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Thread: Could this be the start of a 10-year project?

  1. #11
    Bushman jbrown14's Avatar
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    You're well on your way to beating my record, Bernie!

    Looks great so far. That's one beefy blade!

    I voted for a wood handle in your other thread by the way...

    All the best!

    Josh

  2. #12
    Samuel Hearne Bernie's Avatar
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    At long last some progress!!

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    Not much, but I drilled some holes in it. I've decided to go with wood for the handle. I think my next step is to temper the knife (will check Green Pete's video in a minute to verify this). Since our cars are now all computer controlled, I can't service them myself so I've not got any old engine oil to hand. Does anyone know whether cooking oil works as well? Not sure SWIMBO will be too chuffed with me dunking my knife in the fat fryer though.

  3. #13
    One with Nature CanadianMike's Avatar
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    Leave it to me almost a year later to see what this is all about, and lo & behold, it's about knife making!!!! DOH!!!!

    Looks like a great start Bernie, so here's where you go. Make sure the edge isn't too thin right now, if it is, take some off otherwise it'll burn off and decarbonize the edge. Not sure what your heating means will be, let's say the fire stove you have there, get to the same degree of hotness with just as many coals, place the handle in there first (to HT it, but also to see how the heating process goes), and move it around every couple mins to avoid warping it all.

    When you are used to the heating process and what you are using, pull the knife out, leave the handle hot, it'll cool by air and become tough (normalizing), put the blade in and heat to the right colour (red to dull orange). Keep moving it around in the coals (actually, instead of just wood, use charcoal) and make sure to get even colour all over the blade, have a pan/can whatever nearby of oil (answering your question, first dozen blades I made I quenched in old motor oil, past couple dozen I've been using a paint can of canola oil), newspaper/etc.

    Pull the blade out, check it with a magnet all along the edge to make sure it's non-magnetic, if so, put back in the coals for another 30 seconds or so, then pull out and dip in the oil for about 1 sec, pull out for 1 sec, put back in, etc. Wear gloves, you may have a fireball erupt from the knife, you might not (I like the fireball, is fun to watch, but doesn't happen every time, maybe every 2-3 times I quench, I am disappointed if I don't get one). Do the dip and pull out maybe 3-4 times, and then stick the knife in the oil and move it around for about 20seconds. Pull it out, plop on the newspaper (to absorb the oil) and let it cool.

    From there, dishsoap and hot water to remove the oil, heat up your kitchen stove/toaster oven to 375-400F, place blade in there and leave for an hour to temper (tempering is reducing heat treating hardness, a file is heat treated and quenched, but not tempered, is why it's so hard and will break.

    Tempering at a lower temperature reduces stresses in the steel from HTing, and relaxes the blade to a lower hardness, making it tougher). Let it cool with the stove, and if you want, a second cycle.

    From there, form your edge to remove the decarbonized layer of steel (iron plus carbon is steel, steel with iron removed is iron, therefore softer), add wood for a handle, etc.

    Hope this helps!

  4. #14
    Moderator Adam Savage's Avatar
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    You make it sound so complicated lol, but totally agree. I use veg oil for mine now, but pretty much any oil works. The thinner the oil, the harder it'll be, but only +/- 0.5 HRC, or something.
    Look forward to seeing the final blade . great work so far Bernie
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  5. #15
    Samuel Hearne paulthefish2009's Avatar
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    Good advice Mike,thats what i done to make my blade,sticking it in the oven to temper works great,Bernie i used some old 2 stroke oil i had hanging around,worked ok for me.

  6. #16
    One with Nature CanadianMike's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by crazysaint222 View Post
    You make it sound so complicated lol, but totally agree. I use veg oil for mine now, but pretty much any oil works. The thinner the oil, the harder it'll be, but only +/- 0.5 HRC, or something.
    Look forward to seeing the final blade . great work so far Bernie
    What happens and why makes it sound difficult, doing it is stupid simple, is why it's my favourite part of making a knife, total 10 minutes or so from set up to heat to quench to wash to oven for temper. Maybe it's because my hands are free for the most part to enjoy my beer.....

  7. #17
    Moderator Adam Savage's Avatar
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    lol. I would agree, but I don't drink unless I'm in the woods lol.
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  8. #18
    One with Nature CanadianMike's Avatar
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    Asleep and at work (outside special occasions I mean, there are often retirement get togethers or after work chats and beer amongst a few), about the only times I don't enjoy my beer.

  9. #19
    Hobo
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    Quote Originally Posted by CanadianMike View Post

    From there, form your edge to remove the decarbonized layer of steel (iron plus carbon is steel, steel with iron removed is iron, therefore softer), add wood for a handle, etc.

    Hope this helps!

    not being picky but im sure steel with iron removed would leave you a nice pile of carbon? has anyone found different results during the carburization process using charcoal, coal/coke?
    "Its not man that defeats the Mountain, but the Mountain that changes man"

  10. #20
    Samuel Hearne Bernie's Avatar
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    More progress: I managed to get the Chimenia up to heat with the help of a lot of oak floorboard offcuts and a little blowing down a copper pipe. I had a magnet on the ground that the knife picked up when it was cold, but would not pick up once it was very very hot. It wasn't cherry coloured, just a scary orange. Not sure I got it hot enough because although the magnet wasn't picked up, it didn't set the (unused) engine oil alight. It did bubble like it was boiling where the knife was though. I let it cool in the oil and then cleaned it up with some abrasive.

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    Next I'll oven-treat it later this week or at the weekend.

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