BIGJEEPMAN Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 I built a wood forge in a old wheelbarrow, and had a good hot fire. I started running my knife blanks through my forge. All was good. My steel is old truck springs. They flattened out real fast. I went to drill my holes for the pins and found out that I couldn't drill through my knives. So back into the fire, took them out when they were orange, yellow, red. I ran a magnet over them and they would not stick. I started to drill my holes and couldn't drill them. My question is did I do something wrong? Went back to drill a blank and after my 2nd hole my bit started to howl. Question #1 Did I do something wrong? I did hammer a few rail road spikes down into knives. Question #2 If I make a small fire brick forge and use a map gas torch, will get my blades hot enough to heat treat? Question #3 I have been told and read that I need to heat oil up to 130 deg, and dunk knife into it to cool down then run it into a toaster oven at 400 deg for 1 hour and let cool then back in for 1 more hour. Does this sound right? Today I want to make a mini forge out of fire brick and a map gas torch. I would like to heat my knives up to heat treat them. Will this work for heat treating, and for taking out the temper? Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 You should read the knife section!!!!!!!!!! Scroll down the main page to find the link. < this thead has been relocated and merged > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 1: Normalization may not be enough to drill blade steels; you need to anneal If these terms don't immediately make sense to you you NEED TO LEARN THE BASICS FIRST. 2: Yes No Maybe depending on details not provided 3: What alloy? And how hard/brittle vs tough and softer do you like your blades? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 And should post a question in only *1* location too! It is possible to ask a moderator to move a thread if you decide it was put in the wrong place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loneforge Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 I anneal before attempting to drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 If anything in the knfe making lessons raises a question we will be glad to help you clear it up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGJEEPMAN Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 Thank you guys, I thought I had did everything right, I just missed the annealing part. I knew that I had to temper it after I was done shaping my knife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 after finishing most the knife shaping, we harden, then temper then final polish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Note that knife grade steels in knife sized sections are often prone to hardening when we don't expect them to. Most of the books and charts are based on steel in 1" sq cross sections and it's tribal knowledge that some steels listed as requiring a quench to harden may harden in air---or being laid on a cold surface or PLACED HOT IN A VISE! Also water quenching steels may need an oil quench to preven cracking and oil quenching steel may shift to an air quench, etc Also when annealing such steels in dry ashes, vermiculite, etc the thin blade may need a heavy hot bar as a backer to keep it from cooling too fast to anneal. I tend to shut off the propane forge and place the blade back in it and shut up the door to it and let it sit overnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGJEEPMAN Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 Thanks guys. I must have did something right, I was reaming out the holes for the pins and the drill bit caught and spun the knife and I cut 4 fingers. 3 of my fingers have band aids and 1 just a small cut. I will be ok I used wood ashes to hold the heat in after annealing, it worked good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheoRockNazz Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 I'm sorry to hear that - good thing it was just a couple of cuts though. Always clamp. Make sure to review the heat treating section before you get to it :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinobi Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 boy that would be a scary moment to have an in progress blade, no matter how close or far to having an edge it is, get bound up in a drill press and start to spin like a propeller! I cant remember who provided this concept in what thread anymore, but somebody here recommended installing a bar on your press, I think bolted or clamped to the table, that would act like a stop to catch objects that seize up on the bit and prevent them from doing exactly what you just described. so relieved to hear you only required bandaids, while I was reading that I thought for sure it was going to say the drill bit caught and spun the knife and cut off 4 of my fingers! O.o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Big jeep guy: Before you do yourself a permanent mischief (damage) close up your shop and take a metal shop extension course at the local college. What you did with your drill press is such a basic mistake I can't imagine you have enough shop skills to safely use anything we might tell you. I'm not being mean I don't want you injured. There are classroom days worth of things to learn before they'll let you do more than look at the tools in a shop class and that's NOT a mistake, it's the product of centuries of hard won knowledge. Please be safe. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearhartironwerks Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 buy carbide drill bits, go slow, and use a lot of oil/cutting fluid...after annealing. some steels can be very unforgiving. take your time and learn from this one. not to be condescending, but this is one of those situations where you have to suck it up and learn. we're all there and/or have been. john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGJEEPMAN Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 I knew better, just got sloppy. I was rushing just a little. I will get a stop bar and clamps and use them, and I have started to tape up the blade for safety. Thanks for the advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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