Warped Blade, How To Fix?

murphda2

Super Moderator and KD Blade Show Boss
I got in bed around 0200 this morning and then got up at 0500 to got to the shop. I got a new blade hammered out (it's going to be a beast!), and I heat treated a blade I've been working on. In my exhausted state, i forgot to check and make sure the blade was straight after quenching (yes, I feel like an idiot).

Now, my question is, "What is the best way to correct it?". It has a real nice left hand curve to it. I went ahead and put it in the oven to temper (figured it couldn't hurt anything) while I rest and get some chow. Do I just take it back to the shop, heat it back up, straighten, normalize, and reheat treat it?
 
Murph,

Maybe you'll get an expert opinion here but I would take right out of temper and clamp it up in a 3 point in the bench vise and let it cool that way.

Might even go a little PAST straight ???????

Josh
 
I was contemplating that Josh. I bought thes new high speed "C-Clamps" that have three points of contact (the "C" is forked). Since I'm using the oven in my apartment to temper it, I thought I would try it out and see what happens.
 
What kind of steel?

This threads worthless without pics :)

You may need an hour or three more than 3 hrs sleep:D
 
Took a cat nap (hour or so), had a bowl of cereal and several bottles of water, watched tv for a couple of hours and then went back to the shop. Had to normalize, straighten, and retreat. Oh well, both blades are straight now. One is of 1084 and the other is my first W-2 blade forged from 5/8" round bar. I'll post pics when I clean them up. they are in the toaster oven right now.
 
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FRUSTRATION!!!

Well, this has turned into a hard lesson learned. Apparently there were cracks in the blade which I couldn't see prior to tempering the blade. When I got home from work this afternoon I pulled the blade out of the oven to look at it (I had left the blade in the oven to cool aftet the second temper cycle last night). To make a long story short, the two cracks in the blade were very visible.

All of that work down the drain. I was really hoping to finish this piece to take the the AG Show this weekend to show to Jim, now I get to show him my mistake. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

OK, now that I've vented, I guess I need to get to my nap and then to the shop to work on the MONSTER that I forged out yesterday. The blade is about 10" long and 2" wide at it's widest point. If I don't screw it up, it's going to be a beast!!!
 
That's not good,hope the other works out a little better.I have never did any forging,and I am sure I never will.
I am sure it is like all else,PRACTICE,PRACTICE,PRACTICE,and a little more PRACTICE.:D
I am sure you will get it right where you want it to be.
I bet we see the name Murph,in Blade magazine someday:cool:
Good luck brother

God bless,Keith
 
Appreciate the confidence boost Keith. I've been pretty frustrated all afternoon and evening over this. I was really proud of the work I had done on the blade and was really looking forward to finishing it up this week to take with me to the AG Russell Knife Event this weekend to show off to a few friends.

The first thing I did when I realized I had screwed up somewhere was to call Jim. After talking to him, I think I have identified my mistakes. I'll discuss it more with him at the show this weekend and plan to visit his shop soon (hopefully next weekend). I need some lessons!!!
 
Welcome to the club, Murph. The same thing has happened to me and probably most of us here. Take what you have learned and apply it to the next blade. You might want to share what you have learned. It could help the next guy.

Doug Lester
 
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