PreHT Grind of Stainless

[etp777]

I have started grinding some 440C stainless blades, and I plan on sending them to TKS to have them heat treated. Now, when I grind my O1 which I HT myself, I take edge to about 1/16" to help reduce warping and so that I can grind off carburized layer(or at least that's my reasoning, not sure if those are valid reasons). Being as 440C is an air quench, and the description from TKS said they get a double layer of foil to help reduce most scale(claim that most any scale that is still present can probably be just buffed off), should I take my grind as near to final product as possible? Clearly, I won't take it ot an actual edge, as I don't want to take chance of hurting someone else, but how close to finished should I take this stuff before sending it out?

 

[Mike Hull]

You can go as far as you want with the grind. Leave yourself a little, just for finish grinding. If they are wrapped properly, it should just have a straw color when it comes back. Good luck.

 

[etp777]

Thanks much. THat should save me some time. Even with my new grinder, still would rather grind on annealed than on hardened stuff(blech, still have one blade that I didn't drill pin holes for, and will spend next three days, until I do heat treating again, debating whether I re anneal and heat treat after drilling holes, or drill them in the hardened and just put that stress on the bits). SO this is good news. GUess I need to just finish the O1 I'm working on then and strat really grinding this 440.

ANwyays, enough babbling. THanks much

 

[rlinger]

I've been pre-HT grinding to about 14 to 20 mil. No warped edges yet. I have done this so far on O1, D2, ATS-34, and S30V. You don't need to stop at 1/16th on your O1. I'd shot for about 20 mil.

Roger