Pivot Hole Reaming and Heat Treat

[Erin Burke]

Hey guys... I'm building my first folder - a balisong w/ differentially heat-treated 1095 blade and pivot bushings - and I have a question on my heat treat/reaming sequence. In a nutshell, my question is this: should I do final reaming of my blade pivot holes (1/4") prior to HT or after. There are several subquestions that figure into this.

1. Should I harden the tang of the blade (pivot holes)? My inclination is "yes", for a harder, more wear-resistant pivot.
2. If I ream before HT, will the black crud screw up the precision of my pivot holes or can I simply clean it up afterward... maybe with a second reaming?
3. If I ream after HT, I assume I'll have to buy a carbide reamer.

I'm positive that this info is out on the web somewhere, but I must be missing it. Thanks in advance. Erin

 

[Chuck Gedraitis Knives]

First, yes harden the pivot area.

I usually ream the pivot holes literally before the blade goes into the oven. The black crud can be cleaned by reaming again after heat treat. You can also wrap some sand paper around a small rod and polish the inside of the holes a little by twisting it.

If I forget to ream before heat treat I use a carbide reamer after heat treat. It leaves a nice finish but does generate some heat and a lot of torque on the reamer.

 

[Erin Burke]

Thanks Chuck... you're the man. I was hoping you'd respond when I posted the question... you're they guy that pops into my mind first when I think "folders with hamons".