Thread: Lost my Temper!

Hi,

I need some advise, got a spot of blue on a razor when grinding on the edge which is also thin. checked the steel hardness, it's still good at the edge on both sides of the spot but the spot is soft. Should i attempt a retemper which i just happened to get right the first time? Or should i grind up past the the spot like i shown crudely below:
I estimate i would have to regrind 1/8 off of a 6/8 razor to get past the spot. would that work? If it doesn't work out at least i know what not to do next time...

Thanks.

You are going to have to post pictures of the razor to get a better assesment from some of the pros ...
They are going to want to see the height of the shoulder (if any) on the razor
If it were my razor and it wasnt particularly valuable I wouldnt hesitate to grind away the 1/8" and grind out the shoulder if necessary.....

IME when you grind a chip out of a razor you end up with a wide ugly bevel.

Before undertaking any of this you may want to hone it up and test shave just in case.... blueing doesnt always mean a ruined temper (from what I hear, not sure of your testing method)

Also, wait for an expert opinion ...

Is this a new blade you are creating? or one you are restoring?

Yes one i'm making, so nothing wasted but time and cosmetics is not to much of an issue. i tested with a file right on the edge the spot was going down like annealed steel.

have you already thinned the blade down to the point where its ready to hone? if you still have some decent thickness of steel, I would try to re-temper. If its thinned out (especially if its a hollow grind) it might stress crack or warp/twist

But you should certainly take some pictures, and get opinions from people with WAY more experience than me (hardly any) =P

It is thinned out, so warping is a concern, looks like grinding down is the safest option. Does the temper loss extend past the coloration? otherwise i'd have to grind too much to salvage. I would show a picture but i have sanded past the blue to kinda scratch test and to see if it would keep an edge, so you guys wouldn't see the coloration in the picture making it pointless.

I doubt that the loss of temper goes past the blue (heat affected zone). What material are you working with?

Jeff

Originally Posted by TURNMASTER

I doubt that the loss of temper goes past the blue (heat affected zone). What material are you working with?

Jeff

+1.

Get rid of the blue spot and I think things will be fine.
Retemper if it is not yet hollow ground, otherwise, grind a bit more.

Originally Posted by TURNMASTER

I doubt that the loss of temper goes past the blue (heat affected zone). What material are you working with?

Jeff

Good, an unknown high carbon steel. Really old files.