Knifemaking Tuesdays Week 86 - Carbidizing titanium knife locks
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- April Fools! Well, no, not really. Here's another video from the Grimsmo Shop! People have often asked me how I carbidize my titanium handles and I've been meaning to do a video for the past two years.
It's a fairly straightforward matter of using 40v DC and a dremel engraver to apply a layer of tungsten carbide to the end of the lockbar on titanium framelock knives. This can help to prevent lock sticking and even lengthen the wear time. It's pretty easy to apply, and this this video I show a few tricks that I use to make it go easier and smoother. Enjoy!
9 year later and this video still so helpful thanks
Thanks for the info. I'm definitely building it. That secret prototype is super cool. I dream of one day being able to buy one of your knives. The Norseman is definitely in the top 5 grail knives IMO. Probably my top pick. Everything about it is fire! Polished, milled titanium just does it for me!
JohnGrimsmo it's great too see that you are totally involved with your subs, responding to comments and what not. Love the knives, love the machining, love the videos, keep it up!
I'm not a knife maker but I love seeing techniques used in knife making. Great video!
Seeing all the details, fitment, finish, and strive for perfection of these knives makes me really appreciate the higher end. I totally understand why they are so expensive. That and the slight improvements over time like the two stop pins, detent ramp and ball, the stickers you use for the tang to cover it from etching. I need a norseman in my EDC rotation.
awesome video! i actually just tried it with a dc power supply 22v 30a without an engraver just to try it out on the titanium scraps i have and a carbide bit sure enough the titanium part was able to scratch glass after which means it did deposit carbide on it. i wish i had known about this when i had a titanium framelock that stuck really bad that i ended up selling. i really liked the knife. the only thing i didnt like was the stick.
Your system in this video actually reminds me a lot of how I generally do things, since I'm poor and live in an apartment. Even if I had the money, I can't exactly go out and buy something like a Bridgeport or any serious professional equipment. I even had to make my own milling machine. Good to see someone becoming successful while starting off like this.
John, You can simplify it further and eliminate to one switch position. Bleeder resistors are typically 10,000 ohm and 1/4 watt. It can be permanently soldered across the capacitor. Then you don't need the safe position on the switch. When you turn off the power the capacitor will discharge through it. Not enough space to explain why it works it just does.
I'm impressed with your attention to detail
Or...or.. lock bar insert! Total bypass. Haha I’m just kidding i know this is an old video. Love your knives brother you’ve come along way man keep doing what your doing!
Best video of carbidizing on RUclips! Thanks, John
Excellent as usual. Much appreciate the time taken to make these videos.
Thank you.
Always a great show John.
Cant wait to see the next one on the top secret prototype!
John you guys are great, nothing better than just experimenting on stuff for hours! I think it is a sickness some of us share with metal Fab(knife making)!
That's a neat trick
Oh my god do I love the sound your knives make. Wish I could afford one.
Great video as always! The prototype looks awesome, can't wait for the details.
love it john! very cool seeing you carbadize
Great video ! Love your work . Just got my first from you on the secondary market and i absolutely love my norseman. Now i will be getting something new from you eventually.
great video, John ! Test of the frame lock,especially good !
Nice! I never new what the carbidizin was! Now in know. Thanks.
Btw, loved the glimps of the prototype
Cheers,
Norman
You should most definitely do more with that fun lil' microscope. Very awesome videos!
excellent vid, John. I really wish I could carry one of your knives here. T.T
With most welding, ESPECIALLY titanium, flooding the area with a shielding gas such as Argon will eliminate the contaminants in the air that will get into your weld. Not sure if this would help you with your surface finish but it may make a harder wearing surface due to less porosity. Excellent work as always.
the smell you were talking about during carbonizing is because the sparking actually creates ozone molecules and the "notch" in the variac is because it is a potentiometer and the area it is used the most will wear away at the wiper and can eventually cause a failure in that area
Thanks! Ozone makes sense. If the pot fails in that spot will it fry, or will it still work in a slightly different spot?
JohnGrimsmo yeah the way they work is there is a coiled up resistor and a wiper. the wiper is connected to the dial and the output. as you turn the dial the wiper makes a connection like brushes in a motor to the resistor and the further the wiper is on the resistor the more resistance and as time goes on the resistor wears down especially if it is held in one spot for most of the time so it creates a sort of drop out in that spot. It should still work in other settings and it will still probably take a long time before it becomes a problem
I've only discovered your videos yesterday and not even 3 minutes into this vid.. Had to stop the video to write a comment.
First off, you are *awesome*.. Like seriously, it's refreshing to see how things actually go. I've done some metal working for the aviation industry and I always love to see the ins and out of other industries. So thank you for the inside look into your workshop and methods. You're essentially robbing yourself as you give people the info they need to do it themselves... If they actually took the effort to try and perfect it that is.
Anyways, just taken a look at your site and your knives are slightly too expensive for me at the moment. Would love to buy one once I have the money though, the skill and effort you put into your work is awe inspiring.
Thanks Sebastiaan! I love sharing the weird stuff I learn, and why not, like you said most people don't take the effort to do it, yet alone perfect it. And I admire those that do!
Yeah, was reading through the comments and you have built a nice community. Supportive and cooperative instead of competitive and therefore fearful. Love your style!
I admire craftsmen in any field, they are the ones that do the actual labor, testing and perfecting. It's awesome how someone can devote so much time into perfecting a skill set.
Kudos to all of you!
Something else, I'm searching for people who know their field and love to experiment. You clearly are one of those people and I would love to have a chat some time. Also to anyone reading this, I'm setting up a platform and currently building my network. So ehm, feedback would be highly appreciated. :)
Hello John! I've found from my experiance that even a non carbidized lock face shouldn't stick (maybe just a tiny bit) if done right. From what I see Your lock face isn't very smooth. What You need for a non stick lockbar 1. Good angle of the locking face on the blade, about 8.5 degrees or a bit more 2. smooth and clean lock face on both blade AND titanium, rounded edge on the titanium face 3. The very corner of the lock should NOT touch the tang, as it bites in causing the sticking. The locking point is in the right spot, You got it perfect - try to round off the very corner though. I would suggest a jig to sand the lock face on a grinder rather than leave it machined. Thank You for sharing, keep up the good work!
Sounds about right, makes sense that there's a way to make it not sticky if done right. Thanks for sharing!
nice work on your folders;subscribed
Footswitches John, they are pretty inexpensive from places like harbor freight, and they make running Variacs and engravers MUCH more pleasant!
I love just walking up to my rig, and stepping on a switch to turn it on and off...
And, you can run that resistor in the live circuit without ill effect, safely bleeding the capacitor automatically. Just wire it in the same as the capacitor.
Great video! Thank you for taking the time to educate us viewers, it is appreciated! Keep up the good work.
Have you by chance tinkered around with enough stainless steel surfaces to suggest a voltage range to best carbidize with?
Can you consider showing us the anodizing process as well? This was great. I am not a knife maker, but I may use it for other things.
Radek Rak Check out some of JohnGrimsmo's past-posted videos, to see how he does his anodizing for both aluminum and titanium. If I am not mistaken, there are two videos on each of the two processes.
Jeff Kershaw Thanks alot :) Haven't realized he already made a video about it.
Hi,
And thank you for the upload, really interesting.
That was a USB stick under the cam, cool vid I might make a ghetto carbidiser to fix some sticky locks& blade play
I've never been able to add enough carbide to actually change the lockup and make it earlier, even though some people say you can.
24:25 = Usb connector
Great video, but where's the "after Scotchbrite" microscopic shot?
Your timing on this video is fantastic John. I was just looking at some Mastech stuff while considering doing some Ti anodizing and digging through your old videos to see your setup :)
I couldn't figure out how you were getting above 50VDC... now I know.
Excellent! You can also get a 0-100 or 120v power supply from circuitspecialty or specialist or something like that, google it, for about $120. Lots of guys are using that for titanium anodizing since you don't even really need 1 amp of juice.
JohnGrimsmo
found it. guys are using this one: www.circuitspecialists.com/benchtop-power-supply-csi12001x.html
Hi John,i have a quick question.If i have had a 120V dc power supply,it would work? Can i use it just conecting to graver and carbidize the things?If yes which voltage i should use?Thanks.
I want one of those prototypes!! and if you could make an Awesome Bali that would be Great!!!
Glad you like the prototype, just wait till you get a better look at it! I shot some cool footage of machining it.
Always wanted to make a bali, not sure when/if that will ever happen.
Ever thought about TiCN plating the lock bar? I've had titanium car parts coated with it and it seems to be a very durable finish. HRC is around 90 too, much higher than carbide.
sweet video thanks for sharing
Very cool
The bonus points for what you were looking at is a USB plug in. The end piece you plug into your computer.
a lot of 3D milling on that top-secret prototype ;)
I looking forward to new video
Does that mean we can expect Norseman v2.0
Yes, yes, and yes.
Always discharge capacitors !!! If you don't they will bite you eventually... Nice job.
I wish all makers did this.
supper cool!
nice job cutting out the project box lol
John, the detent is ground flat!
So if I have a 120 volt dc power supply for Ti anodizing all I need is a dremel engraver and carbide bits and I can carbidize??!
Damn perfectionest! (MASH, 1970)...
@JohnGrimsmo how many amps at 40v DC do you need? Seems to be one could just use a DC power supply and be good to go, but amps matter.
Can same technique be used to make blade edges stronger? Is pure tungsten better than carbide alloys? Reciprocators work?
that's awesome, didnt know this was possible at all. Do you have some educational material about surface treatment of metals ?
btw scotch brite discs are also avail for angle grinders and do wonders on polishing steel.
Knifemaking Tuesdays Week 87 - Timascus Part 2... It Better happen John :P
The handles are done! Not heat anodized yet, but done. We're having trouble with the damasteel blade. Lots filmed, nothing edited yet.
You need a team of editors working for you guys :P
Make a video on why you grind your detente ball flat. Pleeeeeeeease.
Maybe...... yeah I probably will one day. I've got the coolest way of doing it too. Nobody has flatter balls. Err, umm, yeah.
JohnGrimsmo According to recent arguments, the New England Patriots do.
+Corey Lavornia LMAAAAOOOOOO
awesome
What model tool you used? Could derma pen be repurposed for that?
15:28 if I remember my physics class correctly, the smell is O3 (ozone)
Makes sense, thanks!
Would it be a good idea to carbidize the insides of the bearing pockets to prevent cold rolling? Or will it wear out the bearings?
What amperage? Can titanium/steel blade be carbidized this way as well?
Is this the same process as carburizing? (As CRK spells it) This is carbidizing which is the same thing we often see on the back of titanium blades. Basically are carburizing and carbidizing the same thing?
uF on the capacitor is for micro farads...
you could probably make a really badass butterfly knife. or you probably already have...or you might hate those and you'll probably ignore me xD
can the carbide be redone on a anodized knife if after lots of use it starts to stick? i really want a rask but ive had bad luck with titanium framelocks that start sticking.
Hey John!
One of the best vids iv seen on this topic. So helpful.
Iv got 2 questions on this topic, maybe you can shed some light.
1) does carbidizing work on steel bar inserts? Or is it only for Ti?
2) since carbidizing adds a layer, can it techinically get rid of up and down blade play?
Iv got a microtech socom elite with a steel insert, thing is at 100% lock up, and is developing up and down play. Love the knife to bits but the lock rock is driving me nuts!
It should work on steel, I think I did a blade lock tang once (pro tip, does not work to carbidize blade and handle, super sticky).
I've never been able to add enough to change the lockup, not even a tiny noticeable bit, even though others say you can. Maybe they use more voltage or something.
JohnGrimsmo
Thanks for the response buddy.
I noticed your flattening your detent balls. I have heard that can make them smoother. Ive been using the Hoback Rolling Detent and its been working pretty good. Have you ever tired it? Im not sure if it would work well in the Norseman because they are about .180" tall so they would stick out a little bit.
That's the big reason I haven't tried it yet, way too thick for me. Yup I flatten them a LOT. You'll see how smooth mine are soon enough.
Yup I was reading a thread on USN in the shop section about flattening the balls and I dont really understand the physics behind it. I thought that if the tip of the ball was the only thing dragging it would be better, but I guess if its a face then it more slides along.
Anywho Im loving the HRD, there just a pain to get. The last company I was getting them from went under and now I found another company that sells them for half the price, Here is the kicker. 200 piece minimum order of a $5 screw. lol Maybe later...
could this kind of welding process be used to ad new aluminium in a piece that has been milled too much? Or repair the wear on bearing shafts.
I doubt it. Not sure how it will apply itself to aluminum, I've only tried it on titanium, and it doesn't add very much thickness.
I think I've been carbidizing for a few years now.
Cool
Prototype!!!!!1!
P.s. Thx for great video:)
Do you still do this Today?
you said 40 volts, but how many Amps or Wats ?
that prototype is Hella sexy!
Two things on your power supply. 1. The capacitor voltage rating is too low. Ideally, it would be double your highest working voltage, and if your variac goes to 250...a 400v unit should ok. 2. a bleed resistor across the cap should be added for safety. a few K or so should work fine, and will drop the voltage on the cap quickly after power off, yet consume very little power during operation.
I'm going to have a go at this with my power supply. 0-120v
I will use it at 40v on some scrap. Did you use it at one amp?
Thank you for the fantastic video
+Danae Cresswell I made my power supply so I'm not measuring amps, no idea what it's actually pulling. But most people seem to do it fine with the one amp unit that you have. 40-45v works great.
Do you need to carbidize lock bar inserts?
No you don’t
hi. can you carbodize brass or aluminium ? and if 3 x 12 V lead batteries could do the job ?
i have no idea! probably.
can you carbidize the edge of the blade to get like a super sharp edge?
The carbidizing layer is only a few thousandths thick, after repeated sharpening it would eventually wear away. Also, the harden steel blade is plenty hard enough. You can make it very sharp anyways though.
This is often done on knives with a titanium blade, because Ti doesn't hold an edge well, but the carbide surface is literally self sharpening because it's so toothy. Not ideal for everything, but super cool. Haven't heard of people doing it for steel blade edges.
Any tips on preventing stick w/o spending $150? I heard silver sharpie works well.
+RoP Fa5 A sharpie/pencil are just a band aids (IMO)! Just sayin'!
wouldn't it be better to heat treat the lock face then carbidize?
i have a question why are you knives so expensive when everything it milled / done by machine? the only thing you grind is the edge and put it together love the design freaking sweet looking. also i see you do carbonizing
Have you ever priced up the materials he uses. Not to mention a typical cnc machine shop charges 75+ $ per hour of work so yes they are pricey but it is so FING worth it
i was not saying i was not worth it :D
but i assume they make some what of a good profit :D im not saying they don't do hard work
It's all attention to detail, the machine does not do everything by itself, I spend days/months/years telling the machine what to do. We do a ton of hand finishing on these things so that you don't see any tool marks and there are no hard edges, all that finishing work is hidden because all you "see" is that it was CNC machined because that's the obvious part. We spend hours on each knife with our hands making them perfect. Plus I like to make at least a little bit of money, is that so wrong? ;-)
im not saying its wrong btw i love the knife design and see you put alot of effort into it but 500$ is a lot of money and im sad i have a taste in great knives :D
nice vid. is the thing under the microscope a usb connector?
yup!
Every 'Knife Making Tuesday' video you post makes me want a Norseman more and more!
Stop it lol
What happened to the knife making Tuesdays....???
Can you please make a new blade style for that knife. I want one but the blade is hell no
+Jeremy Rodriguez I totally understand Jeremy, it's not for everyone and that's okay. We've got a new knife coming out, the Rask, which has a much more subtle blade shape. So stay tuned! Thanks for watching.
I didn't know that I needed a USB microscope until just now.
you were looking upclose at your logo
psh easy
USB connector end.
If you do this alot you need to at least be wearing polarized glasses. The arc gives off UV radiation, which can burn your retinas.
Exactly what I was going to say. Look after your eyes John.
lol "stickage"
The smell is ozone.
cool vid but the mic is very annoying
There is nobody there called mic,its his brother Eric
lol