Filework AFTER hardening

WinDancer

WinDancer

Joined
May 15, 1999
Messages
720
I have been told many times that you cannot filework blades after they are heat treated.... BUT I sent a knife to a well-known maker who did a superb job on the blade. When I took the newly fileworked blade to a machine shop, the man there told me that it had been ground, rather than filed. Anyone have an idea about how the fancy curves and rounds were ground? Without discoloration or loss of temper [the knifes AND mine]? Thanks, everyone, Dave

WOW! Thanks, Everyone! I am afraid these tired old eyes wouldn't be much use on anything freehand... but I havw asked Alan if he is interested in doing some work on a few of my Buck 110s. Again, Thank You all for your responses. Regards, Dave

HTTP://www.olywa.net/windancer/webknives.htm


[This message has been edited by WinDancer (edited 21 May 1999).]
 
It CAN be done but it is an awful lot of work. A file will tend to just skate across the surface and that is why your particular blade's filework may have been ground. I could be wrong but I doubt very seriously that any temper would be lost just by grinding some decorative file work on the spine of the blade. I have no idea who the maker is but I am sure most makers would take care if the remote chance of ruining the temper of the blade existed.

Now, if it got hot enough to discolor the steel, that is entirely different. Evidently, according to your post, that is not the case.

Bear in mind that there is the remote possibility that it was filed and and a rotary tool of some sort was used to burnish or polish the filework which quite a few folks do any way. You can always ask the maker you sent it to.

CLWilkins
 
I once agreed to filework the spine of a friend's Benchmade Tsunami Tanto. 4", hardened G-2. I had to use diamond files. It took forever. It hurt. I will never agree to filework a hardened blade again.

I suppose if one had a Foredom / Dremel and were either very steady or had some sort of jig, it could be done that way... I have seen a gentleman online who does extensive filework on Spydercos and Benchmades, and I am in awe. Not at the filework (though it's quite nice), but at the fact that these are finished, hardened knives.

I guess I'm just posting to say "I don't know how it's done, either, and I want to find out!"

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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)
 
I have file worked some kit knives from Koval that were made out of 440C. I have a friend who takes old Case knives that the handles were gone, and he would file work them and put on new handles. When he got finished with knife it would look better than it did when it was new,IMO.
Chris, Top of Texas Knives
www.toptexknives.com

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Alan Folts gave a clinic on this subject a few years ago at a shop visit sponsored by the NC Knifemakers Guild.

He used an adjustable speed dremel set at the highest speed. Cuts were made on the spine using one of those small, cylindrical sanding drums you can get about anywhere. He didn't clean up the cuts with finer grit sand paper. The contrast between the rough surface of the "filework" and the polished blade looked good. But, I guess you could clean it up by hand if you wanted. The amazing thing to all who were watching was that Alan held the knife in one hand and made the cuts with the dremel in the other- just eyeballing it. The results were remarkable. Alan is an accomplished artist and can get away with this, but I have to premeasure and hold the work in a vise when I do this, or anything else.

The type of pattern you want is unlimited since you can use the abrasive cutting wheels, various shaped diamond bits, etc to make different type cuts. IMO, this is the only way to do decorative "filework". The traditional way just takes too long.

You should practice with some scrap before trying finished knives. Dremels are great time savers, but if you don't know how to handle them it is easy to ruin something. 30,000 rpm cuts VERY fast.
 

I do all the filework on my blades after the heat treatment..

I find that the way I do filework is cut a lot faster and a lot smoother with a rotary tool once they are hardened then when they are soft and gummy....

I dont find a lot of problem burning up the temper in one of my blades cause I hold everything by hand and keep everything very cool while working. Keep in mind that I can filework a spine in about 3 minutes after heat treatment with a dremel and a sanding drum and cutting wheel atachments. I find that using the dremel is a lot faster and a lot more precise for me rather than a file which just tends to give me blisters by the end of the process, and the good thing about the dremel is that I can switch grits if I want the filework to be mirror polished like the rest of the blade if that is what I am looking for...

If anybody needs anymore info or wants me to email them some examples of dremel cut filework email me and I will do what I can to help..

Alan Folts, alanfolts@sprintmail.com
 
Alan: send ME some pics of finished work.

I can put 'em on my site, send you the URLs and we can stick 'em right here.

I'm also getting VERY interested in having you do decor work on The Outsider...?

Jim March
 
This is simple. Use a dremal and REAL carbide burrs . They will file work just about any blade steel I have seen. The JUNK burrs bought at a hardware store will work for a few mins. Here is a phone number of a fellow who has good prices and carries US made burrs that are great. I do this all the time.
Crosscut type burrs work best and the dont grab like single cut.

Bob Beck
American cutting tool
330-668-1307

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Web Site At www.infinet.com/~browzer/bldesmth.html
Take a look!!!




 
Windancer, I use both the hand-held and the flex shaft. Both have their limitations. The shaft is easier on the hand especially for long sessions, but it can also be a pain. You have to hold the shaft just right (no twists) or you will loose the torque of the dremel. I usually use one for a while until I get aggravated, then switch to the other.

Wal-mart has the dremels and flex shafts pretty cheap. For bits, 1/2" and 1/4" drums are good to start with. You should probably get a variety of different bits and burrs and experiment until you find combinations you like. A good source for these is Rio Grande jewelry supply at (800)545-6566.

[This message has been edited by fenixforge (edited 24 May 1999).]
 
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