3lbhammer

Any time I have started a project with file steel I have put the file in the oven as high as possible heat, 450' and let it heat for a couple hours. I don't know if it is of value but it does soften it up some before start working it.

This is a great article, thanks

I did water quench I piece of this steel before starting on the knife. It got really brittle hard, but not like a file. It would not scratch with a file, but did not shatter like quenched file steel.

The knife has some hammer marks, but it will make a good hunter. I raised it to bright red heat and oil quenched. I "soaked" in oven heat of 425 degrees for 1.5 hrs and cooled in water. I then heated the back of blade to blue on electric stove and let the edge remain cool with no color run.

The cooking oil did what I needed.

FYI. I abandoned the idea of anti freeze and used cooking corn oil to quench the knife I'm working on.

I dug the race out of the drive way of a local gin. It could be 50+ years old. I did water quench test. It got very hard, but not brittle.

I hope to get harder quench witout the stress of a water quench. The steel is unknown scrap steel. It is a bearing race forged into a knife

Can antifreeze be used as a quenching fluid?

I noticed some old wagon rims at a local antique store. I have not looked at them up close but was wondering how to detect wrought iron over mild modern iron. Is wrought iron good or better as a forge material.

Tanto,

Very impressive forging!!!!!

Warpig,
How does the heat affect the chiminea?
I have thought of having one in iron.

My $10.00 vice that a welder put a piece of sucker rod for a leg. Have had it for 30 years.

My forge set up under my carport. first time to have it set up to use on a few years.  My wife's grandfathers forge and my great-grandfather's anvil.

thanks for the replies. Stormcrow that is beautiful work.

Any one here ever forge garden tools. I would like to forge garden hoe ?

The oil was the same temp as the air near 100 atmospheric temp in our are yesterday. I did test my visual Of orange color with an old scrap file cooled in water it became ver brittle, therefore I believe my forging temp was adequate. It all brings me back to the steel. I will do a couple of test and report. The case hardening of a file is new to me. Well I got a $1.00 piece of steel and maybe a $1.00 knife out of it.

Rich, I did not take your comments as negative or critical in any way. I never had this happen before. I do have a couple of knife blades that look like stain glass pattern after water quench or maybe varicose veins is a better description. I am truly an a amateur am a hobby smith. I will certainly do the record keeping.

Looks like a good hammer to use at 6am.

Thanks for all the replies it may be adequately hard for general use without more heating just draw the temper. I have a piece of that file I will test it with a water quench and see what happens. If it becomes brittle I will leave well enough alone with the blade. What about cooling the oil as low as I can. I thought of setting the bucket of vegetable oil (a clean new one gal paint can) in a five gal bucket and surround it with ice. Let the quenching oil get as cold as I can make it.

Rich, I have done a number of blades over the years of spring and of file material and never had one fail to get hard. I will try the same blade next in "brine" If it does not harden even in water Ill start over with another piece of steel .

Idid not quench the knife I have been working on in water for fear of ruining it it is from a auto body rasp. After oil quench I could scratch the knife with a file. I believe it is high carbon steel

I have been making a knife from a rasp. I quenched in oil after heating to a bright cherry red (orange to me ) it did not get as hard as I expected. I did a test with another file in water and it came out very brittle. What should I have expected from the oil quench. I used liquid vegetable oil.

Same story here in West TX. The yard will sell stuff to you but you have to stay in the office no wondering around.

Country boy,
Thanks: I have not decided about the handle grip or tang, or guard if any. It is not tempered yet. I am thinking of welding a guard of forged steel. I dont have the experience of soldering a brass guard.

Though you might like to see the rasp knife Im working on. I found the rasp at a junk store for $1.00 I have been using wood in the forge for this project.