Stock removal 101

bjr

bjr

Joined
Sep 23, 2006
Messages
181
I have some experience making stock removal blades with a grinder and a file. I grew up grinding blanks out of old files and home depot crap steel, and heat treating in a hibatchi with a bellows...low tech, but very rewarding when you're 13. Anyway, although I have left the woods of New Hampshire for a cubicle in Boston, I'm working on something a little more ambitious now. My question is, will a cut off wheel in a dewalt angle grinder cut through 1/4" thick D-2 bar stock? I really want to work this out by hand, as opposed to having it machined in a shop. No satisfaction there, might as well buy a production model. I'm guessing I'm not alone there. Just for kicks I took a hacksaw to this piece to see where that would get me since I used to hand cut 3/16" when I had infinate patience and whole summers to spend on one blade...I dont have to tell you where 45 minutes of that got me...Thoughts? I dont really have the bench space or disposable income for a jigsaw/band saw. I appreciate your help!
 
The angle grinder should cut the steel easily, Is the steel annealed?? It will cut much quicker if it is..
 
It came annealed, but this is my first time using good steel. It was a bit of a shock. Thanks for the tip.
 
Actualy a hacksaw will work well too, provided that the steel is annealed and that you use fine tooth Bimetal blades. Best I've used are Lenoex(spelling?) Of course a bandsaw is great too, but I definatly understand money limitations and limited shop space. My current bandsaw is a Portaband clamped in a vise with a homemade platten. Just for cutting to length, a chop saw or angle grinder will work fine.
 
Yes, it works quite well. The angle grinder with cutoff wheel is my method for cutting out blanks. I also use a grinding wheel in the angle grinder to do some of the finer profiling before finishing up on the belt grinder. Profiling a blank with an angle grinder is pretty fun...sort of like using a chainsaw to make ice sculptures. Just be extra cautious of that wheel.

psr
 
The angle grinder will do the trick, but the hacksaw may be better.
With the angle grinder, you will want to watch and make sure that you don't get the steel too hot, because it is air hardening and you will have a lot of trouble filing after the fact.
A good hacksaw frame (I have one made by craftsman that I like really well, and it was only about $20) and GOOD blades will make all the difference in the world. I always use starret bi-metal blades, 24 or 32 tpi depending on how thick of stock I'm working with. These cut faster and cut longer than any other blades I've tried. I get them at the local sears hardware. Lennox blades are also good, and shouldn't be too hard to find either.
 
i was actualy wondering if a jigsaw with a metal blade would cut 1/8 O1. right now i just drill and dremel out my blades and it does not take to long.
 
Ithe first time I used D2 was 1/4" for a machete. I tried cutting it with a sawzall (torch bimetal blades) it ripped all the teeth off. So I used a 5"x 1/8" cutoff wheel in an angle grinder and it worked perfectly.
 
Wow, rokspydr, how'd the machete come out? I'm working my 1/4" D-2 into a heavy wilderness survival knife. I know the majority of serious wilderness guys think the concept is gimicky, but I really like the idea of a heavy blade that will handle some light hatchet duty. My design is (very) loosely based on Mr. Brown's Tracker...wow, I just felt a bunch of eyes rolling...I welcome the discussion, flame away.
 
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