knife making help

[Peter_t]

im also makeing a knife (there seems to be alot recently lol) i have made it out of a old file and cut out the shape with an angle grinder and have put a convex edge with diamond stones. now i am trying to drill the handle for the rivets but it is inposable. the steel is far too hard, first off i tried to mark it with a centre punch (which it flatened) then tried to drill it which did nothing, i couldnt even do it with a masonry bit. when i started to make it i sofened the file in a fire (a HUGE fire) and it was red when i took it out. did i do it wrong?
can anybody help me?

thanks
pete

 

[NatG]

The steel is probbably still hard, if you can take a blow torch and heat up the areas that you want to drill until they're non magnetic- then leave the whole thing to cool in the air until it's totally cold, this should softgen them.

also try buying some HSS or carbide tipped drills, i've found that you usually get what you pay for with those sort of things and have had much better success with better drills.

if all that fails you can send it over here as i've got a batch of files that i will be annealing soon and it would be nothing to just bung another one in

 

[redneck]

It needs to be annealed. as Nat said first heat it up to non magnetic but the trick is to let it cool as slowly as possible, if it cools too quick it will stay hard, some guys put it in a bbq and keep stocking with charcoal for a few hours, one guy I know wraps it in a fire blanket then back in the coals and it really slows down the cooling time, the longer it takes to cool down the better, you then need to heat treat the blade again to get it back to the right RC..

 

[Teno]

Why not, using the angle grinder and a cutting wheel, make a slot big enough for the rivets ??? I do it that way and put rivets in opposite ends...

 

[Nelis]

Hi Peter, There are two things that could have gone wrong... Either the steel didn't get hot enough in the centre where you are trying to drill (can you see if you can make an indentation on the edge with the centre punch). Or you cooled the steel after the heating to quickly.

Indeed if you want to use a fire to make the steel softer, check that the steel gets hot evenly (best to do this in the evening, and judge the color of the steel looking away from the fire. Then leave it in the embers of the fire and leave the fire to die out slowly with the blade in it, collect the blade the day after. Then the blade should have cooled slowly enough.

Regards,

Niels

 

[Ogri the trog]

I suggest a half hour quietly watching Greenpete's knife making videos...
http://www.greenpete.co.uk/?page_id=503
He uses a file and very few hand tools and makes a very good knife. Four videos in all and he's a great bloke to watch.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[sparksfly]

I suggest a half hour quietly watching Greenpete's knife making videos...
http://www.greenpete.co.uk/?page_id=503
He uses a file and very few hand tools and makes a very good knife. Four videos in all and he's a great bloke to watch.

ATB

Ogri the trog

I have just followed Ogri's suggestion and it was a half hour very well spent. Pete is a quiet but inspiring chap. I have gone from thinking that knifemaking was something way beyond my capability to thinking that it would be something I'd like to have a bash at. I'll be looking for an old file at the next car boot sale.

Consider me a man inspired.

 

[Peter_t]

thanks for the help guys! i think i cooled it too quickly, i folowed green pete's video but didnt realise it had to cool that slowly. i got it plenty hot enough in a masive bonfire (a few trees worth from dutch elm desease work) at work but had to take it out after my tea break and i would have lost it otherwhise lol.

pete

 

[Rothley Bill]

Have you tried using cobalt drills or going to your local engineering suppliers for some carbide tipped drills, not masonary drills. You will be amaed at what you can drill with them.

 

[saddle_tramp]

.
Consider me a man inspired.

and il second that!

thanks for the fascinating link Ogri

 

[Ogri the trog]

Glad to be of service!

ATB

Ogri the trog