Water cutting knife blanks

M

Mickey

Joined
Mar 17, 1999
Messages
221
I cut my knife blanks the old fashioned way.One at a time on a Delta metal cutting band saw.In the future, I would like to have some of my standard patterns "water cut".Does anyone know a good source for this type of work?
A few makers have said that laser cutting leaves the last 1/8" of the blade edge in danger of a bad heat treat.Any problems with this method?
I will still use my bandsaw on most of my blanks , but, I would appreciate comments on Laser cutting or water cutting methods.
 
Mickey, I have had experiences good and bad with water cutting. I used Precision H2O in Spokane Washington. You will have to buy your steel and send it to them. They make a computer program and cut it out all for about $5 - $10 per blank. Its very nice but adds up fast especially if you send different size steels. They have to make a program for each piece of steel. This made me angry when I found the bill was high. I could have bought a bandsaw for the same amount. Its boring making semi-production knives anyway. I make mostly "one of a kind" now. If you want their phone number Email me, Its in the shop. Bruce
 
Mickey,
I dont believe that laser cutting is the best I had some D2 blanks cut out with a laser cutter and I had bad problems with the heat treat and ended up throwing the blades out. you learn from your mistakes. I'd like to try water cutting but I have not found anyone in my area over here who does it.
good luck hope it goes ok
Regards
Steve
 
The problem with laser cutting is the heat. The problem with water cutting is a quiet thick stream which is not straight like a laser and is only suited for thin steel blanks (no integrals. What makes me wonder is that never anybody is talking about wire EDM. It is not very expensive and you may cut batches of steel with it without any heat or surface problems. I know a university (Aachen) who lets cut their test pieces for ripping tests this way. No decarb surface, because the material is not burned away, but eroded and precision is 1/100 of a millimeter.

Achim
 
There is no EDM around here and if there were I heard it isnt cheap unless they let you do it yourself. I would love to have one.
 
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