heating spring steel

can any one tell me how to soften automotive spring steel soft enough to work it easily with a file.
i have lots of chevrolet 1984 type 1/2 ton spring leaves to practice on before i will be able to make a real quality knife.
also what type files shoud i buy.
btw i will be using an acetylene/oxygen torch with a rose bud to heat the steel.
once i have reached the desired temperature or color should i bury it in something like kitty litter or quick dry absorbant until it is cool enough to handle.
thanks a bunch.
gary mills
bayarea@tisd.net

Buy a cheap telescoping magnet from an auto parts store. When the steel reaches the beginning of the critical window, it will go non-magnetic. Check frequently with the magnet, and when it won't stick, you're almost there. Heat it just a bit more and bury it in a bucket of Vermiculite or wood ash for insulation. Remove the steel the next day.

Vermiculite can be purchased at a garden supply store. I don't know about the kitty litter. Maybe that would work. The main thing is that you want a very slow cooling.

For hogging off steel I'd suggest a big Nicholson Magicut file. It's designed for rapid removal. I also like the Nicholson Mill files. You can get them in bastard, second cut, and smooth. The mill files will work well for draw-filing. Another one I like a lot is also made by Nicholson. It's called a lathe file. It leaves a smoother finish than the standard mill files.

I haven't done knives this way in a long time. Maybe someone else will throw in their 2 cents worth.

terry,
thanks for your help. i was getting worried for a while seemed like no one saw my post. for lack of a grinder i will be using files for a while and i will need all the help i can get. your information saved me some very scarse money and helped me not get off to a bad start .thanks again i really appreciate it.
gary mills
port lavaca texas
e-mail bayarea@tisd.net

The first reply said it all, but I might be able to add a couple of products to your reportoire. Vermiculite can be purchased at garden stores, but it can also be purchased anywhere they make potting soil. I have a cotton gin near my house which makes potting soil and compost from the gin "leftovers". I just thought I'd tell you because for the longest time, I'd go to stores and ask them for vermiculite and they acted like they'd never heard of it. Also, invest in some quality NIcholson files, but you can go to Sears and get some of the Craftsman files. I've got a 12" bastard cut which is the roughest file outside a rasp I've ever seen, and it removes metal like nobody's business. You'll need a smoother cut to work out the ridges left by the rough files, but the rough one works great for removing lots of metal in a hurry; plus, it's not quite as expensive as the Nicholsons. The Sears file I have is made in the U.S.A., and it has proven to be a quality tool (unlike some of the "Made in China" garbage which seems to be so prevalent nowadays. I'm kind of long-winded, but I hope this helps some. I jump at the chance to answer a question I know a little about, cuz there's waayyy more I'm ignorant about.

Oh, yeah, call 1-800-USE-ENCO. They'll send you a huge catalog (for free!) that'll have just about any tool you could ever need, including files. They have great prices and their service was super, too. They carry square files, which I haven't even been able to order from any of my local hardware stores.

Joe's right about Sears Gary. I don't know if you have in Port Lavaca, Texas, but if you do they've got some some fine tools and they back them too. I've got Craftsman wrenches and screw#######, and a Craftsman drill press that's 8 years old and has never had a speck of trouble.

I also have a small Craftsman bandsaw. When it was 11 months old something went haywire and the hole thing seized up tighter than a drum. I drug it up to the counter not expecting much satisfaction, and I'd lost the sales receipt.

The clerk said, "Well, it's a Craftsman, you're a customer here, and if you say that it's only 11 months old, that's good enough for me". He wheeled a brand new in the box over for me and said, "Come see us again". That's how I know that they do back their merchandise.

I haven't tried any of their files, but if Joe says they're good, that's good enough for me. Who knows, Nicholson may have made them for Sears.

Gary, built my first dozen or so with a file. Have a couple of things to add that might help. I always annealed twice, I think if you are doing it completely by hand it makes a difference. Get a good file card and use it religiously. Clogged teeth will scratch much deeper than the file teeth, and take forever to clean up. Buy some kind of firebrick locally. Lay one brick down and one on edge on each side. Put your short piece of steel on edge in your box, it will heat much faster. Good luck mw

Thanks Mr. Mike. I completely forgot about firebrick. Gary, if you have a place in your area that sells fireplaces, you can pick up a few firebricks there.

By the way Gary, the fellow that just offered the tips about the firebrick and file card is ABS Mastersmith, Mike Williams. He's one heck of a nice guy, and knows a thing or two about making knives. When Mike talks, I listen and take notes.

Terry, I've heard about you cajun folks. Always settin' a guy up to make a bigger fool of himself than he normally does. we call 'em cagey cajuns. Thanks for the kind words. You do more good on these forums than you will ever realize. WE all share, WE all learn. I don't share, I don't learn. That's the way it is. Great forums here. mw

thanks to all you folks for your great advise.you have gotten me on the right track.making knives is something i have wanted to do all my life.i really got the bug bad in the 60's when a friend showed me his randall that he took to nam.but never had the chance .now with your help and the grace of god maybe i can fulfill a life time dream.
thanks again.and i will be bugging you a lot i am sure.
respectfully
gary mills
port lavaca tx.
e-mail bayarea@tisd.net