Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work.

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Bob Swinney
 
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Default blue steel for carving tools?

Charles, why not start with material made for the task? Purchase
oil-hardening tool steel - it comes in rounds, as drill rod, or rectangular
shapes. It can be easily heat treated and resharpened as necessary. "Blue"
steel is a misnomer, although certain springs take on a blue color when heat
treated - this doesn't make them suitable for cutting tools. Do a net
search on heat treating, or similar.

Bob Swinney
"nativewoodcarving" wrote in message
...
Hi folks,

I am looking for a type of metal to make carving tools. I was told that
spring steel is the best and there is also one saying blue steel? What
actually is blue steel? For spring steel - would those leftspring from the
bottom of our truck for suspension works?

Thanks

Charles




  #2   Report Post  
Gordy
 
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Default blue steel for carving tools?

"Bob Swinney" wrote in message news:0RyQa.52071$GL4.13037@rwcrnsc53...
Charles, why not start with material made for the task? Purchase
oil-hardening tool steel - it comes in rounds, as drill rod, or rectangular
shapes. It can be easily heat treated and resharpened as necessary. "Blue"
steel is a misnomer, although certain springs take on a blue color when heat
treated - this doesn't make them suitable for cutting tools. Do a net
search on heat treating, or similar.

Bob Swinney
"nativewoodcarving" wrote in message
...
Hi folks,

I am looking for a type of metal to make carving tools. I was told that
spring steel is the best and there is also one saying blue steel? What
actually is blue steel? For spring steel - would those leftspring from the
bottom of our truck for suspension works?

Thanks

Charles



I agree. Spring steel is not the steel of choice. Good tools are made
of tool steel. You can purchase small pieces of hardend tool steel
from L.S. Starrett. You may find some sizes that are what you kneed
and would not have to harden it yourself. I have made some small wood
tools from used or broken metal tools such as files, taps, drills or
lathe tools. If you know someone in a machine shop they should have a
good supply of junk tools you might be ablet to use.

Some of these tools are not the prefered material or hardness but they
are cheap (if not free) and already hardened.

Gordy
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Bill Bright
 
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Default blue steel for carving tools?


"JMartin957" wrote in message
...
I agree. Spring steel is not the steel of choice. Good tools are made
of tool steel. You can purchase small pieces of hardend tool steel
from L.S. Starrett. You may find some sizes that are what you kneed
and would not have to harden it yourself.



I think you'll find that the tool steel is sold in the annealed, or soft,
condition. Machine and then harden.

John Martin


Sorry,, I think that you are all wrong.

Blue steel. This is the color that you temper spring steel to for wood
working tools. Soft enough to take an impact without chipping and hard
enough to take an edge.

A spring from an older junker car would work fine for this. The ABS
(american bladesmith society) school used to order its standard carbon steel
for forged knives from a car spring manufacturer. I do belive it was 1095
steel.


Rough it to shape. leave the edge with about 1/16th of an edge. Heat until
a magnet will not stick. Quench in a mineral oil or used/new motor
oil/diesel mix.(This hardens it.) Polish with sand paper (enough to see
colors on the edge.) heat the back of the tool. you can watch the colors
run towards the edge. It starts off light and gets darker. ( this is
tempering, it makes the tool usable.) with out tempering the tool will be
extreemly hard and brittle.

A straw color is for knives. blue or indego for carving tools that are
tapped with a hammer. An ax or other striking tool would be inbetween.
When you get the color that you want, dunk in water to cool. If you went
too far, reharden and try again.


Bill,,,,,,
(Made a few knives)


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ROBB
 
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Default blue steel for carving tools?

I have made carving gouges from old files and from O-1 tool steel.or
Versaloy.

You must pay for your material with money if new, or by scrounging and
an education if salvaged.

A very good investment would be Wyger's The Making of Tools.
I can not recomend this book any more highly.
Look for tool / blacksmithing book lists.

Have fun, protect your eyes.
Robb.
  #5   Report Post  
Beecrofter
 
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Default blue steel for carving tools?

"nativewoodcarving" wrote in message ...
Hi folks,

I am looking for a type of metal to make carving tools. I was told that
spring steel is the best and there is also one saying blue steel? What
actually is blue steel? For spring steel - would those leftspring from the
bottom of our truck for suspension works?

Thanks

Charles


O1 O1 O1
If you are going to take the time to learn to make them and make them
consistantly purchase some O1 steel and stick with it til you get good
at it. Then noodle around with found objects.

Search the back issues of fine woodworking, way early is an article of
someone making gouges.

Truck springs don't have the proper amount of carbon.


  #7   Report Post  
Charles Erskine
 
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Default blue steel for carving tools?

Blue steel and white steel are terms used by Japanese chisel makers:

http://japanwoodworker.com/catalog4.html

Truck springs used to be high carbon steel, but now many are alloy
steel. I would try hardening and tempering a sample.

"nativewoodcarving" wrote in message ...
Hi folks,

I am looking for a type of metal to make carving tools. I was told that
spring steel is the best and there is also one saying blue steel? What
actually is blue steel? For spring steel - would those leftspring from the
bottom of our truck for suspension works?

Thanks

Charles

  #8   Report Post  
David A. Frantz
 
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Default blue steel for carving tools?

Hi Guys;

It is not impossible ot buy prehardened tool steel. Actually can be very
useful in this form. However; I can't imagine making knives out of it.


Thanks
Dave


No, Bill, I wasn't wrong at all. The original poster suggested that one could
avoid having to harden a piece by buying hardened tool steel from Starrett. I
disagreed with him. My reply was that the steel they sell is sold fully
annealed, so that it may be easily machined, and if needed hard must be
hardened by the user. This is true of their oil-hardening and air-hardening
steels.

I do agree with you that auto spring steel can make a good knife.

John Martin




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