Parrothead Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Hi everyone. Still very new to working with metal, as my hobby time is quite limited. The other week I was excited to score some leaf springs out of a dumpster and have been practicing moving the metal around. I found it acts different from the rr spikes I've played with. More to the point of my post. A few weeks ago in one of the post someone sorta "scolded" a newbee for using unknown material for a knife. At first I thought that it was kinda rude, but now believe very good advice. So after checking with a local tool steel supplier here is the quote I got today. Both 3/4" round by 36" 1095 and o1 $17.50 and 1/8"*1 1/2" by 36" o1 flat stock $41. Were these good sizes to check on for a beginner? Are the prices in line with what yall are paying? My goals are to make small skinners and work up to a large Bowie. Thanks, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 prices ok, I pay a little less, but I buy a 50# to 100# at a time also. pass on the O1 for now, Use the 1095 until you have made a few dozen blades, then try it if you wish, O1 is a very different animal to forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 Thank you, I only checked on their minimum purchase today as I was afraid a full bar would be out of my hobby fund allowance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormcrow Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Just as an alternative, if you like how the leaf spring is working for you, look at getting some 5160. It's the same alloy or similar, it's cheap, it responds well to a simple heat treatment, and it returns excellent performance. As for using scrap metal, it's not as big an issue for a beginner *as long as they're using steel that will actually yield a good blade when they're done*!!! That's my issue with railroad spikes and rebar for beginners making knives. The rule of thumb for using scrap is that if in its previous life it cut, flexed, or resisted impact, it should harden well to make tools. Always do a quench test with a new piece of scrap and make sure it will work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 In the knife makin section in the forum there is a list of knfe making suppliers, check with several of them for prices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 Rich, I found that page, thank you. It appears what I found is fair, not a great deal but not robbery either. Stormcrow, I'm having a hard time shaping and drawing the leaf spring. It's about 3/16 or1/4 by 2, guess I just can't make it move like the round and square pieces I started practicing with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeshow Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 A Couple hundredth points of carbon can make a difference. 1080 vs. 1086 for instance. Your leaf spring might not be exactly 5160. It should make a great blade anyhow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I am not sure how many home bladesmiths can tell the difference in a few points of carbon. Homeshow do you have some data that would help us know how to do that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormcrow Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Hmmm, it moves easily under the hammer for me. Of course, it's what I'm used to, been forging spring or 5160 the most since I began forging. I don't see too much difference between it and mild steel, but I can tell a big difference between 5160 and Nicholson file, which is supposed to be 1095 on the new ones. The file is much stiffer under the hammer and resists abrasion more, so it takes longer to sharpen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 A Couple hundredth points of carbon can make a difference. 1080 vs. 1086 for instance. Your leaf spring might not be exactly 5160. It should make a great blade anyhow. the industry specs have over lap, meaning in theory they can be the same amount of carbon. With some of your posts I have to wonder where you are getting your information? I would be very careful of what else that source has "taught" you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Don't forget automotive coil springs; often a handy size for blades. If you cut one down opposing sides you get about a dozen "(" pieces that are an easy size to work and you have lots of the same stuff to experiment with forging heats and heat treating. I used to buy drops from a spring making shop--I knew exactly what alloy and knew it had no fatigue issues in it, cheap too as it was "scrap" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeshow Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I'm done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesG Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Cutting your leaf springs in half well help alot. Draw a line down your steel with a marker, Then use a 4 in cut off wheel on an angle grinder, then cut the rest of the way with a hot cut or the cut off wheel.I would afford 1095 it picky about it heat treat. 1080 down to 1070 steel , and 5160 would be my choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 Hmmm, it moves easily under the hammer for me. Of course, it's what I'm used to, been forging spring or 5160 the most since I began forging. I don't see too much difference between it and mild steel, but I can tell a big difference between 5160 and Nicholson file, which is supposed to be 1095 on the new ones. The file is much stiffer under the hammer and resists abrasion more, so it takes longer to sharpen. What I really mean to say is I don't know how to draw out a flat piece. I bang a lil one way, then try another and all I end up doing is burning up a bunch of coal. It will be the weekend before I can get on my computer to upload what I have done so far. When I see the beautiful knives shared on here I feel a lil embarrassed, but everyone starts somewhere I guess. Thomas, are spring shops fairly common? Is that what I would search the phonebook for? James, simple and great idea for my leaf springs. Think i will try that next. The lady I spoke to at the tool steel place wasn't familiar with 5160. Kinda shocked me, but maybe tool and die makers don't use 5160?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormcrow Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Sounds like hammer technique is what you need to work on at the moment. It makes a big difference in how the steel moves for you. That's what I start a student out with whenever I have a forging class. If round bar works better for you, try coil springs or torsion bars. Same steel (or similar) but it round form. Just like Thomas recommended. :) I've made plenty of knives from coil spring. A larger city should definitely have a spring shop. If not, check out junk yards, places that install lift kits on pickups, or mechanic shops that tend to have junk cars laying around. You can get 5160 from Aldo Bruno, Admiral Steel, and Ray Kirk (in round bar) to name a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 PArrothead I showed in pics and text how to draw steel in one of the early knifemaking lessons. And so you know,,,there are a lot fo smiths that have problems with that,,some of them do not know it,,, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EtownAndrew Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 You may want to visit a scrap yard in your area. Not all let you look around but at those that do you can often find flat springs or automotive coil springs laying on the ground or in piles among the various metal scraps being accumulated. I have made a number of knives out of the larger 5/8" or 3/4" diameter truck springs that I uncoil. The 1/2" automotive coil springs find uses as punches. A typical scrap metal price that I pay is 35 cents per pound. Buying new steel can cost you two or three times that. The real trick is finding scrap in a form where you can use most of it. It you discard a fair amount of what you bought you might have been better off with new steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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