What should be my next tool purchase?

B

Blackdirt cowboy

Joined
Oct 29, 2015
Messages
301
I’ve got a 2x72 grinder, a great drill press, and a nice anvil. I’ve tried making pattern welded steel by hand and that was a disaster. But I really want to start making it in earnest, so was thinking about buying or building a press. I’m also stuck with only using simple steels right now as a I can only heat treat in my forge. So I was also thinking about buying a heat treat oven. I’ve gotten pretty proficient at finishing my blades on the belt grinder, but the finish of my handles leaves a little to be desired, so I was thinking about a buffer as well. I’m just not sure where I’ll get the best bang for my buck on this next purchase. What say all the experts here? What should be my next purchase, a press, heat treat oven, or a buffer? Or maybe I’m missing something else that’s important. What do you think?
 
Merry Christmas, BlackdirtCowboy. That's a tough question for folks to answer, so here's my thoughts.
Part of the answer depends on the type of knives you make and who you are making them for.
I know a few very good bladesmiths from the NWBA who would say a disc grinder should be high up on the list. They claim that this significantly reduces the time and effort to get flats on their grinds, but I've had one for a few months, and don't use it much yet because I haven't learned that tool yet.
A HT oven will allow you to be a bit more confident in the quality of the steel in the end product (grain structure and hardness) than doing things by eye, and IMO this is important if you are selling your blades to the general public.
Speaking from experience, having a press will open doors on your pattern welding that were currently closed. It takes a lot of variables out of the equation, makes welding much easier, and makes drawing out billets easier and faster (although not as fast as a power hammer). Because of the pressure and possibility of having large enough dies to squish the entire billet at the same time, I have welded billets as low as 1850F. Mosaic patterns and canisters also become a possibility.
But then there's budgetary concerns. A buffer can be had for under $100, A disc grinder with VFD for under $1000, a HT oven $1500-2500+, and press $5000-7000+.
Hopefully that doesn't muddy the waters on your decision.
 
Thanks, weo. I’ve also heard the same thing about a disc grinder, but I’m not having any difficulty getting the flats flat on my platen. So a disc grinder hasn’t been a consideration for me. Maybe I’m not thinking that one all the way through, though.
 
Word around town is that January's Knifemaker's Corner digital demonstration by the NWBA is going to be about how to use a disc grinder.
But that has yet to be confirmed...
 
i don't think you actually "need" a buffer, unless you want things really shiny. a clean 3000 or 5000 grit is almost mirror finish/shiny by itself. i don't think the disc will let you conquer much new territory than you cant already do with your 2x72, enough to make it worthwhile. as far as the heat treating, if you are going to treat stainless you are going to need more than the oven, i am sure you are aware. i think its more important to look ahead as see what you will want to do in the future, instead of choosing a tool out of what you can afford at this moment.. if you are the most interested in pattern welded steels, save what you have toward a press.
 
Merry Christmas! A HT oven would be tops. Next would be a portaband with swag table if you don’t already have one. Just my $.02!
 
Blackdirt cowboy said:
I’ve got a 2x72 grinder, a great drill press, and a nice anvil. I’ve tried making pattern welded steel by hand and that was a disaster. But I really want to start making it in earnest, so was thinking about buying or building a press. I’m also stuck with only using simple steels right now as a I can only heat treat in my forge. So I was also thinking about buying a heat treat oven. I’ve gotten pretty proficient at finishing my blades on the belt grinder, but the finish of my handles leaves a little to be desired, so I was thinking about a buffer as well. I’m just not sure where I’ll get the best bang for my buck on this next purchase. What say all the experts here? What should be my next purchase, a press, heat treat oven, or a buffer? Or maybe I’m missing something else that’s important. What do you think?
Click to expand...

If you sell knives you make FIRST you MUST to buy heat treat oven. After that , buy whatever you want ............... I will forgive you finish on handle but I will NOT forgive you bad heat treated blade on knife you sell to me :thumbsup:

Merry Christmas :)
 
What's your budget? Also what's your fabrication skill level? I assume you already have an angle grinder? Do you have a welder, and what kind?

I ask for a few reasons. I build nearly everything myself. It's cheaper, but I have a full cnc machine shop, but mainly because I get exactly what I want. If you have the time building a press, another belt grinder from a kit, DIY heat treat oven. I can walk you though the heat treat oven. I just designed an oven for swords, 48" long.
 
cartierusm said:
What's your budget? Also what's your fabrication skill level? I assume you already have an angle grinder? Do you have a welder, and what kind?

I ask for a few reasons. I build nearly everything myself. It's cheaper, but I have a full cnc machine shop, but mainly because I get exactly what I want. If you have the time building a press, another belt grinder from a kit, DIY heat treat oven. I can walk you though the heat treat oven. I just designed an oven for swords, 48" long.
Click to expand...
Yeah I’ve got an angle grinder and a Lincoln arc welder big enough to weld anything you’d really want to weld. I also have the skills to build pretty much anything I want. Time is my big constraint. I build knives and do blacksmithing as a side hobby and I would rather spend my time doing that rather than building tools. That being said, I’m interested in the DIY heat treat oven.
 
I get ya, though a hydraulic press is amazing and can be had way cheaper than buying.

I just looked at my spreadsheet I paid $1500 for all the parts. Now almost all the metal I had in stock already and that wasn't cost accounted for. Having said that most of that metal was free. If you have a large metal supplier around you that cuts metal go over and ask if you can buy stuff out of their recycle bins, also bring a case of beer; seriously. Now that won't work for a metal supplier like Metal Supermarkets where it's corporate and they're used to saving and selling drops. My metal suppliers only deal with full lengths so when a customer orders 20 I-Beams cut to 13' 6" the drops go in the scrap bin. Also, I'm a long time customer, but if you explain what you're doing and you're not a shop trying to scam them out of perfectly good metal most will be cool. Bring some of the knives you've made. Hell you might get some orders. Also, the hydraulic unit I have is massive, can power anything hydraulic. I got it off craigslist for $250 a scraper was selling it and didn't know if it worked so I gave him a price I was comfortable with as these things are pretty simple; motor, motor coupling, hydraulic pump (which for knife making are not expensive), tank. Everything else you'll need to get special for this project. And I'm using 2 35 ton hydraulic cylinders and a rotary screw divider which makes sure both cylinders go down at the same rate no matter what. So if you go single cylinder then knock off $500 easy.

For the press surpluscenter.com is your friend for hydraulic parts.

As for the heat treat oven, this video basically tell you everything you need except for the wire. Goto this thread and it'll tell you how to calculate the wire you need https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/heat-treat-ovens-some-basics.1022992/. I just ordered wire from https://kruegerpottery.com/collections/kanthal-a1-wire. They will coil it, to your OD, and twist the ends for you. I use https://www.auberins.com/ for all my controls the SYL-23X2P is prefect for heat treat ovens.
 
Thanks for the direction, guys. I’m about to pull the trigger on a 30” vertical Jen Ken oven. I only do shorter knives for now but sure like the idea of being able to do longer blades in the future.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top