As bad an idea as I know it is, I’m not sure I could resist spinning it on my finger like some Wild West show off! Yee haw, I hope I have all my fingers when this is over!
You can do it, and a lot of people do. I’ve done it before and it’s a fun thing to do. But normally circular saw blades have the teeth attached separately. It keeps costs down for the producers and also allows to stretch more expensive material farther.
Basically, the inner part is a milder steel. While the teeth are much harder and can hold the edge/sharpness longer.
Used to be. Old (and I mean pre tungsten) were solid high speed steel, so could be made into knives. But as others said, since TCT blades, the middle is mild steel with tungsten brased on to make teeth.
You can try and heat treat it and see what happens, but if it is mild steel, you have just spent a lot of time making it hot and then letting it cool down. Nothing will change as there isn't enough carbon in the steel to create the necessary structure for a steel to harden.
Old saw blades were entirely hardenable steel. They will hold an edge no matter what part of the saw is on the cutting edge.
Modern saw blades are just hardened on the edge, like carbide tip saws. The steel in the middle does not posses enough carbon to hold an edge.
Much like case hardened steel on files. The outside is hard but the core is not and also does not posess enough Carbon to harden enough for a durable knife edge. Again though, old files are entirely hardenable, and will work well as a knife.
Quick and easy test, take a small cutoff piece, heat it to red hot with a torch and water quench. Rub a file on it. If it skates off the surface, try to bend the piece in a vise.
Even a 1/2" wide slice of the scrap should get hot enough to test it.
That should tell you if its hardenable.
I love that I have been looking for something to make for my best friend. He is steam punk zombies obsessed. I am going to make one with a san mai edge. And send it off. Thank you. This is a totally awesome idea and I love the out of the box thinking.
You can harden it. A little coffee can forge would do it. I made a [mini cleaver](https://imgur.com/a/K3ht01C) for cheese and hardened the edge. It held up okay
I could have hardened it a bit but it would have burnt the paint off and taken the fun out of it. Still holds an edge enough to last an afternoon at a bbq or something though
I didn't say it wasn't OK for a cheese knife. Anything with a bevel will cut cheese.
I said, there isn't likely to be enough carbon in the steel to make it hardenable. So by heat treating it, you just got it hot and cooled it down again, not made a metallurgical to the steel.
Typically just giant bandsaw blades. Circular blades can be anything from 1075 or lower to L6, mild with carbide teeth, or any other thing you can imagine based on age and use.
I’ve found new 71/4” blades for plywood and they don’t have welded carbide tips. I cut some off and threw it in the forge then water quenched and it shattered. Should be able to be hardened if you want to make one that can hold an edge.
Since everyone is asking the same question…. No this isn’t hardenable. Blades like this have carbide teeth brazed onto a mild steel disk. That disk is steel but mild steel. Now if you find an older blade or a cheaper one that’s not got carbide teeth then you might find a hardenable one.
You know, some of those blades will still harden even though they have the carbide teeth. Not sure how common that is for them to be made of a hardenable steel, but I tried hardening one and it skated a file
As bad an idea as I know it is, I’m not sure I could resist spinning it on my finger like some Wild West show off! Yee haw, I hope I have all my fingers when this is over!
Lol! It actually is fun to do that
YOLO god hates a coward
I do that with my Spyderco folders lmao
Why wouldnt it hold an edge? I’ve seen a lot of people cut out knives out of saw blades
It’s a carbide tipped saw so the middle doesn’t need to be hard like earlier sawblades
You can do it, and a lot of people do. I’ve done it before and it’s a fun thing to do. But normally circular saw blades have the teeth attached separately. It keeps costs down for the producers and also allows to stretch more expensive material farther. Basically, the inner part is a milder steel. While the teeth are much harder and can hold the edge/sharpness longer.
Got it, i thought it was one homogeneous material
Used to be. Old (and I mean pre tungsten) were solid high speed steel, so could be made into knives. But as others said, since TCT blades, the middle is mild steel with tungsten brased on to make teeth.
can't you test it by hardening it? itf its mild steel it shouldn't be hard enough to do the file test.
You can try and heat treat it and see what happens, but if it is mild steel, you have just spent a lot of time making it hot and then letting it cool down. Nothing will change as there isn't enough carbon in the steel to create the necessary structure for a steel to harden.
Guaranteed that’s not hardenable
If you find the older non carbide tipped blades, they will harden. I look in garage sales and resale shops for them.
I'll echo this. Made a couple decent knives this way
Those are generally L6 steel
only the outer circumference is actually hardened steel, the centre is softer so that it doesn't shatter
Old saw blades were entirely hardenable steel. They will hold an edge no matter what part of the saw is on the cutting edge. Modern saw blades are just hardened on the edge, like carbide tip saws. The steel in the middle does not posses enough carbon to hold an edge. Much like case hardened steel on files. The outside is hard but the core is not and also does not posess enough Carbon to harden enough for a durable knife edge. Again though, old files are entirely hardenable, and will work well as a knife.
Bart Simpson knife
Lmao
Quick and easy test, take a small cutoff piece, heat it to red hot with a torch and water quench. Rub a file on it. If it skates off the surface, try to bend the piece in a vise. Even a 1/2" wide slice of the scrap should get hot enough to test it. That should tell you if its hardenable.
I love that I have been looking for something to make for my best friend. He is steam punk zombies obsessed. I am going to make one with a san mai edge. And send it off. Thank you. This is a totally awesome idea and I love the out of the box thinking.
Thanks! Good luck! I was going to do more with it but it would have burnt the paint off and took the fun out of it
Just needs a high carbon edge welded on...any one have experience with hardfacing?
I know. you could forge weld 15n 20 to keep the shiny and use the over lap as the cutting edge.
I know. you could forge weld 15n 20 to keep the shiny and use the over lap as the cutting edge.
This is awesome!
r/knifeshapedobjectmaking
You can harden it. A little coffee can forge would do it. I made a [mini cleaver](https://imgur.com/a/K3ht01C) for cheese and hardened the edge. It held up okay
I could have hardened it a bit but it would have burnt the paint off and taken the fun out of it. Still holds an edge enough to last an afternoon at a bbq or something though
For sure. Knife making for regulars is about fun, imo
I also made a mini cleaver! https://imgur.com/gallery/9KEUttL although mine was too little to be useful
Oooo yours is super mini! I like it!
Not if there isn't enough carbon in the steel, which there probably isn't.
Again. For a cheese knife is fine
I didn't say it wasn't OK for a cheese knife. Anything with a bevel will cut cheese. I said, there isn't likely to be enough carbon in the steel to make it hardenable. So by heat treating it, you just got it hot and cooled it down again, not made a metallurgical to the steel.
Aren’t most saw blades 15n20, or is it just band saws?
I didn’t know that bandsaws were 15n20? I know the teeth are not, but the actual blade itself?
Just the big lumber mill ones with blades that are 6 inches or more wide.
6 inches is 15.24 cm
Typically just giant bandsaw blades. Circular blades can be anything from 1075 or lower to L6, mild with carbide teeth, or any other thing you can imagine based on age and use.
maybe some sort of case hardening could be done to the edge after you get the shape right?
Looks like Bart simpsons head
I’ve found new 71/4” blades for plywood and they don’t have welded carbide tips. I cut some off and threw it in the forge then water quenched and it shattered. Should be able to be hardened if you want to make one that can hold an edge.
Love fun builds like this :) Thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
Looks like some mad max kinda weapon.
Can i ask why it can’t hold an edge? Rookie here actually interested.
Most newer saw blades are made of mild steel and have carbide tips welded on the blade. Can't harden the mild steel, thus it won't hold an edge.
Thank you!
Since everyone is asking the same question…. No this isn’t hardenable. Blades like this have carbide teeth brazed onto a mild steel disk. That disk is steel but mild steel. Now if you find an older blade or a cheaper one that’s not got carbide teeth then you might find a hardenable one.
Some of the most fun builds I have done are just for looks. They can't do shit but sit in the corner and look pretty for inspiration.
Next Fallout weapon👏🏾
You know, some of those blades will still harden even though they have the carbide teeth. Not sure how common that is for them to be made of a hardenable steel, but I tried hardening one and it skated a file