Rich Hale

:)

In the knfemaking lessons there is a place for any of us to list suppliers,...Did you add that to the list?

i second the get into the shop note above..it is soo easy just to type a question in here..but shop time solves questions and the answers stick with youi.

Not sure about where you are but some shipping pallets here are made ofhardwood ,, a used pallet would have a lot of wood in it...if you can find one......Used furniture stores may have some things you could break down for wood..Dressers,,chairs anything..and if they are broken the price may be better....

What temp does Mc carr suggest?

Nice explanation ..thanks

My posts were in responce to the original question.

After heat treat did you do all the normal shop tests to make sure it was hard?,,,and then after you tempered did you again test? And how did you know the blade was at the correct heat to quench? All the answers are here in the heat treat stickiews and knfe making lessons. If you google specifications for 1084 steel you will find what the maker suggests for quenchant...and for any other steel by number also in different searches.

I opened a catalog for a place listed in the knifemaking section under supplers and they list ivory.

One of your best....

rethink epoxy

I have and use one of those belt attachments..it is not suited at all for making blades..first the contact wheel needs to be larger..second you need more power..third it runs at too fast a belt speed. And lastly 2" x 72" is the most popular size for knife making for a reason..Most suppliers of belts have a large nuimber of types of belts in many forms and grit sizes..those small length belts wear out faster and you will be limited in what type and quality of belts you have....Read close anything Wayne Coe suggest.

D 2 is not a stainless.

The warp is most likely due to stress in the blade prior to hardening...It can also be saused by sticking the blade in the quench so one side hits quenchant more than other side. In the knife making lessons and heat treat stickies there is info on normalizing,,

Call the instructor and ask...may be worthwhile to get some and try before class?

Rick I suspect from his post that he does not have the equipment to tell him what the temps of his steel are..Which is why I suggested a magnet for a simple way of determining a starting point...For the other folks that read this that can measure steel temps in those ranges your information will be handy.

There is no reason for epoxy to be seen on a handle done correctly

Describing colors can be very confusing when forging or heat treating steel for knife making.If you are in the sunshine and see a yellow color...or red or etc..that will be a very different steel heat than if you were in a dark shade area or in the evening or night...Try thagt for your self.....If yu use non magnetic as a simple shopt test you can at least get a baseline for that tmeperatures color in the light you are forging in. I put a long magnet across the face of my anvil with a third or more hanging off the side nearest the forge...I get some color on the steel, pull and see if it sticks to magnet....if not...back in the forge and retest as often as I need to see what color it is when the magnet first does not attrack the steel...In that light youi now have a color to go by...when yuo get a brighter color than that you can start being wary of grain growth...it alos give yu a starting point for a color for first normalizubg round. There is even more in the stickies and knife making lessons for you to review if you wish.

Also covered in the knife making lessons....

Most knife making suppliers have kits.

Every year Calvary hosts the worlds blacksmithing competition. Smiths from all over the world gather and practice/compete...as individuals as well as in teams. If I were a shorter commute i would be there every year..camera and note pad in hand..There is also likely a market place where you can pick uup and handle ,,maybe even buy the tools needed for smithing...I would guess there wouild be a tailgaiting section where folks sell used tools... If I remember correctly this takes place in July. None of what you will see or be exposed to there will equal what Frank or other schools offer. But it will beat what you are doing now and may shorten some of the learning curve a bit.

How many of the name brand grinders are sold with variable speed motors and do they have the issues you mentioned?

and see if he had tables at any of their shows//also conact the knfe suppiers for your end of the country and see if they sold him materials. AG Russel is a mail order catalog for makers selling knives world wide,,,contact them and see if they remember him....

Most automotve leaf springs make fine cutting edged tools..just make sure you test a sample piece from each leaf as Lone suggested above.

The belt grinder is not from HF,,,it comes without a motor..I got a motor from HF.