Make your own drawknife

[PeteW]

This was posted over at the Woodenboat forum, but I thought it would find an appreciative audience here

I haven't done much metalwork, but this kind of video is always inspiring. Might have to buy myself a grinder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFAj9aNLsZw

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[Peter Tremblay]

Very nice.

I really enjoyed that, thank you!

[Window Guy]

Thanks for sharing that was very interesting.


Steve

[enjuneer]

Being "bilingual" (woodworking and metalworking), I was rather amused by his hardening process. He said "it is probably already hardened, but it wouldn't hurt to do it again". The way he waved the propane torch around, it is unlikely that any appreciable change was made to the microstructure of the metal, other than getting it hot enough to make the water sizzle. Without knowing what type of steel was used in the saw blade, any attempt to harden/temper it is just a guess.

It was still fun to watch though since it does depict creativity and highlights the pleasure taken in making your own tools.

[Zalsa]

I have been contemplating making myself one from an old jointer or planer blade - embedded into wooden handles. Haven't yet figured out how to embed the blade and keep it in place.

[thai_woodie]

One thing that you want to do is to make darn sure that your blade is Securely with a capital S secured in the handles. Depending on what you are doing you can put quite a bit of force on the knife and you sure as heck don't want the blade coming loose from the pull handles on one end!

[PeteW]

Zalsa said:

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Haven't yet figured out how to embed the blade and keep it in place.

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I thought the solution in the video was quite ingenious - and elegant. But I guess it does depend on being able to cut the handles the right way.

[CedarSlayer]

Most Circular Saw Blades these days are tipped. The metal used in the body is selected to be stable at heat and speed. It is not selected for holding an edge. It can be used for a hand tool, but then copper used to be used for blades.
The odds are not good that the metal will even have much in the way of carbides. I doubt that the blade he made will hold up well even if it is properly hardened and tempered.

If anyone wants to make something like this and have metal left over for a few bent knives, a saw like this $5.49 dollar Harbor Freight 7-1/4" Carbon Steel, Circular Saw Blade Would be what you want to use. If you are heat treating something like this, you might consider making a scorp while you are at it.

-Bob

[TGW]

I agree
He doesn't seem to have a clue to what ge is doing. That drawknife is very unlikely to hold an edge and very likely to flex too much.

[bennybmn]

What's a scorp?