What is the next major tool investment after acquiring a 2x72 and Heat treat Oven?

I have one with a foot peddle and like that function.
I mostly use sanding drums to shape handles, burrs to enlarge holes in hardened steel and miscellaneous tasks and cut off wheels to cut metal or rough up a full or hidden tang prior to epoxy.
And then I have a box full of all different kind of burrs, wheels and what-not-more that you forget you have and comes in handy when you think you're stuck
 
After heat treating as many blades as we have done I consider it of the utmost importance to have a hardness tester if you have a heat treat oven. You can’t go off the charts and trust it 100%. I would say the charts will get you to give or take a few rc. But if your wanting push you hardness you MUST know what hardness your getting. Also it allows you to actually state what the hardness is when you sell the blade. It also helps you track down any issues with your heat treating. AEBL for exzample is quite sensitive to tempature. You will most likely not hit the numbers you want if you just go off the numbers on the chart or numbers someone else uses. 25° Change in your oven can affect AEBL quite drastically and if you don’t know the starting hardness you won’t know what temper to run. Just my 10¢ worth of advice.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
It grinds on two planes. It allows a scale or bolster to be squared so the end is exactly 90° or whatever angle you need. It is also yields a very exact flatness.
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Yes never trust a belt grinder to make a flat surface. Even a flat platten is not flat and will grind more from the ends of the material. Disk grinder or surface grinder if you need flat.
 
Hardness tester. Without it you can’t state with authority that your ht and temper were where you intended. Doesn’t matter if it is a $150 knife or $1500, YOU need to KNOW before your customer finds out your hardness is off.
 
My variable speed disc sander has been a huge time saver. I‘ve had it for about six months and there‘s no telling how many hours of hand sanding it has eliminated. Literally hours per knife between making them flat and making them pretty(ish). A proper surface grinder would be awesome.
 
A good drill press. Don't skimp on that, especially if you want to make folders. And you will want to make a folder one day, even if you're not confident in your skills yet.
And a really good set of drill bits. Or buy them individually from McMaster carr over time, as you need them. Get the ti/ni ones. The ones you use alot, get five of each. Don't forget where you put your spares!
And a Rockwell tester, especially if you're planning on selling your work. I can't imagine what some of these guys are making who don't have one.
Without one, there's no credibility, your just making steel hard. How hard? Hard enough to cut, you say? Well, ever got a paper cut?
Yeah, I have a strong opinion on that topic.
Also, get a big ass bench vice. Again, get a good one and you'll have it until you die. And you won't cuss it out every time you use it.
Get quality tools that you're confident in, they're an investment. They'll bring you great joy and pleasure in the future.
 
Daniel Fairly Knives said:
Mini Mill but it depends where you want to go. Maybe put the money into waterjet if you want to expand.

It's a small expense but get a granite surface plate if you don't have one. Lap stuff flat...
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I actually just got a small flat granite plate and have been amazed at how much I have used it the last few days. Not a bit investment but certainly a very useful one.
 
I have a similar set of equipment and what i keep wanting is a lathe. Custom pommel nuts, round handles, and you can use it to flatten things pretty well with some creative mounting.
Depending how far you want to go down the precision rabbit hole there's a lot of measurement equipment.

Calibration equipment for the HT oven?
A consumable, but a big load of steel so you have a known batch to work from?
 
Having a Bubble Jig is not a major investment but purchasing one will open up a lot of grinding options and the money you save in steel alone will allow you to make a major purchase.
 
I did not buy an oven until I could also buy a Rockwell tester. Yes super expensive and not often used but priceless to be able to experiment with steels and know what is happening for hardness. I also gained a level of respect from potential customers because I can actually accurately measure hardness.
 
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