Newbie Questions

S

Sprayman

Joined
Nov 15, 2014
Messages
257
Hello;

I'm working on my first knives and am having a blast. I've hit a couple of snags along the way and am hoping I can get some feedback from the veterans.

I think I already know the answer to my question, but I'll go ahead and ask it anyway. Feel free to roll your eyes.

I'm making the knives out of an old saw blade (I know, I know). I'm doing that because I want to get some experience before spending money on good steel, and I like the idea of making something useful out of something discarded (kind of like why I enjoy taking an old, trashed bicycle and rebuilding it into reliable transportation).

Anyway, I pulled two blanks out of the coal and quenched them today. One of them held together and the other one broke in half. The one that held together has some strange markings on it now, kind of like bubbling. It feels solid, though. As I type this I have it in my kitchen oven at 425 for one hour.

So, could my broken blade and strange patterning be due to cheap steel?

Thanks,

Sprayman
 
SBuzek;

Thanks for the quick reply. I heated the blanks up until a magnet would no longer stick to them, but maybe I took to long to check. Is there a way to know when to pull the blanks out, to avoid overheating?

Thanks
 
Start with a known steel. An old sawblade could be made from anything. 1084 is cheap and easy to heat treat.

- Chris
 
Chris;

Thanks. I'll probably do that with my next knife. I knew I was taking chances with the old sawblade, but like I said in my original post, I wanted to use it so I could get a feel for what I was doing. It's been fun and I've already learned a lot.

Geron
 
Sprayman, Have you looked online at the knife making suppliers? They sell pieces of 1084 and 1095 steel in three foot sections for cheap and many knife makers say they are the easier to heat treat yourself. It will be cheaper for you to use good steel to start with and not waste time and hard work on your blades. I understand the allure of recycling but you should know the steel before investing your energy in unknown steel. I believe if you use good steel it is more likely that your first knives will be of higher quality and please you more.
 
Last edited:
Sprayman Take a blade and put it in the fire,when it starts to take on color pull and check it often. You need to train your eye to color and to me 1500* is a dull orange. it is very easy to overshoot the temp by several hundred degrees. By checking often you will find the color when the magnet just starts to not stick. Then take it slightly higher and quench.
Do your H/T late in the afternoon or at least in the shade so the color of the steel is easier to see.
 
Hi Larry;
I've looked in a couple of places that sell tool steel. I've seen O1, A1 and A2 steel advertised. Do you have any opinions on those? My local builder's supply store sells steel (other than sheet metal) so I think I'll drop by there and see if they have any 1084 or 1095. Thanks for your time.

Sprayman
 
That sounds to me like the problem. It was glowing brighter than a dull orange. Next time I'll follow the steps you outlined. Thanks again.
 
If everyone who posted a picture of a bad knife had to leave the forum, there would only be like 8 guys on here.

- Chris
 
Sprayman said:
Hi Larry;
I've looked in a couple of places that sell tool steel. I've seen O1, A1 and A2 steel advertised. Do you have any opinions on those? My local builder's supply store sells steel (other than sheet metal) so I think I'll drop by there and see if they have any 1084 or 1095. Thanks for your time.

Sprayman
Click to expand...

I will guarantee you that your local hardware store does not have any 1084 steel. By the way, 1084 is what you will want to use for your first knife. You don't need precise temperature control to soak it at austentizing temperature. You can also quench it in warm canola oil. 1095 is trickier as it needs a soak, and is not suitable for a first knife with your setup.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top