Sawing Carbon Steel at 57-58 RC

[DaveH]

Can I take a hacksaw to a piece of 1095, heat treated at 57 - 58 or so will it cut OK?

I'm thinking about buying some inexpensive used knives and shortening the blades. ( Like used Kabars and such)

TIA,
DaveH

 

[e_utopia]

You will have to go slowly to avoid heating the blade, which will remove the heat-treatment. You will then have to hand-file a new blade profile (unless you want a big flat end instead of a point). Or, you could just take a grinder to them, then have the heat-treatment re-done (although that might not make much sense with used knives, huh).

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com

 

[DaveH]

Thanks, I was planning cutting and filing with hand tools.

 

[e_utopia]

Just to clarify, even hand-sawing can get the steel hot. Especially with a steel this hard, where you will be tempted to saw faster, as your cut seems to take forever. Use oil on the cut to reduce friction and, therefore, heat.

--stay cool

,
JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com

 

[Osbourn]

I usually grind jobs like that with a bucket of coolant. My Craftsman is slow enough for that.

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Oz

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