looking for cheap ways to do things

C

Chris S

Joined
Jan 22, 1999
Messages
35

I am in need of experienced help! I am just getting the fever for knife making and unfortunately i am on a low budget. i need some pointers on how to get my designs off of the drawing board and in good usable form as cheap and labor free as possible.
I do have the udder basic tools; hack saw, bench grinder, files, dremel tool, cutting and grinding disks for the dremel and drills, a drill press, and a 4''x36'' belt/6'' disk sander. I know its not muck but it is what ive got to work with.
I would also appreciate any tips you could spare on hardening and tempering techniques that I could use in my low buget bracket.
thanks for the help!! Chris

 
How about some inexperienced help?
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I`ve just started making knives myself and it sounds like you`ve got just about all you`ll need already to me. I`ve been using car leaf springs but turing them into usable blade stock has proved to be a pain so I ordered a bunch of 5160 stock(same steel) from a local automotive spring making outlet for $1.25lb. I cut the blanks out with an oxy/acetelene torch for now but I`m working on getting them done on a flame cutter. I just visualize the design I want,draw it on paper full scale,transfer it to thick cardboard to get a feel for the grip and balance then trace it out on steel and cut. I`ve done my own heat treating with the torch,a magnet and a pan full of warm motor oil. I heat the blade till it`s non magnetic (1450-1500 degrees) then quench it in the oil leaving the spine and handle out to selectively temper it. The testing I`ve done on my blades has shown it works pretty darn well,they take an hold an edge better than some of my production knives and I can break or hurt them without resorting to pure sillyness. Hope this helps some. GO FOR IT! Marcus
 
Where did you find a source for 5160 spring material? Do shops typically exist locally?

Stone
 
Marcus,

What do you use to heat your steel? Will a propane torch work?

Tony
 
Thanks for the replies fellas!

OK.....Stonefish, I havent't found a supplier for 5160 spring steel. The best I've been able to do is 1095 and its from an industrial materials supplier, thus the minimum order is a 20 ft spool and you need an acount with the company. Bummer. I haven't ordered anything from them yet or used any, but I will post a note of my findings when they come around.

AKY/ Tony......I havent been able to get my steel hot enough with a propain torch. I doubt it can be done efectively due to the small heating area of a propane torch . I would recomend using an oxygen/acetoline torch. They will produce a hotter flame over a greater area and the results come quicker and with fewer headaches (or at least that is what I have found true).

Thanks and good luck to you all.
 
Sorry it took me awhile to answer this,computer probs I`ve been offline since last Sat. DOH! I found 5160 stock at a local shop that specializes in making replacement and custom springs for cars and trucks. I just asked them if they could get unhardened stock and they said sure but they`d have to order it. No extra charge,many widths and thicknesses and any length I want for $1.25/lb.,you can`t beat that! Just let your fingers do the walking. I do my heat treating with an oxy/acetelene torch. I doubt a propane torch will do. Truth is the big torch isn`t that great for it without a "rosebud" heating tip. Zone tempering is not only a good performance feature in this case is makes the job much easier too. Just try to keep the heating as even as possible. It`s not too hard on smaller blades but I`m dreading the 12" bladed 5/16 stock monster chopper I`m working on. FWIW I got a small propane "furnace" used for heating giant solid soldering irons hoping it would work on knives but even cranked up to "she`s gonna blow!!!" it still wasn`t hot enough. Back to the drawing board.
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Good luck with your projects guys! Marcus
 
Problem with torch heat treating is getting the blade hot enough and at the same time evenly heated along its length. You can ignore the handle area, but the blade should be as evenly heated as possible before quenching.

I have found that making a trough out of a few fire brick and keeping the blade and torch flame in the trough helps confine the heat and goes a long way toward solving the problem. No big deal, just stack them side by side maybe one brick long and half a brick wide.

Needless to say, torch treating only works well on carbon steels. Stainless requires a long hold time at temperature prior to quench. Can't get that with a torch

------------------
Ben R. Ogletree, Jr.
 
Great tip Mayor. I have a few blades almost ready for heat treating,I`ll give it a try! Marcus
 
thanks for the tip mayor! i never thought of the firebrick idea......sounds pretty good.
ill give it a shot!
thanks Chris S
 
Does anyone here know if old sawblades make good knives? I live on the west coast and old logging Swede saws can be found easily. I heard you can cut out knife blanks from them . . . Anyone ever heard of this? Thanks.
 
hey deyv! ive heard that saw blades make great stock for knives. i havnt used any myself but i have read that it is good steel that will hold an edge well. so give it a shot and holler at me when your done!!
thanks and good luck!! Chris S
 
Yeah deyv, if the saw blades are like other saw blades I've come across, it should be made of L-6 which is a wonderful steel. I've made a couple thin utility knives out of and old saw and it stays sharp! I've also bent them past 90 degrees and they've sprung back to within a degree of straight. Good knifemaking
 
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