Do you know a good source for 1075 strips?
McMaster only got plates.
McMaster only got plates.
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need help from knife maker
- Thread starter Colossus
- Start date
New Jersey steel baron. Google it. Tip: shipping can seem high,sometimes it pays to order more bars to offset the shipping. As you order more bars the shipping doesn't go up that much unless it reaches the next shipping rate. Other great sources for supplies are. Usaknifemaker, Texas knife maker supply, sheffield supply( no website but you can download a catalog), alpha knife supply.
Pops knife supply in Washington Ga.~~ Rade Hawkins knife supply in Fayetteville Ga.
Rade Hawkins knife supply in Fayetteville Ga. Just called them. They only got SS 8(
Pop's only got O-1
I didn't think it will be so hard to find steel locally. I guess there's no demand on it.
Pop's only got O-1
I didn't think it will be so hard to find steel locally. I guess there's no demand on it.
if anyone else got a source(local) for some steel, let me know.
nothing ever happen
nothing ever happen
Hey Col, The above info from FZ is basically correct. Regardless, if I'm reading your procedure correctly, the file should have gotten hard with even the oil quench. That is unless the file is case hardened and not high carbon steel. Yeah, as FZ said, it is a good bit more complex physics wise than what can be simplified here on a forum and will do you well to do a lot of study. Biggest mistake most want-to-be knifemakers make is to start with mystery steels - ie. old files, saw blade, leaf spring, etc. You want to learn good solid basics with known steel first and get to where you are producing consistent quality results. My suggestion, which parallels FZ, is to start with an easy learn steel such as 1080 or 1084 and work with it using known techniques until you get these expected results.
You are actually reasonable close to a great group of Knife makers that meet monthly over in the Conyers area - The Flint River Knife Club. Contact them and get hooked up with some makers in the know. Will make your learning curve a lot less steep.
Another opp. if you like to camp, I conduct a Hammer-in twice a year up in Blairsville at Trackrock Campgrounds - trackcock.com - it is free and open to the general public. The next one is the last weekend in Sept 29-30 (next month). There is an announcement over in the "Events" section of these forums that will give you more detailed info. Good place to get some exposure to what works and what doesn't.
Just to keep things simple - you can use warmed Canola oil (120 deg F) as a quenchant and get pretty decent results with most of the steels used for files. Lot easier to acquire and much less expensive than MSC's Fast Quench. DO NOT use motor oil, the smoke is highly carcinogenic due to all the additives they put in the stuff, plus it is not as efficient a quenchant at warmed canola. Canola has characteristics that make it the fastest of the vegetable oils and it will work with most simple hi-carb steels satisfactorily if you learn to control your steel temps properly.
Lot said - just remember there are 100's of ways to skin the neighbor's cat (some are just easier than others).
You are actually reasonable close to a great group of Knife makers that meet monthly over in the Conyers area - The Flint River Knife Club. Contact them and get hooked up with some makers in the know. Will make your learning curve a lot less steep.
Another opp. if you like to camp, I conduct a Hammer-in twice a year up in Blairsville at Trackrock Campgrounds - trackcock.com - it is free and open to the general public. The next one is the last weekend in Sept 29-30 (next month). There is an announcement over in the "Events" section of these forums that will give you more detailed info. Good place to get some exposure to what works and what doesn't.
Just to keep things simple - you can use warmed Canola oil (120 deg F) as a quenchant and get pretty decent results with most of the steels used for files. Lot easier to acquire and much less expensive than MSC's Fast Quench. DO NOT use motor oil, the smoke is highly carcinogenic due to all the additives they put in the stuff, plus it is not as efficient a quenchant at warmed canola. Canola has characteristics that make it the fastest of the vegetable oils and it will work with most simple hi-carb steels satisfactorily if you learn to control your steel temps properly.
Lot said - just remember there are 100's of ways to skin the neighbor's cat (some are just easier than others).
