Piotr Kantorowicz Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Hello I am new to this site and to knife making, I always wanted to make a knife by my self but i dont really have a way to forge metal so for my first knife I thought I will use an old circular saw blade and thats what I did and now comes the part of heat treating and tempering. I know I can temper it in the oven until straw color but i have some problems with heat treating, i made my self a little charcoal furnace out of an empty helium tank and a air mattress pump(I will include a pic), it gets hot enough to heat the blade really well but after quenching it in oil the blade its in really bad state, it was nice and smooth when i put it in and now it has like little valleys, looks sort of like a map thats the only way i can explain it. is it happening because of the charcoal touching it or is it because the metal is not really the best quality??? any advice will be much appreciated, thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 26, 2016 Share Posted April 26, 2016 Welcome aboard Piotr glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header there may be Iforge members within visiting distance. You're giving the fire WAY too much air it's causing severe oxidization of your blade. Choke the blower down till it's just a whisper. Break up the charcoal into small pieces, peanut size is good. Fill your burner much deeper. That's an awkward shape forge but it can be made to work. Search this site for "side blast forges" for plans and discussions of a type of charcoal forge that is much MUCH more efficient and controllable than the one you made. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 What Frosty said, you also may be getting too hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piotr Kantorowicz Posted April 27, 2016 Author Share Posted April 27, 2016 Thank you for a quick response, I will have a look. I live in lincoln uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 Note that if it was overheated it's most likely ready for the scrap bin---no fly tipping please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 read, then post, then heat the steel; why do they always get these 3 backwards... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 if you want to visit me you can use my forge and tools, me and my minion can give you some help. we are no experts at bladesmithing but minion has made a couple of froes and knives for leather and basket work. I am south west of you but not to far away if you want to visit I will pm you the location Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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