Question for toolmakers

[Alan Turner]

If one uses an old bandsaw blade to make a tool, such as a scratch stock cutter, or a scribe, can one use the magnetic - oil quenching method to harden it?
Maybe what I am asking is whether bandsaw blades are made of an oil hardening steel. I know that when I try to deal with one of these, the teeth are quite hard, but the back is quite soft, so I assume that only the teeth are heat treated to harden.
Alan

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hi Alan-

I look forward to meeting you in person at Bill Grumbine's picnic Friday and/or Saturday.

Bandsaw blades are made out of different materials by different manufacturers. Many are bimetal blades with a hardened tooth band backed up by a softer steel. Others use one steel and electronically impulse harden the tooth area only. I have no idea what specific type or steel is used by any manufacturer--air, oil, or water hardening. Ron Hock claims that sometimes you can get away with oil hardening for both water and oil hardening steels but that your results can vary in quality.

For scratch stocks you don't need to have really hard steel since they typically don't get used for long runs and they are easy to rehone. On the other hand, reprofiling often is a bit of a pain and aggravation. Personally, I use bits of old scrapers and scraps of spring steel from our die room at work. I just put a small plastic baggie of them in the car for you. Please remind me to give them to you this weekend, otherwise I'm sure to forget.

Most of the scribes I've seen are really variations on an awl. I'm not sure I understand what you're asking there.

[Alan Turner]

Thanks for the thought. We'll see if both of us have CRS. Probably.
My "scribe" is a new insert for my old pattternmaker's marking guage. Good Idea on the scraper reuse; I have a bunch of them from an estate. I had probably 4 or 5, and got another 4 or 5. How many can one use as card scrapers?
Alan