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My homemade Knife/Forging MEGA THREAD *UPDATED*

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Cool GTX
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/01 11:38:56 (permalink)
Maybe max out a standard house oven and slowly bring it down over 12 - 24 hours; after getting the billet nice and warm first ?

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nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/01 12:07:10 (permalink)
They have ovens that do that.  I could leave it in the forge to cool down.  But sometimes that tempers the metal.  There are methods for working with specific steels, but this is a tool steel wrapped in an alloy steel.  They both oil quench, but normally you heat treat what the core steel (cutting edge) will be.
 
I can't wait to etch this thing and see what it looks like.
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/02 04:48:33 (permalink)
Crushing defeat.
 

 
There was a slight bend in the knife.  VERY slight.  Figured a slight bend would get it back again, but a catastrophic failure happened. 
 
One the bright side you can see the spherical carbides in the knife 

 
R.I.P:

 
 
In any case I did a quick etch to see what the spring pattern would look like:

 
again, this was a QUICK etch.   didn't sand it or anything.
 
 
I did put the end on the belt sander to see the quick sandwitch pattern, which you can kind of see:

 
over a week's work down the drain in an instant.  I got one more shot at this with existing materials.  
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/02 04:49:32 (permalink)
But yea, i wasn't kidding when i said it was hard... because it hardened.  I will have to put more effort into normalizing the steel before hand.
 
Nomadre
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/02 06:13:09 (permalink)
OUCH!!!  I was afraid of the brittleness when you stated how hard it is. You might want to temper it a little, maybe oil quench then a temper.  I do not know what the spring steel is, but a slight temper would bring your hardness down a notch and a little less brittle. And yes the cross section looks sweet you got the two to go together very nicely!
 
Maybe play with your broken pieces as a couple of temps/times to achieve what you would like.
post edited by Nomadre - 2017/03/02 06:15:42
notfordman
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/02 11:43:47 (permalink)
^^ that's a good idea Nomadre. Nateman, if you don't fail a time or two you're not trying. It does suck, but it builds your experience. It looks like it bonded quite well though. 
 
Can you tell me what that log cost to ship to you, and weight? I have a buttload [11] of Sweetgum trees, I hate with a passion. Balls galore every spring and fall. I have heard they used them for veneer for the looks. It does smell wonderful though.
 
Edit: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=sweet+gum+veneer&qpvt=Sweetgum+veneer&qpvt=Sweetgum+veneer&qpvt=Sweetgum+veneer&FORM=IGRE
 
post edited by notfordman - 2017/03/02 11:48:57
the_Scarlet_one
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/02 11:56:08 (permalink)
So.. can we agree that the slight bend you experienced in the steel was.. a learning curve?
Cool GTX
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/02 12:21:39 (permalink)
notfordman
^^ that's a good idea Nomadre. Nateman, if you don't fail a time or two you're not trying. It does suck, but it builds your experience. It looks like it bonded quite well though. 
 
Can you tell me what that log cost to ship to you, and weight? I have a buttload [11] of Sweetgum trees, I hate with a passion. Balls galore every spring and fall. I have heard they used them for veneer for the looks. It does smell wonderful though.
 
Edit: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=sweet+gum+veneer&qpvt=Sweetgum+veneer&qpvt=Sweetgum+veneer&qpvt=Sweetgum+veneer&FORM=IGRE
 



You mean to say I could have sold mine ? I was happy to let the tree trimming company haul them away - literally tons of wood
 
Cost more than a few bucks to get rid of those nasty spiky-ball producing machines.  Worth every penny
 
 

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Cool GTX
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/02 12:26:53 (permalink)
Scarlet-Tech
So.. can we agree that the slight bend you experienced in the steel was.. a learning curve?



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nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/02 13:01:33 (permalink)
you are welcome to send me a chunk of wood if you want it in a knife handle ;)
 
i was hoping that it wasn't hard all the way around.  the edge wasn't hardened.  I took the proper  steps to normalize the tool steel which is heat and cool in still air. 
 
 
 
 
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/02 21:02:07 (permalink)
Scarlet-Tech
So.. can we agree that the slight bend you experienced in the steel was.. a learning curve?





 Life is too short to carry a cheap pocket knife

   
 
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/04 16:27:19 (permalink)
finishing up a the working prototype:



 
 
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/04 16:29:35 (permalink)
1.25" total OD is not enough to make the chopper sadly:

 
but it is plenty big enough for the fighting knife

 
1.5" diameter is the desired OD.
 
 
 
 
 
 
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/12 17:08:13 (permalink)
Experimenting with a fuller:

 
 
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/12 17:18:46 (permalink)
Nate, 
 
I would be interested in an 8 - 10 inch chefs knife.
 
Lets talk about it 
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/12 19:20:37 (permalink)
EVGATech_MDecker
Nate, 
 
I would be interested in an 8 - 10 inch chefs knife.
 
Lets talk about it 


 
Shoot me an email if you would like.


nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/16 16:46:44 (permalink)
Birch burl on the left, unknown burl on the right.  

Getting some handle scales stabilized for the next group of choppers. 
 
 
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/16 21:53:36 (permalink)
Got some great photo's.... but photobucket upload isn't working!  grrrrr.
 
 
Cool GTX
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/16 22:53:59 (permalink)
looking forward to your next update

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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/17 08:53:28 (permalink)
Burls are ready to be stabilized.  

 
 
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/17 09:00:28 (permalink)
Here is the next evolution in the spring steel wrapped tool steel billet:
 

 
Adding a layer of invar (nickle/iron).
 
I am hoping it will add some "chrome" to the knife in certain area's.  Nickle will resist the etching so when the knife is etched, there will be bright spots (I AM HOPING) inbetween the springs, so perhaps a zebra appearance?  Only way to know is to try it.
 
Getting that spring on there is not an easy task, especially with now an additional layer of material.

Used some 550 paracord to wrap it and hold it in place while I basically "screw" the spring onto the shaft.
 
Done:

 
Leaving the top of the spring on gives me something hold onto.

 
Then the ends are welded.... and most importantly, trued up on the lathe:

 
I true them up so that when I stand the billet on end in the press I get a perfect vertical crush.  I plan to video that over the weekend.
 
 
 
 
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/17 09:04:37 (permalink)
Now back to the one I have been working on.
I can't put into words how difficult it is to get a forged billet true enough to put on a CNC with the tools I have in my basement.  Not to mention my CNC was never designed to cut steel.  Its all aluminum construction.  Rigidity comes into play with SOOO many snapped carbide bits.  
 
Also, without having precise oven for knife making, it isn't easy getting tool steel soft enough for HSS drills, and that black scale on the blade destroys cutting edges.  SUPER hard.  
 
Took a full day of grinding, sanding, flattening, and annealing to get what you see here:


 
So its on the machine now and I am waiting for another McMaster order which should arrive in a few hours, so I can get back to work:

 
I really should invest in McMaster.
 
the_Scarlet_one
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/17 09:10:46 (permalink)
I am home.  Sending you a PM Nateman.. 
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/17 22:02:31 (permalink)
Lots of good news tonight, but some bad news as well.
 
Bad news... I can't use the blade:

I mean I "can", but its no different then my others, except its O1 vs 1095.
After a quick etch, you can see the few markings along the spine that are the spring steel, while the O1 etches much darker.  The reason there isn't much of the pattern, is that I had to keep grinding away to get it flat enough to fit on my CNC.  
 
Now on to the good news...
 
On the OTHER side that didn't get as much grinding, you can see the crazy pattern:



 
 
The current billet that I am going to forge next (with the nickle) is going to have that same pattern, but each of those light stripes, should have an extra bright outer edge to them (in theory)
 
So I am throwing in the towel with that billet, since I think its dumb to have a knife with 2 different patterns on each side.  I knew they would look different since I was taking so much more off one side, but I also thought the spring steel penetrated much deeper into the pattern.  3rd time should be a charm right?
 
More good news, as I had an epiphany.... 
 
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/17 22:14:22 (permalink)
Now, like I said more good news.  My epiphany...
 
Every knife maker needs a grinder.  Problem, is they cost LOTS of money.  (around $1K).  I never had any intentions of buying one, when I can make one.  However, I already have a benchtop machine that I already own.  A 4x36 belt grinder.  
 
It never was long enough to flatten billets to put them on the CNC, so I came up with the idea to "extend" it so I can sand a solid 2" long billet with semi precision.
 
The sander comes apart (with the help of a dremel tool) in 2 parts.  The machine itself with the motor, and the belt sander part:

 
 
All I have to do, is reproduce this part:


 
Nothing more then a flat portion, with some angle iron spot welded (or drilled and tapped) to it.  I can use a precision ground top as the surface, and those 4 holes bolt to the mating surface of the sander:

Some extra supports may be required, but when you have a CNC, I can bang one out in short order if the need arises.
 
 
I should now be able to flatten out 2' long billets of material.  I know it will probably put extra strain on the motor, but I have much larger motors laying around and could retrofit something should the need arise.  I will just take it easy pressing the billet down and it should be fine.  The motor has thermal mechanisms in place in case I get stupid.
 
 
 
 Said modification should cost less than $100.00  The most expensive part of the attempt will be the 4" x 24" of precision ground 3/8, or 1/2 stock for the platen. 
 
 
post edited by nateman_doo - 2017/03/17 22:15:55
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/22 19:56:31 (permalink)
Belt grinder mod is completed:

 

 

 
knightsilver
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/22 21:40:52 (permalink)
Nice, Nate!
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/28 05:34:43 (permalink)
knightsilver
Nice, Nate!

Thank you.  I used it a bit yesterday and it works.  The motor does bog down a bit, but I am trying to figure out where to go with it from here.  


I can either add a full 1HP motor under it, or take the belt and the apparatus I built and form it into something new.  
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/28 06:03:04 (permalink)
The nickle added spring steel wrap is finally on the machine:

 
nateman_doo
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Re: Made some more metal things. Looking for opinions. 2017/03/28 06:18:51 (permalink)
Had a few chunks of wood stabilizing in a colored resin:

 
The ones on the right, I have no idea.  Here is a closer view:

 
The 2 on the left, are some form of birch burl:

 
ALL of these were in the SAME colored dye.  For some reason, the birch burl had a few sections of the wood that are the same color as most of the wood on the right.  
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