Working with 1084 for the first time....

[n80shutterbug]

Hi, I'm kind of a newbie so bear with me. I've made a few knives from railroad spikes (sorry no pics, maybe I can get some later), but that is the extent of my working experience.

I got some 1084 and forged it (brake drum, connected to air compressor definitely not the best forge system but its all I have right now), to a basic shape. I'm shooting to get a neck knife that is exactly 8" overall with a 4" blade, full tang. I am in the process of filing the high spots out, and getting it all shaped etc, and since I haven't worked 1084 I'm wondering just how careful I have to be with it. I did an anneal after forging, and had it nice and straight, but after filing it (and warming it up pretty good) it has taken on a curve. Can I whack it with a hammer a couple times to straighten it at this stage?

Also, I know I shouldn't get my cutting edge under a sixteenth or so before heat treat, but then how in the world do I get it sharpened later? I have a hand stone and a file. I do have access to a small sander, but won't that overheat the blade after heat treat? I guess these are questions you've heard before, but a search on the site didn't give me my answers.

Thanks,
Gabe

 

[SBuzek]

Welcome to BladeForums.

If you can file it,it is soft enough to bend.Get a coulpe of wood dowels and put under each end with the bend up and then push on the center to bend it back straight.
You can take the edge to about the thickness of a dime.About .040 before H/T and then you can sharpen on the sander,just go slow and dip in water often to keep it cool.
Stan

 

[n80shutterbug]

Thanks

Another quick question about the heat treat. I will be heating with a torch (again, working with what I have), and plan to bring it slowly to heat over a period of five minutes or so. I'll check with the magnet until I hit non magnetic, and then heat until the color shows it's a little (not a lot) hotter. Probably only medium red in normal indoor light. Does that sound right? What are the signs it's getting too hot? If scale starts to form is that too hot?

I plan to quench in vegetable oil. Can the oil be room temp (70 f.) or should it be warmed?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Remyrw]

Why not use your forge? you'll probably get a more even heat and since you don't need to soak 1084 the higher than needed temp isn't that big a problem.

I use canola oil and warm it by putting it near the back of my heat treat "forge". It's not precise but I check it regularly and move it a bit further away when it's warmed up to a bit over 100f. My quench tank is a small nitrogen tank (about 4 gallons of oil), so the heat transfer from the tank itself will bring it up a little higher even after pulled away from the heat. I'd say I'm usually at about 110-115 when I quench.

 

[n80shutterbug]

My forge is not ideal, obviously. It has a rather small area where it's pretty hot, and so its hard to heat more than about a three inch area evenly. That said, this is only a four inch blade, so I probably could use the forge if I'm careful.