Need help I had a brain fart

R

rkwalker

Joined
Oct 20, 2002
Messages
91
I was working on my thrid knife & had it finished to around 600 grit and realized that I had forgot to drill pin holes for boslter and handles before heat treating :grumpy: . I am using a two brick forge so I attempted to bring knife (o1) up to orange and let it air cool to soften metal, but knife is still too hard to drill. I find this whole annealing, normalizing thing confusing can someone tell me how to get knife back to a condition I can get pin holes drilled or should I cut my loss and scrap it. Thanks
 
bring it up to 1325 and hold it for 30 minutes and slowly bring it back down. I use an Evenheat oven. I will do it for you if you send it here.
 
Thanks for the offer Bruce I don't think I would want to take up anyone's time or equipment for this. That temp should be around a cherry red I went hotter than that. Its only my third knife, covered with scale and no where near the quality of your knives. Kind of learning this on my own (which partly explains the brain fart.) I have already scapped a couple that I make errors on.
 
I have been playing with forging A2 and have discovered how to make holes without going through the days long annealing process after forging. The carbide tile cutter bits for Roto-zip tools in the dril presswork well at high speed and a little oil.

After forging, A2 completely ignores glass and cement bits tipped with carbide. The make a little powder, but no real hole.
 
I have carbide tile cutter bits for Roto-zip will give that a shot this evening after work.
 
Your blade didn't anneal because it cooled too quickly. Next time heat it up, get it nice and hot and then place in a bucket of sand or vermacite to cool slowly.
 
Just go get a HI-Roc drill bit manufactured by MA Ford. Should be available at any machine tool supply. These will drill up to 68rc like butter! Not expensive either $7-$15. :D
 
Yep, it's cooling off too quickly. Cool it slower (hours and hours or even a day) and it should be as soft as can be:)
 
Option 1: Drill the holes with a carbide drill bit at slow speed.

Option 2: Anneal blade by heating to non-magnetic, then let it cool slowly in vermiculite (you can get it at garden centers, or Lowes, Home Depot, etc.).
 
Ok I am good to go! I tried the roto zip bit and it just danced across tang. So I heated metal up to non magnetic and buried it in a bucket of sand I had heated to 400 degrees and let it cool for a day. I was able to drill my bolster and handle holes although I did break the drill bit on my last hole. Re heat treated knife and am now ready to put handle on it. Thanks for your help everyone.
 
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