making a V cutter?

[Andrew Gibson]

I have a thread box that is in need of a new V cutter. the one that came with it got damaged somehow and after a botched regrinding the cutter no longer has enough meat to be usable.

I found that a replacement would cost between $9 and $11 plus shipping. I am having a hard time swallowing $16-$20 for a 2 inch long piece of 3/16" steel. I watched the episode of the woodwright's shop where he made the cutter out of a file, but i dont have an old file with the proper size, unless I ripped down a piece with a hack saw.

Does anyone know where would be a good place to look for a piece of steel stock that would be appropriate for the cutter? even if it costs me the same as a new cutter or a dollar or 2 more, at least I will have enough stock to not be out of luck the next time the cutter gets damaged.

[Pedro Reyes]

Try McMaster Carr.

They have 3/16" by 3/16" 18 inches long of O1 tool steel for $14.52

Just a thought.

/p

[Wes Grass]

Depends on the shape you need and how involved you want it to be. McMaster-Carr has W1 water hardening steel in 3/16 x various widths for $5-20 per 3 feet. Can harden it with a propane torch and a coffee can of water.

Or you could buy 3/16 square HSS lathe blanks for about $6 each. Enco probably cheaper yet.

[Andrew Gibson]

Mc master- Carr has Key stock that seems it would fit the bill. Thanks guys for pointing me in this direction... I think

I know next to nothing about steel and it's ratings. I have basic understanding about tempering and such and I am confident I would be able to anneal and temper, but beyond that I am lost.

Would this be what I am looking for, or would it end up being to soft?
"High-Carbon Plain Steel (Standard)— Annealed for easy machining, this C1090-C1095 steel is heat treatable. Ideal where hardenability is required. Tolerances: 1/16" to 3/16" sizes: ±.0005"; 1/4" to 5/8" sizes: ±.001"; 3/4" to 1" sizes: ±.0015". Minimum tensile strength is 90,000 psi. Rockwell hardness is B90."

I'm leaning toward the W1 stock at the moment as my tools will be a hack saw, an propane torch, and a can of water.... ooh and some pliers.

the cutter will be cut down its center with a hack saw then filed with a triangle file. Then ground to a cutting v. That's about it. I guess you could say simple quick and dirty. I just want to make sure I start with the right material.

[george wilson]

you can sharpen up the bottom of the "V" cutter by using a nice,crisp triangular needle file in the bottom of the groove. Or,once you have gotten the V as sharp in its bottom as you can,grind a cold chisel to the shape of the V,and whack it down into the bottom of the V.This way,you will not have that little "nose" that sticks out from the bottom of the V when you sharpen it. This little "nose" is not wanted,as it erupts the wood from beneath,damaging or breaking the threads out.

[Paul Atkins]

16 to 20 bucks seems cheap compared to your time trying to make one. Could you do it in 16-20 minutes? I don't think I could on the first try. Not that I still don't make stuff that I could buy cheaper.

[Andrew Gibson]

16 to 20 bucks seems cheap compared to your time trying to make one. Could you do it in 16-20 minutes? I don't think I could on the first try. Not that I still don't make stuff that I could buy cheaper.

Time I have, money I am short on. I also figure that at some point I will need another replacement cutter, and if I take the time now to learn to make my own, it will save me time and money in the future, as I will have the stock to make more and the knowledge to do so as well. No telling if that little replacement cutter will be available in the future as well.

Sufice it to say, I would rather it take a little longer and be self suficent... I think that is kind of the point of doing things the Neander way. I know I can go out into the woods when the world ends and survive and make whatever I need with the tools I have, and if one of those tools breaks or wears out I will be able to replace it, within reason.

[Wes Grass]

For all practical purposes, W1 and 1095 are the same thing. So whichever is cheaper ...

[Josh Bowman]

Roy Underhill's book, The Woodwright's Guide will show you how. You can get all you need by looking at it in the book store, the info is in an appendix in the back of the book.

The bottom of this web page has some more info:
http://www.fullchisel.com/alburnam10.htm

Here's the painful part:
Fine Woodworking Spring of 1977 pages 22-28, has a very good section on how to build the whole thing. I found a copy on Ebay. Here's another:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fine-Woodworking-Issue-6_W0QQitemZ180484687578QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMagazine s?hash=item2a05b9c6da

[Robby Tacheny]

Roy Underhill did exactly what Mr Wilson mentioned here:

http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/schedule/27season_video.html

Watch video 2704. I have it recorded on the DVR, since we get his PBS show. He takes an old file and makes a cutter. All he uses is a hacksaw and a file. Also lots of heat from a butane torch.

-R

[Andrew Gibson]

Thanks Robby. That was the first thing I watched when I was thinking about making the cutter. I decided sense I don't have any old files that would work I would just order some stock and follow Roys methods to make the cutter. I actually ordered the steel today, should be here when I get back from my road trip.



Roy Underhill did exactly what Mr Wilson mentioned here:

http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/schedule/27season_video.html

Watch video 2704. I have it recorded on the DVR, since we get his PBS show. He takes an old file and makes a cutter. All he uses is a hacksaw and a file. Also lots of heat from a butane torch.

-R