tnraines Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Say I have a piece of steel that I cut out to shape by removing the excess steel, I need to heat treat it etc. Reading the stickies on normalizing and hardening and the temperatures involved sounds like I need a forge to get those temps. Is my reasoning correct or is there some other say to get the temps? Just trying to clarify things. tnraines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 A forge, furnace or Kiln capable of reaching 1550F, and holding it relatively evenly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnraines Posted January 24, 2010 Author Share Posted January 24, 2010 A forge, furnace or Kiln capable of reaching 1550F, and holding it relatively evenly. Think I will stick with beating the metal then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 If you grind it out from prehardened and tempered steel then you won't have to reheat treat it, is that what you mean? Either way, if you are starting out with soft steel you will need to heat treat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overmodulated Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 is it even possible to start out with prehardened, tempered steel? seems like it would be next to impossible to properly shape, and even then, it would get burned up during such an aggresive grind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Yes I know quite a few people who have ground out a blade from an old file and preserved the previous heat treat. Alot of folder makers do so, as the stock is so thin. You just have to make sure to cool it a bit more often is all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Actually you should draw temper on a file before making it into a knife as it's too brittle at file temper; so pop it into your oven and draw it to the temp you like your knifeblades at and then keep it cool when grinding! Many knives get hardened by heating with a torch to critical and then quenched. Real chunk charcoal and a blow dryer will work too. A forge can just be a hole in the ground! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnraines Posted January 26, 2010 Author Share Posted January 26, 2010 Actually you should draw temper on a file before making it into a knife as it's too brittle at file temper; so pop it into your oven and draw it to the temp you like your knifeblades at and then keep it cool when grinding! Many knives get hardened by heating with a torch to critical and then quenched. Real chunk charcoal and a blow dryer will work too. A forge can just be a hole in the ground! True though for say just a attempt at stock removal till can find charcoal or coal locally and the swamped yard dries out or freezes to make a simple forge, could one borrow the neighbors MAP/Pro torch in theory in burns hot enough. Sorry if I make anyone cringe its not ideal or cost effective I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Building a bean can or coffee can forge for heat using a plumbing torch requires one linear foot of wool (2 ft wide) so the cost is down around $8 +shipping for the wool, and a plumbing torch, plus some odd bits to hold it all together and provide a base, but those can be cut out of another coffee can and bolted or screwed on. This limits your heat treat length to around 6 inches though, but your could build 2 and line them up without buying extra wool. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefera4m Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 First, to answer your question. If you were to make a blade just by grinding/filing/sanding youmight not need to heat treat it at all IF, during the process, you didn't over heat the steel (using bare hands it a good way to make sure you don't over heat it). That said, it is darn difficult to make a knife from hardened high carbon steel (much less good tools steel) just by stock removal without annealing it first. It can be done, it's just very difficult. You can use a forge, kiln or furnace but if you go that route I'd think you'd want one that goes beyond 1550 degrees. Many good knife steels require higher temperatures (A2 for example requires 1700 degrees and 1600 degrees is recommended for 5160). Absent of a pyrometer you can use the magnet test. Using any means you have (even a hot wood or charcoal fire) heat the steel up to the point that a magnet won't stick. The difference in normalizing and hardening, for a lot of steel, is just the cooling process. For normalizing you just air cool, for hardening a quick cooling via a quench (quench material vary by steel by vegetable oil work for a number of them - heat the veggie oil to 140 degrees +/- 10 degrees). Don't forget the tempering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnraines Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 Thanks for suggestions and help so far, I appreciate it. 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.