newbie blade type question

P

prodago

Joined
Dec 22, 2016
Messages
32
Hey guys,
i love knives! i used to make them as a poor kid with only vise, files, grinder. Now that Youtube is here and i've built my 2x72 belt grinder and have seen all the remarkable ways that you guys make knives,i am wanting to get back into the game. I've been watching Walter Sorrells vids mostly and he's taLKED about blade steels, but was a little over my head so to speak. hang in here, there's a question coming up shortly, haha,. anyway, i bought some 2" angle to make my grinder with and have some left over so i simply cut off a section and ground out a knive, slapped some bolsters on it with 2x4 wood handles and was pretty proud of myself. i know that certain steels have to be heat treated and there are thousand ways and opinions.

i am currently laid off and don'[t want to buy from jantz, or the other knife distributors out there, they seem a bit on the high side...$10/foot....maybe thats common, but i'll have to get a job before i can start buying. plus i love theidea of recycling something useless into a beautiful knife.

i emailed Walter about heat treating my "junk' METAL and he basically said there isn't a way since i don't know what type it is. I have tried to heat it to the point of demagetization, but even though it was glowing red....never happened.

so here's the question to those who are still awake! Can i use old lawn mower blades?? and if so what type of heat treatment do i need to do. a friend of mine said that all you do is cook it at 450 for couple hours....

suggestions and advice please and im so excited to be a part of this forum. you guys are incredible with your creativity.

thanks so much for listening, i wanted to give you guys a little background from the southerner redneck here in Southeast TX.

regard,
John
 
WELCOME!

All I can do is echo Bugdoc's recommendation to checkout the Knifemaker's subforums and read all you can.
 
Welcome Prodago,

First off ten dollars for a foot of REAL blade steel sounds basically free to me. I would save up or collect cans to get that.
how ever
the blade shown on the white stone in the photo is ground from a gigantic file I found in the dirt at a scrap yard. I hear they don't let you wonder around in them any more. Shame. If you have a place like that go wonder around.

This file is left hard from the factory. Might be a little dangerous for a big knife used very vigorously because it could break in half on you but used with half a brain it would do fine. You can heat treat it a bit too or fully anneal it and start over; read about that.

The little files show were fully annealed, bent and then re-hardened and heat treated. From filing lawn mower blades to sharpen them I would say you are better off using file steel but heat treat it so it is tougher / less brittle.

Seriously consider just getting the new blade steel you spoke of. THAT IS THE WAY TO GO !

 
Old files and old saw blades such as band saws are probably the lowest price raw material you can get. Some ordinary steel such as structural angles doesn't have enough carbon to be able to be heat treated. Search the internet and you should be able to find information on heat treating ordinary steels. You do have to heat them up pretty hot and then quench them, I don't think anything can be heat treated at only 450.
 
prodago said:
Hey guys,
i love knives! i used to make them as a poor kid with only vise, files, grinder. Now that Youtube is here and i've built my 2x72 belt grinder and have seen all the remarkable ways that you guys make knives,i am wanting to get back into the game. I've been watching Walter Sorrells vids mostly and he's taLKED about blade steels, but was a little over my head so to speak. hang in here, there's a question coming up shortly, haha,. anyway, i bought some 2" angle to make my grinder with and have some left over so i simply cut off a section and ground out a knive, slapped some bolsters on it with 2x4 wood handles and was pretty proud of myself. i know that certain steels have to be heat treated and there are thousand ways and opinions.

i am currently laid off and don'[t want to buy from jantz, or the other knife distributors out there, they seem a bit on the high side...$10/foot....maybe thats common, but i'll have to get a job before i can start buying. plus i love theidea of recycling something useless into a beautiful knife.

i emailed Walter about heat treating my "junk' METAL and he basically said there isn't a way since i don't know what type it is. I have tried to heat it to the point of demagetization, but even though it was glowing red....never happened.

so here's the question to those who are still awake! Can i use old lawn mower blades?? and if so what type of heat treatment do i need to do. a friend of mine said that all you do is cook it at 450 for couple hours....

suggestions and advice please and im so excited to be a part of this forum. you guys are incredible with your creativity.

thanks so much for listening, i wanted to give you guys a little background from the southerner redneck here in Southeast TX.

regard,
John
Click to expand...

This particular steel has no carbon in it and is not hardenable, it can be used to make a letter opener or a wall hanger but that's it.
What you may want to find are some old files, real old band or circular saw blades ( modern circular saw blades are different and probably not good )
 
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