Optimal direction to cut a blade out of a sheet (or bar). Grain direction question.

langchop said:
Valid points. But like we all know... The wood analogy really is overkill, and most grain elongation effects will be eradicated in HT and arent really worth worrying about. Fortunately its not really practical in most instances to 'slice' blade blanks, because I dont think this would offer any advantages anyway.

I have to ask tho Nathan... What is that pic? barstock machined by CNC ready for hacksawing into blanks?

Lang
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Thats a super thick integral...;)
 
langchop said:
I have to ask tho Nathan... What is that pic? barstock machined by CNC ready for hacksawing into blanks?

Lang
Click to expand...


Isn't that how everybody does it?

But seriously, this is a fixture used to hold a blank to be profiled. It illustrated my point about cutting a shape out of the end of a bar, the third way from earlier. I always figured it would not be a suitable way to make a blade because the grain direction is all wrong. But, perhaps it would be just fine, after heat treat. The martensite grains re form after HT. The carbides wouldn't be biased in the direction of the blade or the edge, but would sit perpendicular to both. I wonder if that might help D2 take a better finish? I wonder how that would effect edge performance? I wonder if this is a viable way of cutting knife blanks.
 
Try it and see. I think it is great. Get a bar of good steel say 1 1/4" thick 10" wide and machine to profile and put it in the band saw and go to slicing. If it was 12" long you would end up with a lot of profiled blanks
 
If anyone seriously wants to try the cross grain idea, I can cut some cross grain barstock. Maybe 1/8 x 1 1/2 x 10" or so? 154CM?

Rob!
 
Rob! said:
If anyone seriously wants to try the cross grain idea, I can cut some cross grain barstock. Maybe 1/8 x 1 1/2 x 10" or so? 154CM?

Rob!
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Rob,

You would have to do two, one the "normal" way, the other across and compare. If you want to send me two pieces of whatever in 1" X 8" X .125" or similar, I'll make two identical blades, mark the "cross" blade with an "X" and sent them back to you (without handle or finish or final edge etc) for you to evaluate. I'd prefer you do your own heat treat, but whatever.
 
Thanks Nathan, but I don't think I have the time to do testing right now. :( I was responding because some posters were suggesting it would be hard to get a 9 or 10 inch crossgrain piece out of a 6 x 36 sheet. I buy my steel in 24 x 36" sheets so it wouldn't be all that hard to supply crossgrain for those who wanted it.

Rob!
 
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