Cutting small item

Metal Shop
#1

I am wanting to cut a 5 x 2.5 in card scraper to a smaller size. It is SAE1074 carbon tempered spring steel.

My hopeful result is 3 or 4 smaller pieces that would be the blades for tools to cut half-blind dovetails. I would need to build up the back/spline to support the pounding, and have a tang for a handle.

Pretty is a favorable result, but functional is the goal.

The idea is from the Rob Cosman tool, the Kerf X-10.

No, I am not trying to market a knock-off, just wanting to try things.

I will be in Tuesday night for the Solidworks class, and can try to make “Tool time with Tim” Thursday to go over any thoughts/help available. I already have a couple of the scrapers in hand.

Thanks

#2

Probably the best tool is the small shear in Machine Shop. Most likely to give cleanest cut for that type of steel.

There may be a shear in Jewelry, but I’m not sure if it would be the right type with metal as hard as spring steel.

#3

I’m not sure this is a good choice for spring steel of any type or thickness.

maybe a waterjet or a hard milling tool material.

#4

The shear in Jewelry specifically says “No steel”.

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#5

DEFINITELY do not use the shear in Jewelry. It is intended for soft metal and is labeled as such.

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#6

What is the thickness?

Are the pieces you have hardened?

If they are hardened, talk to @jbrown885 or @coloneldan about annealing, shearing in machine shop then re-hardening.
Might be a long way around, but a hell of a learning experience and you get to do it with what is at the 'space.

If you just want it done and don’t care about doing it yourself for the experience, go with the waterjet idea from @ozindfw

#7

Thickness is about .034. Pretty sure they are hardened. Purchased from Taytools as card scrapers for woodworking. The annealing and re-hardening might be a path to learn, and I will discuss the idea with @coloneldan.

Is the waterjet something at the DMS? For near term, @ozindfw is the waterjet possible? Does it cut wit a clean edge?

I am not possessive of doing everything myself, but not shy of learning new things. Just getting ideas now.

I will also be in the woodshop from about 8:00 to around 10:30 tomorrow (Sat) morning.

#8

No waterjet at DMS. It generates a polished edge if properly done. It’s essentially a sanding/grinding process with the abrasive in a high pressure (20,000+ PSI) stream of water. They will cut almost anything.

The plasma cutter would cut it, but would destroy the temper.

If you want to go the anneal/cut/harden/temper route you might consider getting some hardenable sheet like this:

and cut your own on the Plasma cutter, harden, temper, and grind. though I’ll bet the knife makers will have better steel suggestions

#9

New to DMS but personally, if you are looking to just cut out 3 pieces, I would use tin snips. 0.034" is almost a 1/32 and snips would make quick work of them. Not sure if we have any but Harbor Freight has a good deal right now with 20% coupons. I would even dare to say a cut off wheel on an angle grinder would work too without having to do all this annealing and heat treating.

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#10

For what you’re wanting to do I wouldn’t plasma cut it, too many issues.

As for using tin snips, everything that I have cut with tin Snips tends to curl at least one of the pieces.

As for going with a hardonable sheet, that just really depends on how much money you want to invest in this process.

#11

I have a little 5160 spring steel. (A lot actually). I was thinking it would be cool to anneal it, then flatten the steel some in blacksmithing and then mill the blade to the thin dimensions in the machine shop or grind it on the KMG. Annealing steel in the blacksmithing context means heating it to non-magnetic and then cooling it very slowly in an annealing oven or in vermiculite/fireplace ash. This is something I’ve done with chisels. Once the steel is cool it can be worked much easier as it is as soft as it is gonna get. Then after tooling it in the machine shop and putting an initial blade on it we can harden it by heating it to non-magnetic again and quenching it in oil. Then finish the sharpening and temper it in the tempering oven for a couple of hours.
You can also leave the spine thick if you like and obviously you can form a tang in any shape you want for the handle. In many ways you’re just making a special kind of knife bases upon this

This is my favorite knife metallurgy site:

I love making tools and I’m interested in helping… The steel you have has probably already been annealed, tooled, hardened and sharpened then tempered, but who knows.

#12

The shears and tin snips are made for mild steel(soft). I would cut it off with an angle grinder and grind the end on a belt sander. As someone mentioned above. If you don’t get it too hot, you won’t mess with the heat treat

#13

I spoke with my blacksmithing professor at Brookhaven yesterday. He suggested that you consider buying an old handsaw, using the metal shear to cut it perpendicular to the blade, grinding off the teeth and then using rivets to mount it to a wood spine. You can, of course, use the KMG grinder to sharpen the blade.

It just occurred ot me that a big band saw blade might work, too.

Old handsaws are pretty cheap at garage sales and the steel is exactly the kind of steel you want. As you know we already have band saw blade material.

#14

The band saw blade sounds like a good option. Will you be in at DMS Tuesday? If not, when could I meet you to talk about this?

#15

I will be at the DMS blacksmithing committee meeting which starts at 7PM. I can come a few minutes early and we can discuss this. Actually, the meeting seldom last an hour so if you like we can me afterwards. Whatever works best for you.

#16

I think it is too much engineering, but it would be cool if one could adjust the blade depth, i.e. the amount of exposed steel so it could only be pounded in so far, i.e. exactly 1/2", 3/4", 1". Only three ways I can think of to do this, design-wise, though, and they all have certain drawbacks.

#17

@mblatz … Maybe, since I making this myself, I could make several, each one a different size blade.

@coloneldan … I am in the Solidworks class at 7:00. I will be there starting in the afternoon to work on a wood project I have going. How is about 6:30 I will be at the Blacksmithing Workshop?

#18

6:30pm works for me. See you then.

#19

Might be interested in this…