Silverker Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Forgive my newness to this. I used stock removal method on an edger blade for a quick project. I didn't anneal or normalize, just took the grinder to it. Would I need to re-harden this stock, or could I just go direct to tempering? Thank you in advance for your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 You may be able to go directly to sharpening and see if the hardness is suitable already....assuming you did not overheat the metal in grinding. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 A file will be a way to test it. Try and file with a pretty good mill file. If you can remove metal easily it is too soft and needs heat treating.. If the file slides along the edge without removing metal it is too hard and needs tempering.I like a finished blade that a file will take a little bit of metal off of but not easily If you sharpen before you test with a file and it is too soft the blade my be thinner than it should be for a proper heat treat, When you heat metal to correct temp for hardening it scales and when you clean that up you remove more metal from the surface. At times a blade too thin will have a warping problem during hardening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverker Posted April 27, 2012 Author Share Posted April 27, 2012 Phil- I guess I might have overheated the metal. I tried the file test, and it takes metal pretty easily. It isn't completely sharpened, just rough edged. I'll try a complete heat treat and temper. Thank y'all for your help. I just hope I build my skills enough to help others in the way that I'm being helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Edgers like mowers and brush hogs don't have really hardenable blades because of the abuse they see in their short lives, it has to be really tough, you can file sharpen them from the factory. At least what I've messed with that is. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Carnecchia Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 If you are going to use scrap steel I would recomend automotive coil springs, then quench in oil. Personally I believe it is better to just buy some steel. It is not that expensive and for your money you are getting something that you know exactly what it is, and how to heat treat it. I have gone the scrap steel route, and it is worth the money to buy new. You put to much work into forging and grinding just to have the blade not harden or to crack. Just my two cents, Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50calmike Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 If you don't know what steel you have, you can't heat treat it properly. Buy some steel of known composition and heat treat it according to the factory spec sheet. A good cheap steel to start with is 1084. Click the link http://stores.njsteelbaron.com/-strse-High-Carbon-Steel-cln-1084/Categories.bok Aldo is a great guy to deal with and also a great fellow to hang with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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