Making a blade

Mark your blade pattern on the steel and then draw a line about 1/8" outside the pattern. Then use a punch along the outer line about every 3/16". Chuck up an 1/8" drill bit in your drill press or hand drill and drill holes along the outer line where you punched. Then take a hacksaw and connect the holes. That will remove most of the scrap steel and leave just a little to clean up on the grinder. This is considering the fact that you don't have access to a metal cutting bandsaw or an oxy accetelyne torch outfit. It's a crude method but worked for me for my first few blades.
 
I draw the pattern on the steel. I cut it out as best I can on the band saw. I use the grinder and files to smooth out the pattern. After filing the pattern, I take out the file marks with various grits of sand paper (always use a sanding block when able). After roughing it out with the band saw there are a lot of high places that I have to smooth out with the other above mentioned items.
I sometimes, but rarely need the dremel. Go carefully with the power equipment. They can cut very deeply very quickly.

O1 steel is very nice to work with.

Roger
 
Heck...Forge it to shape;) :D :D
The drill and hacksaw method saved my but more than once when I first started.
Bruce
 
A trap for the biginer is cheap hack saw blades. I made my first blade with the first hack saw blades I could find. They went blunt very quikly and I got dishartened. I then brought a better brand and realised it was the cheap blades causing me grief not the steel I was cuting.

I'm not familiar with 01 some one local may be able to recomend a good hack saw blade. Or it may be something altogether different.

Please don't take offence but just incase I presume you were sold annealed stock not hardened.
 
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