What steel do i make a plane blade from?

[bigjoe]

Afternoon all,
I won 5 wooden rebate planes on ebay t'other day for £2 and one is missing a blade, what grade of steel do i need to make a new blade for it?

I'll post some pics when they arrive.

Many thanks

Joe

 

[Racers]

Hi,

You need Ground Flat Stock otherwise known as O1 steel and you need to heat treat it. I have made plane blades and chisels and harden them with the help of a barbeque and hair dryer to get the heat up to the required temperature, but a small plane blade you can do with a MAPP torch. You will find lots of articles about heat treating on line here one from Ron Hock http://www.hocktools.com/diyht.htm.

1 1/4 inch paring chisel in the BBQ

Pete

 

[Philly]

Yup, as Pete said. O1 is high carbon steel, the good stuff. All you need is a hacksaw, files and a heat source. Here's how I made a forge for a few quid....

http://www.philsville.co.uk/phillyforge.htm

Hope this helps
Philly

 

[swagman]

Hi Philly.

So what process would you follow to soften a steel file prior to shaping.


swagman.

 

[Racers]

Hi, Swagman

O1 is soft (well as soft as it gets) when you buy it, its workable but tough going.

Pete

 

[wizer]

Purely out of interest, are there any sites out there which show the shaping of tool steel? What tools are used etc.

Just to past the time, I've got enough on me plate in the workshop

 

[bigjoe]

Good morning,
Ive just been reading your thread about your daughters push cart problems.....luckily my two are too old for those toys now,although christmas would be a damn site cheaper! I notice you're in north west kent, i was born in greenwich and lived in Gravesend and Abbeywood until i moved up to scotland for a better life! my folks still live in Abbeywood and my sister lives in Chatham .......my apologies for my inane drivel but as they say its a small world.

Good luck with the dowel fun and games

Kind regards

Joe

 

[wizer]

Joe I was also born in Greenwich and lived in Abbeywood til I was 5. My missus is from Gravesend.

I'm not moving to Scotland tho!

 

[bigjoe]

Just realised i meant to pm that post! :shock: :lol:

 

[swagman]

Hi Pete.

Steel files are a high carbon metal.

What I was inferring was that steel files are very hard, and the only way too reshape them would be to first soften the metal.

What is the process involved to soften the metal on steel files.



swagman.

 

[Racers]

Hi, Wizer

Tools for shaping tool steel, file, hack saw, angle grinder etc.

Pete

 

[bigjoe]

So am i right to assume that i do all cutting shaping etc before tempering the steel?

 

[wizer]

Including the primary bevel?

 

[GCR]

Swagman

High carbon steel, for example a file, can be "softened" by heating to "cherry" red (a bright red in subdued light), held at that temperature till you are sure the heat has soaked right through the metal, then allow the steel to cool slowly. In the winter I put steel which needs to be softened in the stove and allow it to cool as the fire dies down overnight. It will then be softer.

Bob

 

[Philly]

Sorry for the delay replying, Stewie. Bob has it - heat to cherry red and then let it cool down very slowly, usually by poking it in a bucket of ashes or similar insulating material.

Wizer - shaping the tool steel is relatively simple. Hack saw and files (or an angle grinder and bench grinder or belt sander for the lazy ones :wink: )

Cheers
Philly

 

[swagman]

Thanks Bob and Philly for the reply.

swagman.

 

[dh7892]

Out of interest, where do you folks get your O1 stock from? Obviously, there are loads of places you can mail order from but for small quantities, the postage make it all seem rather expensive.

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I get mine from Cromwell Tools http://www.cromwell.co.uk/ but most engineering supliers will do it you should be able to find one localy.


Pete

 

[dh7892]

Thanks for the info