O1 Steel

[section1]

I was hoping someone can tell me where on the Gold Coast I can purchase O1 steel

[D.W.]

How much steel are you looking to buy? Industrial supply places around here carry O1, but they don't deal much with the general public, or if they do, their prices are higher than mail ordering any small quantity.

How close are you to brisbane? Given the size of the area (metro population similar to where I live - Pittsburgh - the real one, not the brand on the harbor freight tools that's printed on in china), there's got to be several supply houses that cater to industry - similar to our grainger in the US, etc.

[section1]

I wish I could say a lot but for now I just want to build myself a set of 18 hollows and rounds and several other profiled moulding planes as well. I cannot afford to do it all at once but slowly over time but if I decided to sell them that's a different kettle of fish altogether.

[rob streeper]

Online Metals has it in a broad range of sizes (http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant...2&top_cat=1354), I don't know if they operate in Australia though.

[section1]

I had a look at this company before I believe they are an Canadian and it doesn't state in their FAQ that they ship overseas otherwise our dollar is almost equal to theirs which would make a good buy but then again the shipping may blow you out of the water.

I just found a company in Brisbane http://www.interlloy.com.au/contact/brisbane/ I will give them a call but somehow I have the feeling they only deal in large quantity orders, it's funny to see how many people are zip locked mouthed about this.

[section1]

They don't sell it either but I did find one in Brisbane called Bohler Steel but it's not cheap that's for sure.

[D.W.]

They don't sell it either but I did find one in Brisbane called Bohler Steel but it's not cheap that's for sure.

Bohler is Austrian and they merged with a Swedish company that has Assab as one of the brands (assab is a premium steel for japanese tools, among other things). If that's what's available, it'll be very high quality, but any decent O1 steel will do.

You can mail order it or have it shipped off of ebay. If you're making moulding plane irons, you'll need two things - first is decent O1 steel precision ground and second is decent files and hacksaw blades. I find the lenox blades in the US to cut it well, but there are a lot of even US made high speed steel or bimetal hacksaw blades that just come apart at the toothline cutting annealed tool steel (I think they count on people cutting soft metal with them).

Check ebay for 1/8" thick O1 steel, you may be able to find some fairly cheaply.

I've got a free jig devised to put a mild taper on plane irons, if and when you get to that point, let me know. It's just scrap wood and a dot of CA, and used with a belt sander. I didn't have a favorable experience with completely non-tapered irons in a wedged plane.

[section1]

Thanks DW I plan on starting next week so that jig will come in handy. You can email me the plans at [email protected] many thanks in advance.

[D.W.]

I'll send you a picture over the weekend, I have to dig it out. It's more or less just a routed block of wood cut to restrain the iron in one direction - Needed only because belt sanding an iron makes an incredible amount of heat.

You tack the iron in place with CA just so it doesn't fall out of the block when you check progress. Nice thing about CA is if it's drying slow, as soon as you put the block against the belt sander and the iron generates some heat, the CA cures instantly. Once you're done, you can just pop it out. It'll make sense when I show it - i might make a video of it instead, though. It's probably easier.

[section1]

looking forward to it

[hiroller]

Your best bet is to follow up with the suppliers for knife makers.
There is a knife maker on the forum by the name of Corin.
You can see a sample of his work here: https://www.woodworkforums.com/f44/traditional-swedish-barrel-knife-version-179334
Check out the link in his footer, it will lead you here:
http://www.artisansupplies.com.au
Probably worth giving them a call.

Edit. Wth a bit more looking, found this:
http://www.artisansupplies.com.au/pr...rbon-steel-01/

[BobL]

Edit. Wth a bit more looking, found this:
http://www.artisansupplies.com.au/pr...rbon-steel-01/

About 7 years ago a few of us did a group buy of 100 mm wide 01 tool steel from Enco in the US - the cost killer was of course the freight
Just comparing the Artisan's latest prices with Enco prices the Artisan prices look like they are in the same ball park and probably less when freight is factored in.

How are you planning to pre-shape the blades

[section1]

Thanks for that excellent link

[D.W.]

Nothing spectacular (for tapering the iron), but certainly worth the trouble. Non-tapered irons make the wedge have to be super tight to keep the iron from retracting back in the plane, and then you have to really beat a plane or (undesirably) work the wedge loose from the finial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8VH...ature=youtu.be

[section1]

Excellent video and I really appreciate you taking the time to make it for me. I actually have Larry's video and am currently watching it, you mentioned that he mentioned about accuracy of the taper and the costs involved in pertaining such a machine. I don't have a belt like you do, if I need to purchase one I will considering I intend on making several of them it will come in handy. You also mentioned that you use 1/8" thick irons is that the norm for side escapement or are they thicker, lastly how deep did you rout out that jig and should I make several jigs to suit different sized blades