i am going to start tomorrow

S

siguy

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Aug 26, 2006
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tomorrow i will be heading over to the local hard ware store and getting a bench grinder on sale for a good price. i will then get a piece of steel barstock either from the car place next door or the hardware store. i then plan on making my first couple of knives with these supplies. i was wondering if there is an easy, cheap way to temper my knives that will no involve lighting fires in my backyard or setting up some kind of gas thing in my basement. i would prefer to be able to do it with only the stove or the toaster oven. also, it can't take a long time and take up alot of space or anything, space is at a premium in my house...

thanks for the help
 
Number one: You're unlikely to find suitable bar stock at a hardware store. You need steel that is hardenable. There's plenty of info on this if you use 'search' or look at the 'stickies' at the top of the page.
If you plan to heat treat your own blades, assuming you have suitable material to begin with, you will need to achieve controllable temperatures around 1500F. You can temper in your home oven, but you have to harden first. Again, details are readily available if you peruse the 'sticky threads.'
Good luck.
 
i forgot to mention that there is a blacksmith downt the street, and i was wondering if it made sense to have him harden and treat my blades, depending on teh price etc.
 
If he knows what he's doing, that would be great. Just be sure you're giving him something that can be hardened. He's going to want to know what it is.
 
If you have a "Fastenal" store near-by you can get 0-1 and/or W-1 drill rods there! Both hardenable by your Smith neighbor (you can temper in your oven)
 
Ditto on the steel,No hardware store steel is likely to do any good. You won't get a lot of help in knifemaking from a bench grinder either. I would suggest that the first money you spend is on a couple of books. The $50 Knife Shop ,by Wayne Goddard is many people's first dip into the knifemaking pond. Read the stickies at the top of this forum for more info on getting started.You need more information before you get started.Please don't buy anything before doing some more homework on the subject.That blacksmith may end up being your best friend. He may make knives, and may be willing to teach you. I would go see him ASAP.He will also be able to tell you about steel and sources for it.
Stacy
 
i gotta agree as a very new knife maker wayne goddard's $50 knife shop is my current bible. and its proven to me that i can build my shop slowly while producing a few simple but custom knives. theres nothing like heating metal
red hot and banging it with a hammer. its a drug man. the itch is strong.
but take your time friend learn as much as you can. a good place to start making a knife too is your sketch pad. but the biggest advice i can give you
is buy the $50 knife shop and maybe a good book on basic blacksmithing.
the more you know about metal the better.

Well good luck friend.:D :D :D :D
 
Yep just bought a 5/8" X 36" 0-1 rod for $7.07 30 minutes ago. Our Fastenal is not open on Sat.
 
bladsmth said:
Ditto on the steel,No hardware store steel is likely to do any good. You won't get a lot of help in knifemaking from a bench grinder either. I would suggest that the first money you spend is on a couple of books. The $50 Knife Shop ,by Wayne Goddard is many people's first dip into the knifemaking pond. Read the stickies at the top of this forum for more info on getting started.You need more information before you get started.Please don't buy anything before doing some more homework on the subject.That blacksmith may end up being your best friend. He may make knives, and may be willing to teach you. I would go see him ASAP.He will also be able to tell you about steel and sources for it.
Stacy
Click to expand...

You just told this guy to buy Goddard's book and that he shouldn't bother with a bench grinder. Goddard never fails to sing the praises of his good news bad news grinder, Which is nothing more than a motor with a grinding wheel on it.

An 8" bench grinder will make nice hollow grinds. Put the same grit wheel on both sides and you can grind both sides of the blade without the motor getting in your way.
 
Why not start with some files, some sandpaper, and some patience. I have been working that way for a while and my knives are starting to look pretty good. Here's a link to what I have done with files
wommackcustomcutlery.com I hope that helps.
I just got a KMG so now I have to learn all over again.

Good Luck!
 
Try some 3/4" wide x 1/8" thick (or thinner stock depending on what you want) O1 from flatground.com, the O1 is spheridised annealed -ie. it's soft and you can get 36" of it for $12.65 + shipping. You can use a bench grinder to profile, then files and wet n dry paper to form the bevels. You can heat treat it with an oxyacetylene torch and quench it in transmission oil (use a magnet to test for critical temp). Then temper it in your household oven at 375 for two hours.

Check out this thread:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=372833&highlight=60-minute

You can also make your own one brick forge using a MAPP gas torch and a refractory brick for small knives.

Good luck.
 
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