Preparing for Heat Treat

[firebert]

I have never made a knife before. I decided that making a kitchen knife would be an interesting project.

My blade is approaching heat-treat time. I decided to get it professionally done. As this is my first knife, I don't want to get screwed by the heat treatment.

Is there some sort of a checklist to follow to make sure the blade is ready to send off? How fine should I sand? What would a good edge thickness be? I know that the grinds should be symmetrical, and that the blade should be clean. Is there anything else I should know before finishing and sending it off?

The steel is cpm154, and the handles are cocobolo burl, african blackwood, and sterling silver. Having worked on this knife, I have a new appreciation for what goes into a good blade.

Phillip

 

[Harry Stone]

I'd like to see a checklist like that, too.

By the way, nice work.

 

[koyote]

awesome looking. especially the handle scales. NICE.

I've only been doiing this for a bit over a year, but-

(assume all normalizing is already done....)

I haven't dealt with the type of heat treating you will be dealing with, I do "simple" steels and 15n20. What I do is sand to 320, buff lightly to see if anything looks like a gouge. If you aren't going to be dealing with heat treating in a charcoal forge, like me, you might be wanting to go 400. (Incidentally, I like a soft buffed 320 or 400 grit finish for kitchen knives anyway, mirror finishing is too much for a knife that gets heavy use.....)

I do almost exclusively convex or scandi grinds. I leave the smallest visible flat on the edge, call it between a 32 and 64th of an inch. I hit the edge lightly with a 320 belt after heat treating and then do final grind and sharpening.

BUT- you are dealing with a different type of heating treating, I think.

 

[Ryan Minchew]

with cpm 154 I take all the way to finish except for sharpening. I leave my edge about .020 thick sometimes thinner. Never had a problem going a hair thinner. Drill holes, grind blade, finish blade, etch name into tang, wipe with acetone, make sure holes are free and clean, wrap in several sheets of paper and send off.

 

[firebert]

Thanks a bunch. I'm at .025 right now; a bit more grinding and I'm ready to finish sand. I think I'll shoot for something between .020 and .015 for the edge.

 

[Bruce Bump]

I have only dealt with Paul Bos but here is what Ive learned over the last 20 years with him.

Be sure to do the profile and all the drilling and filework first. The bevels can be done afterward but most people get them around .020"-.030" before and regrind with new belts after HT. 220 grit finish will assure there will be no cracking when hardening but I never go that smooth before and have never had a crack. The holes are nearly impossible to put in after so double check them before.

Be sure to put your name and the type of steel on each blade on the tang. He requires this to be done with an electric pencil or dremel, not with a magic marker. He does a large batch and cant sort them out afterward otherwise.

Also he needs a note in the box with your name, addy and phone number and the number of blades. Be sure to roll each knife in newspaper.

Mixed steels are subject to additional charges. He calls me once in a while and chews my butt for mismarking my steel types. He doesnt miss a thing because each blade is rockwell tested.

There is a price break at 20 blades