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High-Performance Blades Sharing ideas for getting the most out of our steel.

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  #16  
Old 04-04-2012, 08:27 AM
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Gary Mulkey Gary Mulkey is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Fowler View Post
Also I learned that nothing good happens to steel when it is used,
There's a pearl that should be remembered. With the amount of labor involved with custom knife making, does it make any sense to take a chance on using less than the best materials?

Gary


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  #17  
Old 04-10-2012, 11:46 AM
Ed Fowler Ed Fowler is offline
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Usually when 52100 cracks after hardening it is because you over heated it while forging, the solution is simple, watch the size of the slag when you start hammering, especially after the first heat. If the slag is not larger than snow flakes you are OK. If you can keep your temp down to where there is no slag you will have the potential to make a better blade.

We seek to make the best blade 52100 is capable of developing. This takes a lot of careful work. As we share what we have learned, it sounds complicated and seems to lead many to believe making knives out of 52100 is complicated.

Actually what we do with 52100 will develop great blades out of 5160 and others who work with different steels tell me it works with them also.

Forging a blade is as complicated or as simple as we want to make it, the more we put into developing our blades, the greater their potential as a high endurance performance blade.

Just take it one step at time and if you chose to test your blades you will learn a lot and find it rewarding.

I strongly feel that if you as a blade smith or a client looking for a knife or information, just ask the person who made the blade or is answering your question "How do you test or blades?" The answer will tell you how much credit you can give to the blade or information you seek.


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  #18  
Old 03-31-2013, 10:10 PM
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If you want to work 5100 I suggest to get as much info from Ed Fowler videos as possible. It certainly can be tricky.


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  #19  
Old 03-31-2013, 10:32 PM
Ed Fowler Ed Fowler is offline
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Thanks Bob: I love to see your real name attached to your posts.


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  #20  
Old 04-01-2013, 06:28 AM
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Thanks Bob: I love to see your real name attached to your posts.
Thanks Ed; that's the only thing my Dad ever gave me.


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  #21  
Old 01-13-2014, 04:24 PM
jemoran jemoran is offline
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Timken made some of their large bearings out of case hardened 8620. Section a piece and look at it, and test it, as with all "found metal".
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  #22  
Old 01-13-2014, 10:01 PM
Ed Fowler Ed Fowler is offline
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It is easy to check for case hardened bearings, simply grind a flat on one area of the ball, about 1/4 inches deep and etch it in ferric chloride diluted with 3 parts water. If the bearing is case hardened there will be a moon surrounding the 8620 or whatever they used in the bearing. If it all etches the same it is of the same steel, probably 52100.

You can use the case hardened balls to make Damascus steel, it us usually very high quality, but in my experience does not make much of a knife by itself. I quit making Damascus because I never could approach the performance qualities possible out of properly forged and heat treated 52100.

Good Luck, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.


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  #23  
Old 05-21-2014, 10:35 PM
archambault archambault is offline
 
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I have a knife made from one of these balls that hasnt even been hardened and it still holds a tough edge. Hardening it will make it that much better.
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  #24  
Old 05-22-2014, 02:40 AM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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Archamboult, what I would be concerned about with you saying that I still holds a tough edge even though the steel hasn't been hardened is that you are dealing with a stainless steel such as 440C which is also used to make ball bearings. In that case the steel would be hardened and no tempered. That's the problem with working with mystery metal, you can think that you are using one thing and find out that it's something else.

What kink of a heat treatment have you tried to do with that blade?

Doug


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  #25  
Old 05-22-2014, 10:31 AM
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Here is a site that offers a Very Very Good amount of information on steel as well as heat treating it . Many fellow Smiths use it as I have posted it a few places for them . feel free to look around the site as well there is a ton of information here .

http://www.hudsontoolsteel.com/

http://www.hudsontoolsteel.com/techn...ifesteelbasics

Best Regards


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  #26  
Old 06-20-2014, 08:43 PM
archambault archambault is offline
 
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From what I can tell, the steel has 100 points of carbon and is pretty free of chromium based on a spark test so I'm not too worried about hardening. The biggest concern I would have would be the quenchent medium for the steel.
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