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What steels are good and where do I get them?
- Thread starter Anthony Strazhnikov
- Start date
every bit of advice and help I get is appreciated and it will only increase my knowledge.
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2015
- Messages
- 128
IF you decide to get your steel from the blade of an old lawn mower, be sure to FIRST REMOVE THE SPARKPLUG. Manually rotating the blade by hand can cause it to "whiz" around faster than you can get your hand out of the way. It's a good secondary safety measure to wedge a piece of wood (like a 2X4) to keep the blade from moving at all while you work on the crusty nut.
If you look up lawn mower repair shops or vehicle suspension install shops in your area, they may have old lawn mower blades / leaf springs lying around for a very reasonable cost...maybe free.
Good luck, and be sure to post pictures of your progress. Although you may not get free steel here, you can get lots of free advice.
If you look up lawn mower repair shops or vehicle suspension install shops in your area, they may have old lawn mower blades / leaf springs lying around for a very reasonable cost...maybe free.
Good luck, and be sure to post pictures of your progress. Although you may not get free steel here, you can get lots of free advice.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2007
- Messages
- 4,290
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you are planning on pursuing stock removal, I.E., grinding, sanding, and filing your blades to shape? If so, that will limit the options you'll want to look at for blade material.
If forging, you have more options as you can forge a number of materials flat and to shape. When doing stock removal, you're much better off to start with something that's already flat and parallel.
The other thing to realize, is that not all saw blades, files, lawn mower blades, etc... are the same, and a lot of the newer ones won't make very good blades at all nor will they harden.
You're best bet is to get some known steel like 1084.
Also, go here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/741-Shop-Talk-BladeSmith-Questions-and-Answers
and start reading the stickies.
If forging, you have more options as you can forge a number of materials flat and to shape. When doing stock removal, you're much better off to start with something that's already flat and parallel.
The other thing to realize, is that not all saw blades, files, lawn mower blades, etc... are the same, and a lot of the newer ones won't make very good blades at all nor will they harden.
You're best bet is to get some known steel like 1084.
Also, go here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/741-Shop-Talk-BladeSmith-Questions-and-Answers
and start reading the stickies.