My To-Do List to my first knife, looking for help

[jmvicuna]

I want to make my first knife, but first I want to make a list of steps I will do, in order to have everything clear.

I've been reading a lot, but couldn't find all the answers so I hope you can help me

The parts in red are the ones I don't know (and probably some parts in black are incorrect... I'm a noobie )

1.- Have steel: I have a nice bar of 1080 steel, of 1/8 inch.

2.- Make the design: In this part of the process I draw the design of the blade.

3.- Remove what is not a knife: I will cut the bar, make the holes, and make the edge of the knife (At this part, before the heat treatment, I need to have the knife as it will be once it is ready, or should I leave the hedge a bit wider, in order to end it AFTER the HT?)

4.- Heat Treatment: the HT is a two-part process, first the quenching and then tempering.

4.1.- Quenching: I need to bring the blade to a very high temperature and then cool it down very fast (Which is the color and temperature the blade must reach? For how long does the blade have to be in that temperature? Can I use water to cool the blade?)

4.2.- Tempering: I have to heat the blade to a medium temperature, and leave it there for some time, cool it down at ambient temperature, and repeat the process for a total of 3 times (I want to use my kitchen's oven for this, can I? which temperature is good? For how long I need to keep the blade hot? How many repetitions I have to do?)

5.- Make the knife look nice: After I have made the HT, the blade will not look nice, so I need to sand it.

6.- Put a Handle: I put a handle to the blade, and make it look nice

7.- Sharpening the blade

8.- The knife is ready


So now, is there any step I didn't mention? or something I need to add? With all these steps, I'm ready to start, or there are things that I need to do too?

Thanks a lot in advanced for your answers.

PS: I will be editing this post, once I get the answers to my questions and/or modification to the list

 

[J.D.]

I will try to help out here,
step3 I would leave a little thicker than the desired finished thickness, you will most likely have some decarb to cleanup, and the extra thickness will help to eliminate warpage during the quench.
step 4.1 take the blade to just above nomagnetic, use a magnet to check, hold for just a few minutes to get a good equal temp, and quench in 120 degree mineral oil, or veggie oil, canola oil, even used ATF fluid will work, just watch for a flame with ATF. I quench point down and move the blade up and down in the oil slowly, no side to side movement. you can do edge down and move lengthwise, again, no side to side movement.
step 4.2 yes you can use the kitchen oven or even a toaster oven is better, 400 degrees is good, and hold for 2 hours, and let it cool to room temp, and repeat the 400 for 2 hours.
now a few hints on grinding after heat treating, go slow, use new sharp belts, and cool the blade after every pass on the grinder, you do not want the blade to get hot enough to soften your edge, if it changes color to a straw or blue, you have got it to hot.
hope this helps, and good luck. Dale

 

[unky_gumbi]

3.- Remove what is not a knife: I will cut the bar, make the holes, and make the edge of the knife (At this part, before the heat treatment, I need to have the knife as it will be once it is ready, or should I leave the hedge a bit wider, in order to end it AFTER the HT?)

Leave the edge about the thickness of a dime for HT, also be sure to get all of the big scratches out before HT because after you will have a hard time getting to step 5.

4.1.- Quenching: I need to bring the blade to a very high temperature and then cool it down very fast (Which is the color and temperature the blade must reach? For how long does the blade have to be in that temperature? Can I use water to cool the blade?)
4.2.- Tempering: I have to heat the blade to a medium temperature, and leave it there for some time, cool it down at ambient temperature, and repeat the process for a total of 3 times (I want to use my kitchen's oven for this, can I? which temperature is good? For how long I need to keep the blade hot? How many repetitions I have to do?)

I don't do my own HT, I send it out to a trusted supplier that does it for a good price with great results. If you want to do your own look in the stickys there is a lot of good information there for new makers.