Annealing files for knives

[Windknot_Flies]

I was just wondering if any of ya'll have had any experience with annealing old files for the purpose of making knife blades? I'll most likely be using a homemade forge or even my bbq pit to heat the files. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

~Harris

[tufhelp]

No hands on experience, but keen interest... I noodled around a bit and found the following:

http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f91/annealing-files-1085/

http://thescholarsgarret.com/artifact/article_dagger.html

http://www.livelyknives.com/blacksmithknife.htm

http://www.stonesriverwoodworkers.com/Tips.html

[indyguy]

old files are not my 1st choice for a knife but a good knife can be made from them if worked correctly. Heat you file until fire engine red and then bury in sand or ash and walk away until tomorrow.

Remove the file from ash or sand bucket..... will another file cut it? if no then heat again and into the bucket over night.

my preference is to draw my knives out on the anvil rather than cut and grind then to shape. Drawing out a knife is harder than it looks and not a good project for the beginning blacksmith until he masters a few basic skills but thats the one item they all want to do 1st.

[ArmySGT.]

Heat cherry red, bury in vermiculite (garden center) , and come back tomorrow. This should leave them soft enough to work with.

[Windknot_Flies]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm more or less tinkering around, and I happen to have a good supply of old files. They were destined to the scrap heap, but I'm going to try to give them some new life. Hopefully I'll have some pics to post up soon of my first attempts. =) Thanks again ya'll....

Harris

[jim]

I've read where some made knives from files, and heat treatment is critical. The first time this guy did it, it was quenched at cherry red, and resulted in a very brittle knife. A straw color just before the little sparks (carbon burn out) began apprearing on the blade, then quench. Never did it myself, this was in an article about 20 years ago.

jim

[ArmySGT.]

If your really concerned heat the file until a file (magnet! I meant magnet.) will not stick to it. Then bury in vermiculite or sand and leave for 24 hours. Don't quench it unless you mean to harden it instead.

Should be anneal.
Shape.
Quench.
Polish.
Temper.
Polish.
Add slabs.
Rivet.
Done.

[Pitdog]

Once shaping is done, you must heat it to cherry red and quench in oil. THEN heat back up to uniform blue and quench in oil again, and this will ad some spring to it, so it won't be brittle.

[ArmySGT.]

Once shaping is done, you must heat it to cherry red and quench in oil. THEN heat back up to uniform blue and quench in oil again, and this will ad some spring to it, so it won't be brittle.
Need to polish it so you can see the blue come out in the temper. Then polish again if desired.

[Pitdog]

makin springs again arent you? LOL!~!~

[Blacksmith]

ressurect this thread. ArmySgt is right on. Files are 1095 steel. They have 95% carbon added to the iron...making them difficult to work with, but have a fine edge if done right.

In order to work the file for shaping...you have to change the molecular grain structure of the metal from "bead like brittle hardness"..which is the state of the file...to "fiberous lengthy grain" the annealed state.

As ArmySGT said........Heat the file slowly..bringing it to a bright "Cherry Red", not yellow red...and completely immerse the file in vermiculite or Wood Ashes, and leave for 24 hours before heating again to a "Cherry Red" for shaping.

Once shaped...tempering is another...involved issue.