Probably the 1 millionth person to raise this...

[Ph34r]

I'm sure that I used to frequently see posts about heat treating, but I cannot seem to find any, so (sigh) I will ask.

I have recently finished my first full tang from scratch. I did heat treat in a bonfire, using bellows. I have finished it off now, and attempted to sharpen, but it seems to be staying quite dull - like a blade that has not been hardened.

Have I done something wrong?
Or are my scandi sharpening skills to blame? (used to convex)

Pt. II

I wanted to get a cheapish gas torch that would enable me to heat treat my blades a tad faster. I know that they just eat butane, but knida looking for something in the region of sub £50.

Can anybody recommend a model?

Thanks,
Ph34r

 

[Loenja]

how did you heat treat it and what kind of steel is it?
would help alot

 

[Mojoracinguk]

How did you quench the blade?
did you use water/oil/brine.
how long was it out of the fire before you quenched it?

If you run a file over the blade does it grab and remove matel or does it slide over making a scratchy noise?
Did you temper the blade after hardening...if so how hot did you get it?
If you can answer these It would help

Ok so i was beaten here....but i was also going to second the request for a decent gas torch...

Mojo

 

[Ph34r]

01 steel, used motor oil quench, out of the fire for about ten seconds. Upon using a file, it grabs the metal.

Tempered in the oven at 200 for about an hour.

Thanks.

 

[Loenja]

what colour was the steel when you quenched it??
i temper my blades over a forge until they just start to blue.
Edit:
afak the file should not bite the metal properly.
and the metal should be a good cherry red

 

[Whittler Kev]

Opps lots of posts went up while I was typing and looking for the right threads etc....
so some points already covered
OK. Lots of stuff to clarify first.
1. Where did you get the steel from? - Was it a file, new 01, an old knife you've re profiled etc? as you need high carbon steel for a usable blade
2. Did you heat the steel to critical? - the heat where the steel becomes non magnetic
3. Did you quench it fast and allow it to go cold in the liquid? - should do this at least twice. If you allowed to just go cold naturally, without quenching, it reverts back to soft steel.
4. Did you reheat it to 220ºC for an hour and allow it to naturally cool to re-temper it.

If not you need to have another look at the processes again.

A good place to start is here. Its where I got interested and hooked

http://www.greenpete.co.uk/knife-making/knife-making-video/
you can download the whole video for free

http://www.knivesby.com/knifemaking.html

or

http://www.wikihow.com/Forge-a-Knife



As to the gas torch, if you haven't got oxy-acetylene or oxy-propane you'll struggle without building a gas forge to hold the heat in - or pay £300+ to buy one
Best bet is use a charcoal forge with bellows or an air pump to raise the heat. Remember the Fire triangle? You need heat, fuel and air to make a fire so to get a lot of heat you need plenty of air and fuel.

Hope It doesn't seem like I'm preaching but this took a lot of reading and experimenting to find all this out.
Just setting up locally as Whittler Kev - Teaching Blacksmith

 

[Ph34r]

2. Did you heat the steel to critical? - the heat where the steel becomes non magnetic

CRAP! I can't believe I forgot that...

:AR15firin

 

[Mojoracinguk]

Sorted!
get back on it then

 

[Ph34r]

Only problem is that I finished the pins off and the handle before I realised!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Can you try to soften the epoxy, i'm sure i read about warming the blade to soften the stuff. I could very well be wrong though.

 

[Ph34r]

Yeah, its just unscrewing the bolts without the presence of a flathead indentation... gulp

 

[Retired Member southey]

Ahh mabey a small punch with the head brought to a point so as to tap the outer ring gently round without leaving to much of a mark.

 

[Ph34r]

Ahh mabey a small punch with the head brought to a point so as to tap the outer ring gently round without leaving to much of a mark.

Sorry, I don't really understand...

If you could clarfiy what you are suggesstign then that would be great.

Thanks.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Which kind of bolts are you using are they loveless with an outher ring around the inner threaded bar, if so just thought you might be able to tap the outer ring around, to try and undo it so you'd need a small sharp edge to dig into the outer ring slightly and tap it round.might work , but i guess it depends on how well your epoxy(if used) has moved into the threads.

 

[Ph34r]

Sadly, I used corby style bolts rather than loveless

 

[launditch1]

10 seconds seems like a long time to between fire and quenching to me.After heating to non-magnetic i quench straight away and keep the tool/blade moving all the time in the oil/water.
When ive used engine oil for the quench after it comes out the blade colour is a kind of dulll grey with blackness from the oil, some of which has started to flake if get my drift...
i then rub a file on it and if it skates off without biting the jobs a gud'un!
The scales are already on?Sounds terminal..hack 'em off and start again.

As for gas torches they are perfect for heat treating.I know of a few knifemakers who do this.
Bernzomatic are good torches within your price range i think?Any good toolshops around your way that sell trade plumbers stuff?

 

[Ph34r]

The scales are already on?Sounds terminal..hack 'em off and start again.

Any good toolshops around your way that sell trade plumbers stuff?

NOOOO (scream to the horizion)
As to the second, we live precisely in the middle of nowhere, so web order is the best it will get!