cheftjcook Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 A bit of help and Advice needed I was at a garage sale and bought up about 6 sets of brand new lawn tractor blades for $2.00. Hearing different chatter about knives here I was hoping to try to make a knife Will these work well for forging a knife? they were cheap but I am hopeful they are good for this. My experience is very limited, I have made a few letter openers and a few knives of sorts from a rail road spike or two, neat looking for gift for hunting buddies but I don't know much about knife making so I don't think they were functional ?! Can anyone give me some advice on useing these blades if they are indeed useable? Maybe I am better asking for advice also on what not to do to!!!! I realize I am not going to create a master piece as many I have seen here but would love to give it a whirl. With a bit of good advice maybe avoid some pitfalls and common mistakes, learn something new and have some fun along the way. Thanks Cheftjcook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike-hr Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 I reckon the first thing I'd do with them is see if they are heat treatable. Heat one end to non-magnetic, let it air cool. see if you can cut it with a file. Yes? heat to non-mag again, quench it in oil. Can you cut it with a file? Yes? Heat to non-mag again, and quench in lukewarm water. Does the file skate across and not cut so good? Then you have a warm water quenching steel. Next practice tempering. lay the piece on some hot blocks that just came out of the forge, and let the heat run up your test piece, untill the end just starts to turn brown/blue. quench in water to stop the tempering there. Sharpen the tempered end, and see what she'll take. pound it into a log, and see if you can wiggle it back out without it breaking. Didn't break? May be worth forging into a knife. Don't forge high carbon steel below a below a brite red, take another heat.. This is how I would approach an unknown steel, Lets see what others have to say.. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sqeezplay Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 hhmm how old are the blades? because i know some 2 year old ones i have, are not steel, they are some sort of allow but i'm not sure what. they are extreemely light, but will take impact very well. they bounce off the anvil when trying to forge, so be carefull when they are hot. i have not tried forging them into knives, but i have straitened some that where belt, it took me quite a while. now remember, these are the 2005 blades, if you have like 1970's blades they will be something different. well those are my tips, keep in mind safety first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbillysmith Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 Cheftjcook, yes lawn mower blades are good for knives and hold a good edge and I know very personally with a big puncture scar on my right bisep. But like swqueez said, I was using blades that were probably 20-30 years old. Just do what Mike said and go through the heat treats. A short cut that I can tell you is to take a grinder and cut off a piece about 2 inches long and heat untill it is a bright orange and quench into cold water. Then set it on top of your vise and hit with a hammer like your poppin' a nail into a boad. Does it break? If so, your good to go. Just my 2 lincolns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 The trail you have stepped onto leads to many places, And I do not believe there is an area to turn around. Myself I would not try used lawnmower blades as they may have cracks from use. However you have new. There is a section on here that deals with common found steels and I think it mentions lawn mower blades. In any case give the heat treat posted earlier a shot and If they lact like I think they will you have enough material for several blades, and They will come out nice as you make them. Bp # 0087 is about heat treating high carbon steels and is a solid reference. I keep a printed copy near by. Have fun... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheftjcook Posted July 5, 2006 Author Share Posted July 5, 2006 Thanks for all the information Guys keep it comming, Soaking it up like a sponge. I will get out the Garage/Forge later this week and will try the tests and let you know what happens. They are new to me in the boxes but appear to be older by the condition of the boxes Thanks again for the time and info it is appreciated looking forward to more. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Smith Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Please let us know.. I used to work in a place that threw them away by the bucketload. They were all thrown away in a cleanup.. love to know what I threw out... maybe not :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 if you will email me, I will send you about 20 pages on the properties of various junkyard steels and their suitability for blade making. Woody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheftjcook Posted July 5, 2006 Author Share Posted July 5, 2006 Rich thanks for the advice I can see this could be addictive in a very short amount of time. But I don't think that is a bad thing!!!! I am trying find the BP you made reference to #0087 but I can't find it. Sounds like something I would need to read to better understand and do the heat treatments properly. Thanks TIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp Fox Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 click on the button that says blueprints. Rich got the number mixed up, it is BP0078 on metallurgy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbillysmith Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 if you will email me, I will send you about 20 pages on the properties of various junkyard steels and their suitability for blade making. Woody, what's your e-mail, if you don't mind I would love to receive copies of those pages, please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Groves Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 20 pages? I think we'd all like a look at it. Send it to me and I'll put a link for everyone to access it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheftjcook Posted July 5, 2006 Author Share Posted July 5, 2006 Thanks pointing the way Swamp Fox, Still finding my way around. Rich, I see why you referenced that BP by Quenchcrack, That is Some detailed BP with alot of research and information !!! Just printed it, now to get into it! Thanks Again Woody, I sent you my email, hope to hear from you. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 I am now not sure what is in 0087 but it is likely a good thing also.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royce unruh Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 were those pages ever posted as i would like to see them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 IME they are good steel for most cutting edges. I believe them to be about 1090 in most cases... which is file quality steel. I know that some mfrs. use custom alloys which also have better wear resistance than plain 1090... this is all to the good! You did GOOD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin1050 Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Woody I would like those 20 pages too! What is your Email? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 For practice material lawnmower blades are good. They may be good for proper use, but you will have to test the material first as they are mystery metal. While many blades are simple high carbon steel, some are alloy steel, and others are carbide impregnated exotic stuff. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhettbarnhart Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 I am finishing a knife from one now and it hardened really well but idk maybe I just got lucky I just use them because I don't want to buy steel and have the chance of ruining it plus it is good practice drawing them out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhettbarnhart Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Steve correct me if I'm wrong;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 I don't come around here real often so I missed a bunch of requests for information on steel, not sure if is sent it to those who wanted it or not. if you will send me a message on this site with your email address I will be glad to send you the information. It is about 20 pages in MS Word format that I have gleaned from various soruces including ABANA publications, Machinery's Handbook, various websites and who knows where else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwisatz Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 I made this from a lawnmower blade. I used the credit card to give you a sense of scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Smith Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I was working on one last night but I gave it up and grabbed a piece of spring steel instead. Just too much trouble to work with as it tended to just bounce off my anvil rather than actually move, even after full annealing. But as said I was using a blade from six years ago, and one from back in the day might be better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big-D Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Lawn mower blades used to be made of of something closer to a medium to high carbon tool steel. Due to all the product liability nonsense they are now something "softer" that will have less probability of throwing shprapnel off if they hit something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.