circ saw blade as hand hatchet head or knife

   / circ saw blade as hand hatchet head or knife #1  

Soundguy

Old Timer
Joined
Mar 11, 2002
Messages
52,238
Location
Central florida
Tractor
RK 55HC,ym1700, NH7610S, Ford 8N, 2N, NAA, 660, 850 x2, 541, 950, 941D, 951, 2000, 3000, 4000, 4600, 5000, 740, IH 'C' 'H', CUB, John Deere 'B', allis 'G', case VAC
I've toyed around with making cutting instruments out of things like a RR spike.. etc.

have seen some make a knife from a file.. etc.

was thinking about using a circ saw blade for a knife or hand hatchet or skinning tool.. etc.

hows the metal ? work ok for that?
 
   / circ saw blade as hand hatchet head or knife #2  
I would think it would be less brittle than files, which I'd personally never use for knives. I used a circular saw blade to make a hollowing plane a few years ago (Cherry body). I cut it using a cut-off wheel on my Dremel and finished shaping it and beveling the cutting edge on the belt sander. I hand honed the cutting edge and it felt pretty similar to most of my other cutting tools to hone. It seems to hold a decent enough edge.

I don't know if one would be stiff enough for a hatchet or a very large knife, but if they're free or super cheap worn out blades, you're not really out anything by trying. I'd think they'd make excellent skinners.

Joe
 
   / circ saw blade as hand hatchet head or knife #3  
These would work. These are already hardened and tempered materials. If any grinding was done to them I wouldn't get them to hot. It will take the hardness and temper out.
 
   / circ saw blade as hand hatchet head or knife #4  
These would work. These are already hardened and tempered materials. If any grinding was done to them I wouldn't get them to hot. It will take the hardness and temper out.
Good point! :thumbsup: I should have noted that I used the belt sander very carefully so as not to heat things up too much. Short "grinding" cycles with plenty of cool-down time in between. Kept a bucket of water nearby to dunk it in periodically just to be sure.

Joe
 
   / circ saw blade as hand hatchet head or knife #5  
These would work. These are already hardened and tempered materials. If any grinding was done to them I wouldn't get them to hot. It will take the hardness and temper out.

I believe only the very tips of the blades are tempered.
Thats so a blade can flex.
If the entire blade was tempered and flexed it would most likely shatter?
I think I saw a clip on "How It's Made" and only the tips were tempered.
But with my memory it could have been on ...
What were we talking about?
 
   / circ saw blade as hand hatchet head or knife #6  
I think the entire blade is tempered for strength. Some saw blades have just the teeth flash hardened after the tempering process. Tempering is what gives it the flex. Tempering and hardness are not the same.
 
   / circ saw blade as hand hatchet head or knife #7  
I have made window rosette corners using blade pieces that I welded to 1/2" shafting and carefully hand filed to shape.

Made my best hunting knife with an old file. Sure keeps an edge.

Truck springs is what is used as cutting blades on my hand powered metal sheer. The arm is 3 ft long and that sheer take 3/16" sheet stock very easily. I generally only touch up the edges once a year.

For hatchets and the like I'd seriously consider truck spring blade stock.
 
   / circ saw blade as hand hatchet head or knife #8  
I think the entire blade is tempered for strength. Some saw blades have just the teeth flash hardened after the tempering process. Tempering is what gives it the flex. Tempering and hardness are not the same.

your right :thumbsup:
the whole blade is tempered and the teeth were hardened.
 
   / circ saw blade as hand hatchet head or knife #9  
It's not all that expensive to buy knife steel and then send it out to have it heat treated for temper and hardness. The raw knife steel is relatively soft and easy to work. There are some awesome knife steels being made now. Granted, they will have to be sharpened with a diamond hone. But these hardened steels will cut through a deer (and fingers) like warm butter and hold an edge for a very long time.
 
   / circ saw blade as hand hatchet head or knife #10  
I think the entire blade is tempered for strength. Some saw blades have just the teeth flash hardened after the tempering process. Tempering is what gives it the flex. Tempering and hardness are not the same.

31 years ago since i had machine shop.
we did a lot of case hardening, tempering, metal casting and gun bluing...
some studenent made knives out of old files. I dont remember how he treated them.
 
 
Top