Making a chisel from an old bearing

[Cherryville Chuck]

I just watched this on you tube and thought it was pretty clever. He turned a rusty old bearing into a nice looking functional chisel by the end.

[Biagio]

Chuck, he turned out an impressive tool, but if you factor in time, consumables, capital investment, etc, it would be cheaper to get a top-of-the-line one from LV. And then one does not know about edge-holding ability of the recycled bearing steel. I am a sucker for diy tools, but even I have to pass on that one.

[DaninVan]

Having said that, Biagio, and I totally agree on the labour cost thing, I'd guess that this artisan did it just because he wanted a challenge.
Likely that anyone with that level of machining skills wouldn't have any hesitation in doing the forge work as well; ie the tempering and adjusting the Carbon content.
There are a couple of reality TV series running over here, featuring guys competing in making bladed tools and weapons. Fascinating watching these guys work.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4680444/

[Cherryville Chuck]

I agree with both of you. The maker of that video could have gone to LV and purchased a Czech made Narex for about $30. Like Dan said, what would be the fun in that? I also faithfully watch the Forged in Fire show and it's between neat and sometimes amazing what they produce in a few hours and sometimes what they produce knives and swords from.

About 45 years ago I took a car's main leaf spring and made a fro for splitting cedar shakes. I used the eye on the spring for the socket for the handle. I also made a machete from part of the remainder. I split quite a few shakes with the fro and I used the machete to trim them. I still have both of them. The machete is heavy enough to chop trees down and when I worked for the Forest Service and had to go scout out future road locations I used to pack it with me in case I had an encounter with a bear. I figured I could put up a pretty good fight if I had to with that machete for a weapon. It was a fair bit of work to make them but I consider it time well spent.

I've watched a few Paul Sellers videos and in at least one he makes and tempers a blade. For a plane I think. He used charcoal and a bar-b-que and used a hair dryer to get it hot enough to heat treat the blade. He pointed out that the temperature is about right when a magnet no longer sticks to the metal. I did a little research and apparently it doesn't make a lot of difference what oil you use. Even used motor oil will work. However, if you plan to finish the tempering in your kitchen oven you might want to use something like canola oil. The process is easy enough that any of us can do it.

I have a chart from a magazine I used to get that shows the colors steel goes through when you heat it and what temperature that relates to. If I can find where I stored it I'll post it in another thread. Some may find it handy should they want to try heat treating.

[DaninVan]

"He used charcoal and a bar-b-que and used a hair dryer to get it hot enough to heat treat the blade."
Lol! I'm guessing he used the fan of the hairdryer to fan the burning briquettes.

[Cherryville Chuck]

Precisely.