Straightening

[Destraal]

So I profiled out a couple of blades out of 1095 steel, and after doing so I realized that they were all slightly bent, and probably were before I started the profiling. What's a good way to straighten them without an anvil?

 

[R.C.Reichert]

I have had this happen a few times before in the past, both with 1095 and other steels. The best way is with an anvil and a torch or some other heat source. I find that if you bend the steel cold, the bend tends to re-appear after it is quenched. I usually get the steel red hot and give it a few taps to straighten it out before the hardening process. It is not necessary having a special anvil for this. Any heavy piece of flat steel would suffice just to straighten things out. Some people have even used a flat rock and a fire pit. Maybe the "pros" will have some better advice for you. Good luck!

 

[Mark Redmon]

It depends where the bend is i guess but I've used my arbor press to do some light straightening... worked out well, just go slow and keep checking it. -Mark

 

[J.S. Carter]

get it red hot then quench in grape jelly, but only if steppenwolf is on the radio...

ok ok just kiddin, heat to a dull red. stick 2 pieces of angle iron in your vice so the backs are facing each other. Place the dull red 1095 in and then tighten the vice to straighten. This will plate quench but it will not get hard enough, so you will need to re-harden and re-temper

Jason

 

[Leu Custom]

if you haven't hardened it yet, i'd say put it in a vise and straighten it by eye

 

[Destraal]

ok ok just kiddin, heat to a dull red. stick 2 pieces of angle iron in your vice so the backs are facing each other. Place the dull red 1095 in and then tighten the vice to straighten. This will plate quench but it will not get hard enough, so you will need to re-harden and re-temper

Jason

This sounds like exactly what I was looking for, I'll try it out tomorrow. Thanks for all the input guys.