Is anyone using L6 (saw blade steel) in there knife making. I have been recycling old saw blades and making wood carving knives from them. I find the tempering to be correct and they hold an edge very well. There is a company on the internet, Sawtooth knife co. that makes knives from circular saw blades. Any input?
Saw Blade Steel (L6)
- Thread starter lightman
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Lightman
I am using steel from bandsaw blades that come from Boise Cascade Log Mills.
I believe this to be L-6.
They work up pretty good although hard to anneal so I go through a lot of sanding belts.The blades will harden so when you drop 1 it breaks.Take a look at some on powerpoint. http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=93866&a=808330
<a href="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=93866&a=808330">
See my photos of Knives at PhotoPoint</a>
I am using steel from bandsaw blades that come from Boise Cascade Log Mills.
I believe this to be L-6.
They work up pretty good although hard to anneal so I go through a lot of sanding belts.The blades will harden so when you drop 1 it breaks.Take a look at some on powerpoint. http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=93866&a=808330
<a href="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=93866&a=808330">
See my photos of Knives at PhotoPoint</a>
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I've been using L6 from old saw blades for 4 years now. To anneal it you have to heat it up and then let it cool very slowly.
Tj, if your knife's point is breaking just from dropping it, then it must not have been properly tempered. I just made one that I sent to Mike for the 9" test.It was heat treated by Rob Simonich. Just to see for myself, I dropped it tip down from 42" high into concrete. All it did was put a couple small dings in the cutting edge at the tip.They buffed right out. If you have a lumber mill in your area, and the owner likes knives, you have a cheap source for good steel. I gave two skinners for a 52" blade and two others a bit smaller and 15 more that were 18" diameter, and about 20 foot of bandsaw blade. I still haven't used it all. What a deal!!!!!
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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
[This message has been edited by L6STEEL (edited 11 December 1999).]
[This message has been edited by L6STEEL (edited 11 December 1999).]
Tj, if your knife's point is breaking just from dropping it, then it must not have been properly tempered. I just made one that I sent to Mike for the 9" test.It was heat treated by Rob Simonich. Just to see for myself, I dropped it tip down from 42" high into concrete. All it did was put a couple small dings in the cutting edge at the tip.They buffed right out. If you have a lumber mill in your area, and the owner likes knives, you have a cheap source for good steel. I gave two skinners for a 52" blade and two others a bit smaller and 15 more that were 18" diameter, and about 20 foot of bandsaw blade. I still haven't used it all. What a deal!!!!!
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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
[This message has been edited by L6STEEL (edited 11 December 1999).]
[This message has been edited by L6STEEL (edited 11 December 1999).]
Thanks for the input guy's. I have been grinding the blades in the hard (tempered) state. It is hard on belts, but it is worth it to me not to have to heat treat. So far I haven't found the metat to be brittle. It will bend a long way before it breaks.
Lightman
Lightman
I can anneal the steel enough to drill it.It sure would be nice to grind on some nice soft annealed steel though.I meant dropping it after hardening but before tempering.After tempering it just chips the concrete.
The price is right on these bandsaw blades so I'll keep on grinding
The price is right on these bandsaw blades so I'll keep on grinding
TJ
I have not tried to anneal the saw blade steel yet. L6 being an oil quenched steel I would have thought it to anneal easily. I use carbide tip drill bits as well as titanium drill bits for drilling the pin holes. M2 is air hardened and very hard to anneal. It must be cooled very slowly. Do you think that is what L6Steel was refering to?
I have not tried to anneal the saw blade steel yet. L6 being an oil quenched steel I would have thought it to anneal easily. I use carbide tip drill bits as well as titanium drill bits for drilling the pin holes. M2 is air hardened and very hard to anneal. It must be cooled very slowly. Do you think that is what L6Steel was refering to?
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Lightman, a couple months ago I gave my neighbor a piece of L6. He's a new smithy. He wanted to know how to anneal L6 and I believe it was George Tichborne that answered his thread by saying close to what I said here. You might be able to find that thread using the search feature here in the forums.
Also, when I first started, I didn't anneal the steel and therfore didn't think it needed heat treating, either. It would cut great and hold the edge ok, but I have since found that with a proper heat treat, like I now get from Rob Simonich, a blade made out of this steel will stay sharp for an awful long time. The heat treat along with a good shiney buffing will also make the steel hold up to the elements alot better. If you sell your knives, you might wanna consider having them heat treated. It only adds around $6-10 per knife, and when you concider the steel is virtually free compared to others you buy from a supplier, it all works out in the end. Also, you know you're giving your customer the best you can! Take care! Michael
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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
Also, when I first started, I didn't anneal the steel and therfore didn't think it needed heat treating, either. It would cut great and hold the edge ok, but I have since found that with a proper heat treat, like I now get from Rob Simonich, a blade made out of this steel will stay sharp for an awful long time. The heat treat along with a good shiney buffing will also make the steel hold up to the elements alot better. If you sell your knives, you might wanna consider having them heat treated. It only adds around $6-10 per knife, and when you concider the steel is virtually free compared to others you buy from a supplier, it all works out in the end. Also, you know you're giving your customer the best you can! Take care! Michael
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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
Micheal,
Thank you for the information on heat treating. will you give me Rob Simonich's address and phone no. Do you know if he heat treats small blades (1/4x1x1/16thick)? Many of the blades I sell are woodcarving knives and are not very large. I have started doing some hunters and would be interested in having them treated properly.
Thanks again,
Cliff
Thank you for the information on heat treating. will you give me Rob Simonich's address and phone no. Do you know if he heat treats small blades (1/4x1x1/16thick)? Many of the blades I sell are woodcarving knives and are not very large. I have started doing some hunters and would be interested in having them treated properly.
Thanks again,
Cliff
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knives@mt.net
Heres Rob's email addy. Best you contact him for info about specifics. Take care! Michael
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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
Heres Rob's email addy. Best you contact him for info about specifics. Take care! Michael
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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
We have lots of old saws around here.
I attended a saw sharpening demonstration at the nearby High Desert Museum and the speaker said all of the saws in the Northwest woods used L6.
He said nothing else would take the all-day abuse a working saw receives in the woods as well as L6.
Could someone talk a little about the heat treatment and annealing of L6, enough so I could get a feel for the difficulty and equipment required?
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Luke 22:36, John 18:6-11, Freedom
I attended a saw sharpening demonstration at the nearby High Desert Museum and the speaker said all of the saws in the Northwest woods used L6.
He said nothing else would take the all-day abuse a working saw receives in the woods as well as L6.
Could someone talk a little about the heat treatment and annealing of L6, enough so I could get a feel for the difficulty and equipment required?
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Luke 22:36, John 18:6-11, Freedom
Ken,
Micheal sent me Rob Simonich's E-mail address knives@mt.net.
You might want to ask him since he is familiar with heat treating L6.
I thought L6 and 01 both being oil hardened steel would anneal the same way. Just heat till non-magnetic and let air cool. Some of the info I am getting indicates it must be cooled very slowly (vermiculite). At this point I'm not sure. I do know that L6 is an excellent blade steel. Saw blades are tempered to RC 48 to 52. You can cut it with a new file but it is hard on belts if not annealed. Do an internet search on "L6 steel" You will get a lot of information about this steel. (dogpile.com is a good search engine).
Micheal sent me Rob Simonich's E-mail address knives@mt.net.
You might want to ask him since he is familiar with heat treating L6.
I thought L6 and 01 both being oil hardened steel would anneal the same way. Just heat till non-magnetic and let air cool. Some of the info I am getting indicates it must be cooled very slowly (vermiculite). At this point I'm not sure. I do know that L6 is an excellent blade steel. Saw blades are tempered to RC 48 to 52. You can cut it with a new file but it is hard on belts if not annealed. Do an internet search on "L6 steel" You will get a lot of information about this steel. (dogpile.com is a good search engine).
Danbo
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Guys, I have a couple of knives made by Kevin Cashen, an ABS Mastersmith from Michigan. They are forged out of L6, and he marquenches them in his computer controlled salt baths. Then, the blades were sent to Tim Zowada for nitrogen quenching to -320 degrees. These are some tough, sharp blades! I like to sharpen my blades, and I have sharpened a lot of knives. I can tell just from sharpening these, that they are gonna stay sharp a long time. The only negative I have ever heard about L6 is that it rusts pretty easily. That bothers me NOT.
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Danbo, soul brother of Rambo
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Danbo, soul brother of Rambo
- Joined
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It won't rust much at all if it's buffed to a mirror shine. We'll see how tough it really is. I made a camp bowie and sent it to Mike Turber for the 9" blade tests. He should be posting the results soon.
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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"