can buy lrom any machinc

shop supplicr. ! prclcr this

typc ol stccl, bccausc it is
consistcnt, casy to hardcn,
and vcry low cost.
Heat Treatment
Much mystcry has bccn
attachcd to hcat trcatmcnt
bccausc it has a long and
somcwhat cloudcd history.
Tc discovcry ol how to
convcrt iron into stccl and
its hcat trcatmcnt (Anatolia,
1200 8C) is what madc
iron supcrior to bronzc and
ushcrcd in thc !ron Agc. Tc
rcsult ol this is that today
95 ol all mctal products arc
madc lrom iron.
Ccnturics ago, thosc
carly smiths did not havc
thc advantagc ol micro
photographs, tcsting A
nyonc can makc
woodturning chiscls
by lollowing thcsc
instructions. !n doing
so, you arc not trying to
approximatc a standard
lactorymadc chiscl. !nstcad
you arc crcating a hard tip
tool. !n many ways, this is
bcttcr than a lactory chiscl.
Tc cutting cdgc is cxtrcmcly
hard and durablc, whilc thc
shank is tough and strong.
A gougc madc with a short
utc is much morc rigid than
onc with thc utc running
thc wholc lcngth Figurc 1.
Tcrc arc many
approachcs to making chiscls
in your own shop. You can
usc prchardcncd high spccd
stccl (tool bit stock). Tis
was covcrcd in an cxccllcnt
articlc by 8ob Rosand
in American Woodturner,
Summcr 2001. ! do not usc
this typc ol matcrial bccausc
it is availablc only in a
limitcd numbcr ol sizcs and
it is cxpcnsivc. r you could
usc lcs, springs, saw bladcs,
ctc., and this is covcrcd by
John Lucas in American
Woodturner, Spring 2001.
8ut in this articlc, ! will
cxplain how to makc chiscls
out ol high carbon tool stccl,
such as drill rod, which you
apparatus, or lormulas which
arc availablc to thc modcrn
mctallurgist. !nstcad thcy
wcrc guidcd only by trial
and crror. Yct thcy wcrc ablc
to makc astonishing tools,
swords, armor, and cutlcry
ol cvcry dcscription. Tis is
bccausc hcat trcatmcnt is
csscntially a simplc proccss
which rcquircs only two
things
Control the amount of carbon in
the iron thus making steel.
Apply heat and cold to manipulate
the crystals in the iron.
Fortunatcly, thc rst part
is takcn carc ol lor us. Tool
stccl (which is a blcndcd
mixturc ol iron and carbon,
plus a lcw othcr additivcs)
is madc in many varictics by
stccl manulacturcrs, and can
bc ordcrcd lrom any machinc
shop or industrial supply
company. Carbon tool stccl
is thc dircct dcsccndant ol
thosc carlicst typcs ol stccl
discovcrcd thousands ol
ycars ago.
by Jon Siegel
taking control of your own metallurgy
Chisels You Can Make
Figure 1 A collection of carving and turning chisels made by the author.
Woodturning
Figure 3 Grinding a Flute. The
round nose grinding wheel is
used to grind the fute into the
steel rod. Grind to a depth that is
just a little more than half way.
Heat Treatment Made Easy
Vhcn thc stccl is hcatcd to thc
rcdhot tcmpcraturc ol 1450 dcgrccs F,
thc crystal structurc changcs. !l thcn
allowcd to cool slowly, it gocs back to its
original lorm. 8ut il it is coolcd quickly
(hundrcds ol dcgrccs pcr sccond), that
is, qucnchcd in liquid, it will bccomc
sct into a ncw crystallinc lorm and
thus bccomc hard. Tis proccss is callcd
hardening and it works bcst il thc stccl
has around 0.9 carbon.
Altcr thc hardcning, thc piccc may
bc too hard and brittlc to bc salcly
uscd. !t is possiblc to takc away somc
(controllcd) amount ol thc hardncss in
thc sccond part ol thc hcat trcatmcnt
proccss callcd tempering, which is
softening.
Somc authors rclcr to thc wholc hcat
trcating proccss as tcmpcring, and this
is conlusing. Hardcning and tcmpcring
arc scparatc proccsscs within thc hcat
trcatmcnt.
8clorc hardcning, thc stccl can bc
casily cut with a hack saw or machincd,
but altcr applying thc hcat trcatmcnt
dcscribcd hcrc, carbon tool stccl can
attain grcat hardncss, which, il you
want to gct tcchnical, is in thc 60s on
thc Rockwcll C scalc. !n othcr words,
in thc lully hardcncd statc (callcd
Martcnsitc) it cannot bc lcd, sawn,
or scratchcd by any stccl tool. !t is not
machinablc, and can only bc workcd
with abrasivcs.
nc ol thc most amazing things
about this hardcning proccss is that
it is rcvcrsiblc. 8y simply hcating thc
stccl as bclorc (to 1450 F), but cooling
it slowly, thc stccl is madc solt again.
Tat is thc oppositc ol hardcning, and
is callcd annealing. Fast cooling makcs
it hard, and slow cooling makcs it solt.
Tis proccss can bc rcvcrscd a numbcr
ol timcs il ncccssary until cvcntually
thc carbon cvaporatcs lrom thc surlacc.
Using Known
Tool Steel vs Unknown Scrap Steel
At onc timc, ! thought it was clcvcr
to bcat thc systcm and makc tools out
ol lrcc picccs ol highcarbon stccl
springs, axlcs, ctc. ! had bccn inucnccd
by Alcxandcr Vcygcrs, a wood
sculptor who took up blacksmithing
in ordcr to makc bcttcr chiscls. Hc
wrotc two cxccllcnt books with lots ol
good inlormation on hardcning and
tcmpcring with simplc cquipmcnt.
Tcy arc Te Making of Tools (!S8N
0442293607) and Te Modern
Blacksmith (!S8N 0442293631).
Although woodturning chiscls arc
dicrcnt lrom sculpting chiscls, thcsc
books arc a grcat starting point.
Howcvcr, now ! purchasc ncw
tool stccl to makc my chiscls. !t didnt
takc long bclorc ! rcalizcd that ! had
invcstcd too much labor in thc lorging
and grinding ol thc tools, only to havc
thcm lail latcr bccausc ol impcrlcctions
(cracks), or in thc hcat trcatmcnt
proccss. ! rcalizcd that comparcd to
this labor, thc cost ol ncw tool stccl is
minimal.
Which Steel to Buy
Stccl that is ncar onc pcrccnt
carbon and is spccially lormulatcd to
bc hardcncd is callcd tool stccl.
8asic carbon tool stccl comcs to
two varictics a typc to bc qucnchcd in
watcr V1, and a typc to bc qucnchcd
in oil 1. Tc lattcr typc 1 is
somcwhat morc cxpcnsivc, but is lcss
likcly to crack in thc qucnching proccss.
Also 1 comcs in rcctangular shapcs
as wcll as round, whilc V1 usually
comcs only in rounds (rclcrrcd to as
drill rod). V1 is still my lavoritc
lor making turning chiscls, bccausc
! makc both skcws and gougcs lrom
round stock, which is vcry incxpcnsivc.
For cxamplc, onc piccc ol drill rod
(36 inchcs long) cost 83.15, and is long
cnough to makc lour chiscls. Tats
80.79 pcr chiscl!
Sources for Tool Steel
MSC !ndustrial Supply Co.
8006457270 www.mscdirect.com
NC
8008733626 www.use-enco.com
Vhcn you rcccivc your tool stccl,
you may want to takc a small piccc
through thc hardcning proccss just lor
practicc and thcn tcst it to scc il thc
photos by Patrice Martin & Jon Siegel
hardcning translormation has takcn
placc as planncd.
How can you tcst thc hardncss
without a 85,000 tcsting machinc: Tc
most common mcthod uscd by gcncral
mcchanics is thc lc tcst. Simply usc an
ordinary lc on thc workpiccc. !l thc
lc bitcs and scratchcs thc stccl and
thcrc arc somc shiny lings produccd
(no mattcr how small), thcn thc stccl
is not hardcncd. !l on thc othcr hand,
thc lc slidcs ovcr thc workpiccc as il
thc lc had no tccth, thcn thc stccl is
hardcncd. Notc that this action will
ruin thc lc. !t is bcst to kccp a lcw
throwaway lcs on hand lor this tcst.
Shaping the Chisels
Grinding thc bcvcl on somc chiscls,
such as skcws and scrapcrs is a simplc
opcration. Tc only additional thing
you will nccd to makc your own chiscls
is a vvvv couvsv cvixuixc wnvvi.
You should not attcmpt to usc thc
samc grinding whccl lor shaping thc
stccl as you usc lor routinc sharpcning.
Tcsc arc distinctly dicrcnt proccsscs,
and rcquirc dicrcnt tools. For shaping
stccl, ! rccommcnd a 24 to 40 grit
whccl. Tis will allow you to shapc thc
point ol a rough blank in a lcw minutcs
with a minimum ol hcat build up.
Making Gouges
Grinding thc utc into a gougc is
morc complicatcd than making skcws
or scrapcrs. !t rcquircs thc usc ol a
grinding whccl with a convcx radius
which matchcs thc shapc ol thc utc.
Figure 2 Dressing the Wheel. The diamond
dressing tool is used to form the grinding
wheel to a round nose.
!t is casy to round thc cdgc ol a
grinding whccl to any radius dcsircd
with a diamond drcssing tool. Many
woodworkcrs do not own diamond
drcsscrs bccausc thcy incorrcctly
think thcy arc cxpcnsivc. !n lact, small
diamond drcssing tools ( carat) cost
only about 86. !l you own a grinding
whccl, thcn you should own a diamond
drcssing tool. Tc tool consists ol a
round stccl rod (about 6 long) with a
diamond attachcd to onc cnd.
Source for Diamond Dressers
NC
8008733626 www.use-enco.com
To usc thc diamond drcssing tool,
placc it on thc tool rcst ol your grindcr
and work it slowly thc samc way you
would usc a small scrapcr to turn wood
Figurc 2.
Always usc a dust mask or a collcctor
bccausc thcrc will bc a lot ol abrasivc
dust produccd. 8c carclul that only thc
diamond touchcs thc grinding whccl
and do not to lct thc whccl touch any
part ol thc mctal rod or you may grind
away thc mctal which is holding thc
diamond in placc thc diamond will
lall o.
Wheels for Grinding Flutes
!n rcccnt ycars, woodworkcrs havc
discovcrcd that whitc and pink aluminum
oxidc grinding whccls arc bcttcr than
thc old lashioncd gray whccls. Tcy arc
soltcr, and as thc surlacc brcaks away,
thcy continuously cxposc sharp grains ol
abrasivc. Tcrclorc thcy grind with lcss
hcat build up, and sincc thcy arc lriablc,
thcy arc casy to shapc with a drcsscr. !
havc lound that thc lcast cxpcnsivc arc
7 diamctcr whccls dcsigncd lor surlacc
grinding machincs. Tcy arc availablc in
and thickncss lor undcr 810. Tc
only catch is that thcy havc a holc sizc
ol 1. Tis mcans that you will havc to
makc a bushing to rcducc thc holc sizc
to t your grindcr. l coursc it is bcst to
go into thc machinc shop and makc onc
out ol mctal, but perfectly good reducers
can be made out of maple.
What You Need for Making Chisels
1 Tool steel either round rods or rectangular
fat stock
2 Hack saw
3 A very coarse grinding wheel for roughing
the shapes
4 Several thin grinding wheels
5 A diamond tool for dressing grinding wheels
into round profle shape for grinding futes
6 Propane Torch (or two) MAPP is better
7 Magnet
8 Water
9 Motor oil
10 Chisel handle turn your own
Procedure
1 Cut thc stccl to lcngth. Usc a hack
saw. Allow lor onc or two inchcs to
go into thc handlc. Lightly chamlcr
thc cut cdgc on a grindcr or bclt.
2 rivc thc stccl into thc handlc.
Nothing could bc casicr than tting
a round rod into a handlc. !l your
chiscl is madc lrom at stock
howcvcr (lor cxamplc a x
skcw chiscl), you will havc to makc
a :~xc on thc cnd which ts into
thc handlc. !l you havc a way to hot
lorgc, this is thc bcst. Anothcr way
is with a mctal cutting band saw,
but il you dont havc onc, just grind
thc matcrial away with a vcry coarsc
whccl.
3 Rough grind thc point. Skcws, at
chiscls, parting chiscls, bcading
tools, ctc. arc casy to grind. Grinding
thc utc in a gougc howcvcr, takcs
somc timc Figurc 3. Vhcn
rough grinding thc chiscl at this
stagc, you do not havc to worry
about ovcrhcating bccausc thc hcat
trcatmcnt comcs latcr. Follow all
safety procedures for grinding wheels
and always use a guard even if one is not
shown in the photos.
4 Hcat thc stccl to 1450 dcgrccs F.
You can tcll whcn you havc rcachcd
this tcmpcraturc bccausc a magnct
will no longcr stick to thc stccl.
Vhilc hcating thc stccl, touch thc
magnct in quick jabs. o not lct thc
magnct gct hot or it will bc ruincd.
As you hcat thc stccl, thc rst thing
you noticc is oxidizing ol thc surlacc
and scvcral colors arc sccn. Tcsc
arc thc tcmpcring colors, and arc
not important lor now, as wc pass
through this tcmpcraturc rangc
(about 500 dcgrccs F) on thc way
up to 1450 dcgrccs F.
Figure 4 Heating to the Hardening
Temperature (1450 degrees F). Notice that the
magnet and the quenching liquid are within
inches of the torch.
At somc point, you will scc thc
mctal start to glow. Tc tcmpcraturc
ol thc rst noticcablc glow (blood
rcd) will vary dcpcnding on how
bright it is whcrc you arc working.
!n a darkcncd room, it will bc
about 1000 dcgrccs F, but in bright
light, it could bc 1200 or 1300 F.
You should start chccking with a
magnct at this point. o not lct
thc tcmpcraturc drop as you do thc
magnct tcst. Kccp thc tcmpcraturc
rising. Tc color gradually changcs
lrom dark rcd to chcrry rcd
Figurc 4. Vhcn thc rst inch or so
ol thc chiscl is glowing cvcnly and
thc magnct docs not stick at all,
you arc rcady to qucnch thc stccl.
Stccl abovc diamctcr may bc
dicult to rcach tcmpcraturc with
an ordinary singlc propanc torch
MAPP is bcttcr. Two torchcs
working togcthcr will handlc up
to thick stccl. xyacctylcnc,
howcvcr, is idcal lor largcr sizcs.
5 Qucnch in watcr or oil. As you
takc thc chiscl lrom thc amc to
thc qucnch, do it instantly so thcrc
is no timc lor it to cool o cn routc.
Havc thc qucnch liquid within
inchcs ol thc location whcrc you
arc hcating. As thc chiscl cntcrs thc
liquid, swisn i: vicovousiv ix ~
civciv. Continuc thc motion until
thc cooling is complctc about 5
scconds. Usc cithcr watcr or oil
according to thc typc ol stccl.
6 raw thc tcmpcr. Tcmpcring is thc
rchcating ol thc chiscl this timc to
a much lowcr tcmpcraturc (300
to 600 F) to rcmovc somc ol thc
hardncss and brittlcncss. Not all
chiscls nccd to bc tcmpcrcd. You
will losc somc hardncss in thc
tcmpcring. 8ut chiscls with vcry
acutc cdgcs nccd to bc tcmpcrcd to
prcvcnt thc cdgcs lrom chipping.
Tc right tcmpcraturc is judgcd by
comparing thc color ol thc oxidc
coating Figurc 5.
To scc thc oxidc coating, you
must, bclorc tcmpcring, rcmovc
thc black scalc which lormcd
in thc hardcning stagc. Usc an
oilstonc or somc nc sandpapcr
until thc surlacc is bright at lcast
on onc sidc.
You should stop at thc vivs:
tcmpcring color which is vviiow
(440 dcgrccs F). Subscqucnt
colors corrcspond to thcsc
tcmpcraturcs straw - 480,
brown - 510, purplc - 540, bluc
- 580. Tcsc rcprcscnt grcatcr
dcgrccs ol soltcning. Tcmpcring
bcyond ycllow or straw will rcducc
thc cdgc holding propcrtics ol
thc chiscl, but might bc ncccssary
lor somc chiscls such as thosc lor
mortising dccp holcs.
7 Finish grind. As with all carbon
stccl tools, do not lct thc stccl
gct abovc thc tcmpcring color
(ycllow) during nish grinding
or thc hardncss will bc lost. !l
you lct thc stccl gct to thc purplc
or bluc color, cvcn lor an instant,
it is ruincd, and will havc to bc
rchardcncd. Tcrclorc whcn you
grind thc tool, kccp thc point
ol thc chiscl cool by using light
prcssurc, and cooling in watcr
il ncccssary. !l thc chiscl sizzlcs
whcn it hits thc watcr, its too
hot!
! hopc this articlc has hclpcd to
dcmystily hcat trcating and tool
making lor you. ! havc lound thcrc is
nothing morc satislying than turning
wood with chiscls ! madc myscll.
Figure 5 Tempering Colors. The frst
tempering color to be seen is light straw, and
this is sufcient for woodturning chisels.
Figure 6 Drilling the Handle. After the
drilling, the work is placed between centers,
and the tailstock center fts the drilled hole.