samw1 Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Hi all, I am wanting to learn more about making knives. I know how to shape, them in the forge but not so good in shapeing them after and tempering them. I made a drop point hunting knife that tempered fine but i also made a foot and a half dirk. Now since it is my first longer blade i dont expect it to turn out perfect but the temper is worrying me. I tempered it in the oven at 350 for the first time and the second 500 for half an hour, cooled it and put it on my knee to test the temper and it bent supper easy. After that i brought it to red and qauenched it (every thing is quenched in oil). dident work so im lost on what to do. I want to start makeing A-quality blades and am wanting to know more, like how to not leave so many dents and scale pocks in the metal ect, everything. If you have any advice or since im asking alot books i can get that would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Sam I suspect one of two things with your failed blade heat treat. One is you did not get the heat right for the steel you used.. or most likely the steel does not have enough carbon in it for use as a blade. You did not mention the kind of steel you used. A few things for you to read that may clear this all up a little bit: Number one is this forum right here. Read through all of the questions and answers and you may find similar questions and thoughts from different folks with ideas that may be of value. The knife stickies arfe like gold to a maker, A couple of books to add to the above are: Wayne Goddards Fifty dollar knife shop. and The complete blade smith by Hrousalas. A big help is if you start and maintain a log in the shop of what steels you used, how you heat treated them and how did they work for you when done. Anytime you select a steel for a blade or heat treat a blade refer to your notes and see if you have done the steel before and if you wish to repeat that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 If you were to add your location to your posts there is a chance that someone on here could help you in person? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samw1 Posted November 6, 2011 Author Share Posted November 6, 2011 I live in muscatine iowa. thank you both for your help I used what could posibly be quasi high carbon i was told. it was an axle from a lawn mower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Sam a lot of times if you think of what is required of a steel for what it will be used for. It will kind of give you an idea of of what kind of steel they chose to use. A high carbon steel would not be required for a lawn mower axle. Leaf and coil springs from cars or trucks may be high carbon steel. A thought would be to get a coil spring,,car or truck, and cut it into about 8" pieces, Straighten one out hot and heat to non magnetic. quench in oil. watch for oil flare up and cover the container to put fire out. Test it with a file it should be as hard orharcer than another piece of the spring. If so make a pile of knives.This may all be confusing now but if you keep records and keep studying it will somedayh clear up a little bit. After you try this project ask more questions here if you wold like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Scale: keep the anvil brushed off after *every* heat. Adjust your forge/placement of your piece to be in a reducing zone. Some folks even wirebrush their piece before hitting it on the anvil. Dings: hammer control == Practice Practice Practice! Also check if the anvil is at the right height for you so that the face of the hammer hits *flat* naturally. Also is your hammer's face properly dressed so the edges are rounded over and won't ding when you hit slightly off. And did I mention Practice Practice Practice! It sounds like you are not forging at a level where knifemaking is suggested; you may want to drop back and make a bunch of non-knife Christmas presents to get your hammer and forge practice in and then re-start knife forging a bit later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 BTW tempering is done *after* quenching not before---and as soon after as possible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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