Welding tool steel/spring steel

[deereman75]

I have been getting back to knife making lately, and am wanting to try some knives in the style of john nelson cooper. In order to do this I will have to weld a rod/bolt onto the high carbon blade blank. What would be the best way of welding the end of a 1/4 inch rod onto the edge of 3/16 tool steel. (1095,1084 spring steel ect) Stick might be awkward, but I could manage. Do you think I should use stick, gas welding, or set up a tig rig. Also, what filler/electrode would be best for super high carbon welded to low carbon.


I guess I will have to show off my latest shop machine, different thread.

 

[Shield Arc]

Little out of my league, so I pulled out my "Metals And How To Weld Them" book to scan you the pages you need. But the "Welding Tool and Die Steels" chapter is 29-pages long! You really need to order this book.

Metals and How to Weld Them

 

[deereman75]

I will have to add that to my next book order. I currently have 3 knife making books on the way. Good price, I would have thought it would be 5x that. Any other suggestions for books?

 

[Shield Arc]

Any other suggestions for books?

Oh God yes! But you don't have to buy them all at once. All in good time.

 

[Arc weld]

Esab has the Oxy/acetylene, MIG and TIG handbooks. All the specialty rod makers make high strength rods for tool steel, spring steel, unknown steel and difficult to weld steels. They are all basically 312 stainless rods with a fancy name to make them sound better or justify the cost.

 

[yomax4]

Ditto the 312 for Tig or Stick on the knife. Or a Thick flowing Ni / Silver Brazing rod like Welco 14FC. I'm the only one in the world with any qty. but you can cross it to some other brand or If you were in the states, I would send you some of each. Good Luck.

 

[deereman75]

Okay, 312 it is. I do believe it is time for a tig rig.

 

[CNC Dan]

FYI the books from lincoln are very inexpensive.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I know one maker who uses silver solder and said never had one brake.

 

[yomax4]

I checked with a couple knife makers and they all use silver solder. They like the black high heat flux. They make the knives from band saw blades, Leaf springs, rail road spikes and old plow cutting edges. Cool stuff.