Milling Machine or HT oven?

E

EastCompassoKnivery

Joined
Feb 26, 2014
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I am looking to upgrade my shop and with a limited budget I can't get both a milling machine or a HT oven. If I get a milling machine I can make better knives and more consistent knives but if I get an oven my knives will have a higher quality quality blade and temper and whatnot. Any advice would be greatly appreciated on this subject.
 
If it was my money (and it somewhat is as I'm facing similar challenges).i would go right for the heat treat oven. Reason being, a pretty knife is just that... Pretty. Means nothing if it's all looks and no cut. While milling machines help in knifemaking, it is not a necessity. Proper heat treat absolutely is a necessity and consistency in heat treat is far more important than looks in my opinion.

Extra elbow grease can make a milling machine obsolete, many do without it. I've been heat treating using a forge and while it works, it is by no means exacting. I am looking at a heat treat oven as my next purchase because I feel the HT is the heart of the knife. Plus, for the cost of building a homemade oven, you may be able to get both with just a little more saving and some fabricating work. The tutorials for homemade ovens seem to be simple enough with a little bit of electrical knowledge, so you may want to look into that route instead of potentially 5x the price for a commercial unit.

Food for thought...
 
Babody said it well. You can make a pretty metal thing with the help of a mill, but you have to heat treat it before it's a knife. HT oven all the way.
 
I love having a milling machine, and I still HT in a forge.
That said, I recommend the oven first, too.
 
Yup... Oven all the way, I am like lots of guys. Used a forge for heat treating , but I think my Evenheat was the best money I have spent Besides my KMG . I have had a busy late winter and spring and I was able to sock enough away for my mini mill that is coming from MicroMark . And you can do that too. Next year. Start with the Kiln and graduate to the mill. My two cents
 
Another solution maybe! Iam in a simular circumstances I have a mill and a HT oven but both are small and need to be up graded.another knife maker lives about 15 min. Away we have talked about me getting a Bridgeport mill and he is getting a 22" HT oven. Problem solved, now if I can just get him to buy a power hammer:rolleyes:
 
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