SubvertDylan Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 So, I'm new to the smithing game, but I want to do some knife making. I've been picking up 1/8x1 1/2 bars of "cold rolled" steel from home depot to practice. Is this rando steel a good place to start making templates? And are the worth anything besides shaping and practice? And ultimately what kind of steel should I be working when I advance a little? Thanks for the support! -Subvert Dylan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 That is a great way to build hammer skill and learn forging technique. As far as what they are good for... Skill building is really it. You can sharpen them to learn grinding skills but they will always be softer than good carbon steel. Auto repair places might be a good source for old leaf springs. These are good knife steel and fairly easy to come buy. It will be harder to forge than mild steel but worth it because it can be tempered and will hold an edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 IforgeIron knife making classes Starts from the beginning to the finished knife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubvertDylan Posted February 23, 2013 Author Share Posted February 23, 2013 Thanks for the info! I'm so excited to continue working through this, Also, sorry to bog down the forum, I was having some difficulty finding the info on the sticky posts. Subvert Dylan Thanks for he link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 THe difference between cold rolled and hot rolled is how it is made into sellin shapes,,,,and Cold rolled is higher priced. when you heat cold rolled it becomes the same as hot rolled but you paid more........And I have to say,,,how could you not find the sectioon called " knife making classes"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubvertDylan Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 THe difference between cold rolled and hot rolled is how it is made into sellin shapes,,,,and Cold rolled is higher priced. when you heat cold rolled it becomes the same as hot rolled but you paid more........And I have to say,,,how could you not find the sectioon called " knife making classes"? Mild blindness I'm guessing. Thanks for the advice, im starting to fully recognize my ignorance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Generally I advise taking a auto or pickup coil spring and slicing it down opposing sides to get a dozen or so "(" shaped pieces all of the same alloy, (slice with an angle grinder or a O-A cutting torch---beware of HAZ if torch cut). Now you can make a dozen knives and try all sorts of stuff in forging and heat treating---I generally get the springs for free---just look for a shop that does lifts or lowering on vehicles and ask! I often see folks saying "I can't afford decent knife steel that can be easily found free so I spend $$$ to buy stuff that's not suitable" they don't word it quite that way but you get the picture... The best thing is that if you have beginner's luck you actually have a *KNIFE* and not a KSO knife shaped object Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeshow Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Thomas that's great advice. I have 2 leaf springs from a jeep. 5 ft. Long each and 3/8" thick lots of metal to test and then lots of free metal. Far as I can tell its 51XX. The members of the Choo Choo forge agree with me on the steel. It was great to give 1 of the guys that has helped me a lot a free chunk to play with. I still have 1 full length piece and 1/2 of the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubvertDylan Posted March 6, 2013 Author Share Posted March 6, 2013 Thanks for the advice guys! I've been looking for materials, but Utah is'nt exactly overflowing with spring steel. I've actually done what you guys have suggested , between grabbing old rasps and leaf springs i've been able to knock out some more respectable pieces. I originally asked this pretty juvenile question right before I got the "bug" for blade smithing. Its really neat that there's so much support in the IFI community. I look forward to showcasing some completed work! Cheers! -SubvertDylan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 While you might not find as many shops doing lowering for low riders as here in NM; I find it strange that Utah does have any catering to 4WD folk. I live *near* the largest town in the county and it's around 10,000 people *when* the University is in Session and I have a pile of so many free coil springs that I don't even look at them at the scrapyard anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPT Orion Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Just wondering how good the steel is for lawn mower blades. Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 many different grades could be used from top of the range makers to cheap 3rd world made mowers. a spark test may help or check with the makers best to buy known grades of new steel as it is cheap compared to the time spent making a knife from it only to have it fail in heat treat because you did it wrong for that steel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 A lot of them like the Brush Hog blades are of a proprietary alloy that is high in boron, and requires an austenizing heat treatment. Not something that the average smith can do at home. I did some researching awhile back, and found out that there is one big manufacturer that supplies a lot of the various mower blades. I pulled the info off of their site. Since it was a hassle to heat treat I abandoned any further research on them. As with any scrap mystery steel, do a test piece first before making anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanternnate Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 John Deere blades are 5160. John Deere advertises this as part of their value over generic blades of an unknown alloy. It's the only brand I'm personally aware of that advertises their blade steel alloy, but there may be others. If identifying in a pile of unknown blades each John Deere blade I've seen is stamped with a part number that starts with JD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 1 hour ago, lanternnate said: John Deere blades are 5160. John Deere advertises this as part of their value over generic blades of an unknown alloy. It's the only brand I'm personally aware of that advertises their blade steel alloy, but there may be others. If identifying in a pile of unknown blades each John Deere blade I've seen is stamped with a part number that starts with JD. lanternnate, do you have a link to or an image of an original JD source to support this claim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wpearson Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 http://www.greenpartstore.com/About-John-Deere-Mower-Blades_ep_50-1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnyreb338 Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Diesel repair shops are an excellent place to find lots of spring steel. The springs under most trucks theses days are 2 -3" thick x 4 wide. The mudflap hangers at the rear tires make great blades, there usually 3/4" square stock. And of course there are usually hundreds of wheel bearing races in the scrap bin. If they rebuild transmissions the shift rails in the top are a hard enable steel. Used Camshafts are great, broken axles, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanternnate Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 https://t.jdparts.deere.com/partsmkt/document/english/pmac/4382_fb_Lawn_Mower_Blades.htm Here is one doc from the John Deere site itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 56 minutes ago, lanternnate said: https://t.jdparts.deere.com/partsmkt/document/english/pmac/4382_fb_Lawn_Mower_Blades.htm Here is one doc from the John Deere site itself. So, they don't say 5160 explicitly, but the description is close enough. Cool; thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanternnate Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 I think I've seen something that actually said 5160, but I can't seem to google it up. Could have been a hard copy (my old man is kind of a John Deere nut and has a a lot of their propaganda, the man literally has a winter John Deere and summer John Deere), or could be I've just seen others describe the John Deere blades as 5160 in enough places. What I can tell you is that I've had a source of them (my old man's cast offs) that I've been playing with. I've been following the directions for 5160 and it has consistently worked out for me, so if they aren't explicitly 5160 they're close enough for horse shoes hand grenades and heat treats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Three of the four blades I've made so far (including one still in progress) started out as lawnmower blades from the John Deere dealership just outside of town. They do a lot of business in heavy agricultural implements, and I'm hoping to pick up a combine axle or something one of these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanternnate Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Very nice having a hookup with a John Deere dealer. I had an offer to take a barrel worth of mower blades from lawn equipment place (they said the scrap prices weren't the hassle of them bringing them anywhere so they just keep tossing them in a barrel out back). They aren't a John Deere dealer though, so I didn't take them up on it not knowing what the blades would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 A mess of blades could have other uses like sculpture pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 GoT throne......but I would be careful about HAZ cracking on a sculpture made from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 Anyone know anything about the steel in Gravely lawnmower blades? My mechanic has some for me, but I don't want to accept them thinking that they will be good blade steel and later find myself to be Gravely mistaken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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