from a Nicholson file. I tempered the file, ground the primary and secondary bevels, and so far it is coming along great. Here's my problem. I'm ready to start working on the handle but can't drill holes for the pins. The steel is still way too hard. I thought about cutting a slot with an angle grinder but wanted to see if anyone had a better idea. Let me know if you've got any tips to get these pin holes in the blade.
Thanks
Click to expand...

Perhaps this has something with your problem ?

From New Jersey Steel Baron

Nicholson Files

These files are NOS from the early 70’s. They are all made with 1.3 Carbon Steel as opposed to .95 (1095) and Rockwell out to 72=RC.
Click to expand...

PS . By the way , I have a slightly different problem. Blade even after two hours in 250 C degrees is still too hard ? It's over 40 years old Nicholson File ?
 
Thanks for the water trick. Put the blade in water and heated the handle with mapp gas until cherry red, then let it air cool. Drill went through like butter. Blade itself is still hard, a file skates over the surface without biting in. Worked great. Roughed out the handles out of some maple last night. Going to epoxy them when i get off work today. I'll post pics of the finished knife.
 
I am looking forward to your update.

I am also from NJ, and over the weekend, I may be introduced to a friend of a friend that makes knives in the Brick/Toms River area.

Maybe once you get this finished and to your liking, I could give it a look over. I have plenty of old files, some smaller pieces of Aldos (nj steel baron) 1084 that I can spare for you to make a kiridashi with. I also have some spare parts from a home made forge, if you would like to build one of your own.

Shoot me an email through the site (click my name above).
 
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