Just starting

[sstoots]

Seems from all my reading on the forum that using old files and rasps as material is a good way to get one's feet wet. I watched a few videos showing that using only one power tool ; a cheap angle grinder along with hand files and sand paper, a relatively handsome knife might emerge using stock removal methods . Some say to anneal the file first, some say temper down in the kitchen oven. Basically the file steel is HRC 60 and needs to be a bit softer to work with. I reckon that's one question. The second is , I bought the angle grinder but have no idea what variety of disks I need for this purpose. What disc should do most of the heavy stock removal? I also bought a portable work bench and a vice. I want to see if I can actually progress and make something nice before spending any more of Momma's cookie jar money. Look forward to your comments.

 

[blade dude]

If you anneal it you have to pay someone to heat treat it. I made one without but it took some time. You also want a bucket of water. Don't let the file get too hot to touch while grinding. I used 24 grit wheel


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[sstoots]

Was the 24 grit wheel what you used to do most of the grinding? Did you move to finer grit as you progressed?

Some of the videos showed the blade placed in a kitchen oven at 450 for a few hours. Will that not suffice to bring the hardness back up a bit?

 

[blade dude]

Was the 24 grit wheel what you used to do most of the grinding? Did you move to finer grit as you progressed?

Some of the videos showed the blade placed in a kitchen oven at 450 for a few hours. Will that not suffice to bring the hardness back up a bit?

You said you just bought the vice and such so here's a few things you should know. If you've never used an angle grinder before, they spin fast so you may have difficulty holding it at the bevel angle so unless you've used one before your first one will probably not be good. Also it's easier to handle if you have it spinning full speed before contact with the file and don't slow it down until you bring it off the file or it might bite and you may have difficulty maintaining the angle. When I made mine I used a metal cut off wheel to cut a squared out rough shape of the blade shape then used the grinding wheel to do the blade shape and then I ground the bevel. Grind with 24 grit until you almost have an edge on it like really close then finish sharpening. It will get very hot when cutting and hot when grinding so dunk in a water bucket often. More often when cutting rough shape of it. Don't let it turn a blue color or you lose the hardness in that spot. 1095 which I think is used in files is heat treated at about 1200 so oven won't do that. Unless you can heat treat it, don't anneal it at all.