New Guy Questions - Files, Steel, etc.

J

Jsmalley9

Joined
Jun 14, 2016
Messages
77
Hey everyone,

I've posted a few times on the forum and I have always gotten great help from the community so I figured I would ask for a bit of help. So I've gotten into my head that I want to make my first blade! But alas, I have a few questions about some things I don't quite understand and I think I also need a bit of expert advice :D

I have read as many forum posts as I could find to learn how to do the stock removal method. I want to take my time and do this slowly - because I know inevitably it's not going to turn out the way that I wish that I would. I purchased a Nicholson 10" Bastard Mill File and I saw in most places that it's recommended that I pick up a second cut file. Only I'm not exactly sure what that is, so I was hoping someone could help me out a bit and explain it to a dummy like me :)

Also, I was planning on going do my local Alro Steel and purchasing either O-1 or D-2. I figure by using one of those it would take a little bit more to file away the steel, thus making the steel a bit more "forgiving". I'd love to know if this theory actual makes sense in reality. I also didn't know if Alro is the best place for me to go.

Finally I was wondering if when purchasing Bar Stock if I should buy it in the thickness that I am intending for my spine or if i should buy it thicker.

Thanks in advance! And thanks everyone for the awesome community that I have been welcomed into!

Josh
 
Hi Josh
I I'm am a newbie to knife making too and primarily use O1 for all the knives I've made
using hand files to make them all.
The only advice I can give you is to try a buy a couple of decent files (I have over 30 now)
The coarser the file the quicker it will remove material. You want to start with the coarser
File and move onto a finer one as it will help you a lot when it comes sanding pre ht.
Invest in a good half round file too if you can to help with the profile shaping.
I buy my steel petty much the thickness I want the spine to be and shape it from there.

There a far more experienced members on this forum who can give you phenomenal
Advise but this is just my experience.
Take it slow and enjoy the journey, I know I am.

Col
 
It's always nice to hear from someone who is going through what I'm just about to embark upon! I definitely want to try O1 if you've had good results. I have a production knife that I love in O1 Thanks for the advice!
I was going to use my bench grinder to get a rough shape of the blade before filing. Is this something you have tried? If you have, is there any tips you've come across?
 
If you haven't yet, make sure you read all the stickies on here. Get the thickness you want the spine to be, I use 1/8" for a standard fixed blade hunting knife. Second cut refers to how much material the file will remove. Kinda like grit in sandpaper. So bastard files remove the most, second cut leave a finer finish. Make sure that you don't let your files touch each other when storing them. It dulls them very quickly. Also, only use pressure in the cutting direction, not on the return stroke as that will dull them and not actually remove any metal.
 
-JR

Thank you! I have read the stickies, and read through the newb guides, and all the posts I could find for people just starting out. I've been trying to find a few books in town, but have turned to the internet. The books I've ran across so far have focused on forging, but I did order a book on Stock Removal from the list that a forum member put together. Just impatiently waiting for it to arrive :D

A lot of the posts that I have seen recommend using 1084 to start with, is this a hard and fast rule that I'd be stupid not to follow?
 
Jsmalley9 said:
A lot of the posts that I have seen recommend using 1084 to start with, is this a hard and fast rule that I'd be stupid not to follow?
Click to expand...
That depends on weather or not you plan to attempt to do your own heat treat. 1084 is recommended because its comparatively easy to achieve an acceptable HT with very basic tools. If you choose to send out your blade for HT, you have a lot more options for steel, and you'll have a 100% chance of nailing the HT on your first try. Unless you really enjoy tinkering with fire (and most of us do!), and don't mind taking a chance that you could destroy all your hard work that far along, sending it out for HT is probably best.
1084 is the way to go if your going to home HT.
Pretty much anything goes if your sending it out, but you should check to see that your HT shop of choice can actually HT that steel. Also, don't pick a super expensive type for your first. You may not be particularly happy with your first design. Then you'll want to do another, and another... welcome to the addiction!
 
Pretty much what AH said,1084 is great if you want to do the entire process yourself. The heat treat for 1084 is heat until it's non magnetic and stick into some canola oil. Then put it in your oven at 400*F for 2 hours twice. Pretty much everything else needs much more precise temps and to be held at those temps for a specific amount of time.
 
I was planning on sending my first few attempts out all at once to Texas Knife Supply (I believe that's what it is). I saw it recommended on the forum by another member in a newbies FAQ post. If anyone can let me know if there may be better options now, as the post was around 5 years or more old, I would very much appreciate it. I'm going to my local Alro tomorrow to see what they have in stock for steel, otherwise I will order something cheap offline; preferably on the more stainless end of the spectrum - just so I have less to worry about with my first go.

And again, thank you! This community has been so incredibly welcoming and helpful. Hopefully when I learn some skills I can pass some info along one day.
 
I used to use TKS for my heat treat. I now use Peter's. Both are great. There are also members on the forum who offer heat treat service.
 
Peters was a great tip, I hadn't heard of them thus far. Seems like they'll be awesome once I start making more and can send out more at a time! Sending out to a member would be great too, I wouldn't mind giving money to someone from here
 
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