Knife out of saw blade?

C

Chan Solo

Joined
Aug 5, 2005
Messages
10
I'm a newbie knifemaker trying to recycle some old materials. I've got several old saw blades that read "chrome-nickel molybdenum steel." How in the heck do I cut this stuff?
 
I've got a metal cutting abrasive blade on my grinder. I tried to cut it a little bit and it was pretty tough. I wasn't sure of the safety of using it on my grinder. Should I use the table saw or grinder? Should I normalize the metal first?
 
Old saw blades used to be my primary source for blade steel. I cut the blanks out with an oxy acetelyne torch. Just had to be careful and heat the area up to prevent cracking. If you can't cut it with a torch, try a plasma cutter.
mewithbowiesandsawbladebigger.jpg
 
Chan,I know it is tempting for a new maker to try and use free steel.Do yourself a favor and DON'T DO IT.First off,you have no idea what it is or how to heat treat it.Second off,you have no idea what it is or how to heat treat it.A piece of 5160 or 10XX steel for a blade only costs a couple of dollars.You can't afford not to get a known piece of steel,considering the time you will invest.If you need a piece to start with,tell us where you are.I'll bet one of us older makers will give you some cut offs.
Welcome to BF and good luck on getting started.
PS. The saw blades you have probably won't work for knives.
Stacy
 
are they circular saw blades or hand saw.

With a handsaw blades you can cut out a rough profile with a cold chisel use a heavy stel plate as an anvil. grind to shape. If the circular blades are the new thin profile stuff it might work on them, the old blades are bit thicker, and tougher to make this work.

I use cutoff wheels on a 4-1/2" grinder to profile stock like that.
 
Thanks for your replies. I was just trying to use free stuff to learn on. But the more I think about these saw blades the more I think they won't work. They are Skil-Saw blades. I tried cutting one on a table saw with a metal abrasive disc, and the saw blade was too much trouble to hold on to. Plus it was breaking my carbide-tipped drills. I'm thinking of going to the steel shop today and getting some pieces. Am I looking for hot-rolled flats?
 
you can get some pretty good steel's in hot rolled flats, but most stuff that's generic is just a-36 or 1018, neither of which is suitable for knives, make sure you ask for a good knife making steel, the shop will probably refer to it as a tool steel, and that's basically what you want. I'll let other guys chime in on their own favorites though, as most of the stuff I use can't be gotten easily.

Tony
 
Chan , advice from a newbie here , I use D2 and have no regrets. Somewhat easy to work and shape and heat treat and doesnt cost much.
I buy mine from Texas knife supplies http://www.texasknife.com/
You might be bale to find it at your local steel place.
I too am tempted to try and use steel every time I see some laying somewhere , lol.
It's funny now when I'm driving or whatever I keep my eyes peeled for steel or wood I could use , as if you could just pick up D2 or Desert Ironwood of the ground. :D
 
Good starter steels are 5160,O-1,1084,1095.You can work them and heat treat them with only simple equipment.
 
L6steel, Now that is a saw blade.

Chan Solo
New steel verses old steel. New annealed steel is great to work with and cheap too. I can get as much as I like for a couple of dollars a foot for carbon steel and around $25 for stainless 440c.

However I like to collect old steel and make knives axes harpoons letter openers and what ever. I always use it as a selling point exactly what it is made from. My customers buy it because of what it is made from or inspite of what it is made from.

That is all simple for me I have gas forges to anneal in, anvils and a back yard shed full of bits I have collected since 1991.

I will make you the same offer as I have with other new makers who have forges and anvils.

I don't have a site but if you want send me an email I will send you a how to on forging letter openers with animal heads.

If you look up the old threads you will also see a thread on free knife designs.
A couple of forum guys posted them ontheir wed sites.

Lloyd Harding was the man who designed and made them. He died a couple of
years ago and his son gave permission for the designs to be given to other makers for free.

There were a number of guys that hosted the images. The firt one to mind was Wil Hurley.
" I just got the cd on the website, I hope you like it, I took a picture from the Cd and what you wrote about LLoyd to create the website. I hope you like it. It is a great Cd."
http://hurleyknives.com/lloyd.html

There were others who also listed but if you look in the thread you will see them all. Some have down load facility so that you can down load the whole
cd or just some images.

Thank you to all those who have hosted the images.

Reg ELLERY
 
I downloaded the cd. Thanks for your replies. I am in the process of building a simple coal forge as well as a gas forge to anneal in, but for now I'll buy me a few feet on new steel.
 
Chan Solo said:
I downloaded the cd. Thanks for your replies. I am in the process of building a simple coal forge as well as a gas forge to anneal in, but for now I'll buy me a few feet on new steel.
Click to expand...

I noticed you are in Crawford Tx. A local chapter of ABANA (a blacksmithing group) is Balcones (most meetings are in the San Antonio -Austin area). You might find it interesting to attend a meeting or two.
If you look on ABANA's website you might find a closer chapter. I don't know all the Texas groupl.

Out of curiosity, how are you building the coal forge? I built one from an unused bar-b-q grill.

Ron
(just east of San Antonio)
 
This is the website where I got the idea for a small coal forge.

http://64.176.180.203/washtubforge.htm

I've got all the materials needed laying aroud the farm, but I've got to wait for it to stop raining before I can do anything. Also, I was thinking about using a section of an old water heater to make a gas forge, but I'm not sure if the galvanized steel is safe to use. I guess I'd have to take out the glass lining as well.
 
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