-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Wheeler's Steel * Stuck in the metal with you
- Thread starter Lorien
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2005
- Messages
- 27,889
Grinding first pass with a worn 60grit ceramic belt... This is quite similar to how Tim Hancock grinds. I can grind completely free-hand, but this is faster for me;
After 1 pass with a worn 60X belt... those pits don't look TOO deep (I hope, lol!)
Then I put on a new 60X belt... this is after one pass against the new 60X belt;
after 3 passes;
At this point I want the plunges close, but the don't have to be dead nuts just yet. I am more concerned that the edge is centered and the plunges are fairly close so that I can match them up after heat-treat;
This shot shows the distal taper, but not very well. It will be more pronounced after final grinding is complete;
* a quick note from Lorien, (that's me);
you might have noticed a shift in narrative to first person. I simply cannot keep up with Nick, this WIP is epic! I'm loving every moment of it. And really, this is best in his own words. I'm no editor, I'm a messenger
PS. I finally got a chance to check out the pics I just posted and HOLY SHIT BATMAN!!!
After 1 pass with a worn 60X belt... those pits don't look TOO deep (I hope, lol!)
Then I put on a new 60X belt... this is after one pass against the new 60X belt;
after 3 passes;
At this point I want the plunges close, but the don't have to be dead nuts just yet. I am more concerned that the edge is centered and the plunges are fairly close so that I can match them up after heat-treat;
This shot shows the distal taper, but not very well. It will be more pronounced after final grinding is complete;
* a quick note from Lorien, (that's me);
you might have noticed a shift in narrative to first person. I simply cannot keep up with Nick, this WIP is epic! I'm loving every moment of it. And really, this is best in his own words. I'm no editor, I'm a messenger
PS. I finally got a chance to check out the pics I just posted and HOLY SHIT BATMAN!!!
Last edited:
mtnfolk mike
Basic Member
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2006
- Messages
- 10,040
wow...that was too cool...
amazing pics and tutorial... thanks..:thumbup:
amazing pics and tutorial... thanks..:thumbup:
- Joined
- Dec 3, 1999
- Messages
- 9,437
It's important for me to say that Mike Vagnino helped teach me the basics on how I grind, and Mike learned from Tim Hancock. That was the reason for mentioning Tim. I firmly believe in giving credit where it's due!!!
EDITED to add: I had been grinding knives free-hand for about 6 or 7 years (including about 20 dagger blades) when Mike showed me the tool rest technique. I had reservations as so many people call things like that "cheating." It was actually a lot harder for me to do at first, because it's different body mechanics than free-hand grinding... but now after doing it for several years, it is how I prefer to do things. Mostly, because I can grind a blade so stink'n fast this way.
All the salt bath work and hardening was done last night (Lorien has pics of that he'll be posting when he can), so I'll be finish grinding this huge sucker today. Finish grinding isn't nearly as quick, for me, as the rough grinding.
BTW- these pics should make a pretty decent argument against anyone who doesn't think you can GREATLY reduce your grinding time by forging to shape. And lemme tell 'ya... hammering on hot steel is a lot more fun than only standing in front of the grinder!
EDITED to add: I had been grinding knives free-hand for about 6 or 7 years (including about 20 dagger blades) when Mike showed me the tool rest technique. I had reservations as so many people call things like that "cheating." It was actually a lot harder for me to do at first, because it's different body mechanics than free-hand grinding... but now after doing it for several years, it is how I prefer to do things. Mostly, because I can grind a blade so stink'n fast this way.
All the salt bath work and hardening was done last night (Lorien has pics of that he'll be posting when he can
), so I'll be finish grinding this huge sucker today. Finish grinding isn't nearly as quick, for me, as the rough grinding.BTW- these pics should make a pretty decent argument against anyone who doesn't think you can GREATLY reduce your grinding time by forging to shape. And lemme tell 'ya... hammering on hot steel is a lot more fun than only standing in front of the grinder!
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2005
- Messages
- 27,889
Hmmm...what's on today's menu? What? More knife making? Sounds delicious!
grinding bevel with a 120grit ceramic disc on the 9" variable speed disc grinder. This allows me to check and make sure the bevels really are flat;
there was very little material to grind off for the clip, so I just rough filed them in for heat-treating;
the edges of the blade are at 120grit now, but there are sharp edges... mostly just as a precautionary thing, I go over the blade with a 10" buffing wheel and 240X Polish-O-Ray compound from Brownell's. This stuff can throw sparks! But it leaves the blade with nice smooth edges;
sitting on the bench, cleaned up with Acetone, and ready for its trip into the salt bath;
It's the salt bath.
this is what the heat-treating salts in a salt bath look like when they're at room temperature;
this is the salt up close when it's in its working temperature range... 1600F to be exact for this pic;
the blade ready to be dipped in the salt... note the leather welding jacket. 1600 degree liquid is not something you want on your skin!!!
the blade coming out of the salt for one of the initial, high-temperature cycles. It was about 1600F in this pic;
an overall view of me pulling a hot blade from the salt;
the blade out of the salt, up close;
the shadows entering the blade as it cools off after coming out of the salt;
grinding bevel with a 120grit ceramic disc on the 9" variable speed disc grinder. This allows me to check and make sure the bevels really are flat;
there was very little material to grind off for the clip, so I just rough filed them in for heat-treating;
the edges of the blade are at 120grit now, but there are sharp edges... mostly just as a precautionary thing, I go over the blade with a 10" buffing wheel and 240X Polish-O-Ray compound from Brownell's. This stuff can throw sparks! But it leaves the blade with nice smooth edges;
sitting on the bench, cleaned up with Acetone, and ready for its trip into the salt bath;
It's the salt bath.
this is what the heat-treating salts in a salt bath look like when they're at room temperature;
this is the salt up close when it's in its working temperature range... 1600F to be exact for this pic;
the blade ready to be dipped in the salt... note the leather welding jacket. 1600 degree liquid is not something you want on your skin!!!
the blade coming out of the salt for one of the initial, high-temperature cycles. It was about 1600F in this pic;
an overall view of me pulling a hot blade from the salt;
the blade out of the salt, up close;
the shadows entering the blade as it cools off after coming out of the salt;
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2005
- Messages
- 27,889
This is a digital temp gauge... it's just interesting to see how quickly the thing cross-sectional area of a knife blade cools off. This was after only about a minute and a half out of the high temp salt;
This is a shot of the digital controller up close as it was climbing back up to 1410F;
The blade is going to have to come out of the salt bath, and go immediately into the vertical quench tank on the right. The quench tank holds Park #50 quench oil, and has a water heater element mounted in the bottom to help get the oil up to an optimal temperature range for quenching;
I lucked out and the camera timer just happened to click when I had the blade about half-way submerged in the quench tank;
This is what a blade looks like out of the quench when you use molten salt to austenitize the steel... CLEAN!
close up of blade after quenching;
I had pre-heated the Paragon, digitally controlled kiln to 400F. As soon as I washed the salt film off of the blade, I put it in the kiln for tempering. By the numbers, 400 is a bit too low for the tempering, but I prefer to start at 400 and go up from there if the blade needs it.
I suppose I better take a shower and go to bed since it's 3am... but I'll be up and finish grinding in the morning
Hope this is working out okay on your end Lorien!!!
****
Nick, it's working out more than okay man! This is amazing! Sharing all these photos and their captions with my fellow forumites- AS I RECEIVE THEM!- is the coolest thing ever. I am getting mighty amped about this knife brother. One quick question- are you going to make a sheath as well?
This is a shot of the digital controller up close as it was climbing back up to 1410F;
The blade is going to have to come out of the salt bath, and go immediately into the vertical quench tank on the right. The quench tank holds Park #50 quench oil, and has a water heater element mounted in the bottom to help get the oil up to an optimal temperature range for quenching;
I lucked out and the camera timer just happened to click when I had the blade about half-way submerged in the quench tank;
This is what a blade looks like out of the quench when you use molten salt to austenitize the steel... CLEAN!
close up of blade after quenching;
I had pre-heated the Paragon, digitally controlled kiln to 400F. As soon as I washed the salt film off of the blade, I put it in the kiln for tempering. By the numbers, 400 is a bit too low for the tempering, but I prefer to start at 400 and go up from there if the blade needs it.
I suppose I better take a shower and go to bed since it's 3am... but I'll be up and finish grinding in the morning
Hope this is working out okay on your end Lorien!!!
****
Nick, it's working out more than okay man! This is amazing! Sharing all these photos and their captions with my fellow forumites- AS I RECEIVE THEM!- is the coolest thing ever. I am getting mighty amped about this knife brother. One quick question- are you going to make a sheath as well?
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 2, 1999
- Messages
- 9,910
This is very interesting to watch unfold. I know for a fact how hard all this is to photograph especially the heat treating shots so its really appreciated Nick and Lorien. No more sleep, get back to work.
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2002
- Messages
- 3,974
Great job, fellas. This one is going to be bookmarked (both for myself and to refer to others).
--nathan
--nathan
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2002
- Messages
- 5,703
Took a break from the shop to see where you were at.
Great stuff Nick. Thanks for sharing.
Now back to work.
Great stuff Nick. Thanks for sharing.
Now back to work.
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2009
- Messages
- 240
This is one of the coolest threads Ive seen. Thanks guys.
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2010
- Messages
- 893
this is some kinda crack, huh!
Tell me bout it! I think I've re-read this thread about 20 times, every time hoping you've added more pics! STOP TEASING!!!!
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2009
- Messages
- 240
this is some kinda crack, huh!
Yeah, you guys are like dealers, this one is free the next one is gonna cost.
