Question
If I use a plasma cutter with nitrogen to rough out profiled cutter knives, will it have any effect on the hardness of the steel? Looks like it would be a good way to save time and $38 grinding wheels.
Forum Responses
(Solid Wood Machining Forum)
From contributor A:
There has been quite a bit of debate on the subject of what damages knife steel and what doesn't. The general point made by all steel manufacturers is that a temperature of about 1200 degrees must be maintained for several minutes before the steel loses its hardened properties.
In that respect, one would think that a plasma cutter would be okay. However...
Since this debate also covers the damage done by abrasive cut-off wheels, grinding without coolant, and a few other questionable actions, I would think that the last thing a person would want to do is apply a plasma cutter (which is basically reverse welding) to a hardened product and expect it to last.
Next, there are the rough edges left by the plasma cutter that have to be dealt with. Even more so if you are using this to cut it to length. All those burrs need to be cleaned off before you can even mount it in the head.
Also, if you are spending $38 for a roughing wheel that is not aggressive enough and doesn't last that long, why not just look for a better, cheaper wheel?
Also, check your grinder's RPMs. You can find a nice balance between wheel life and aggressive steel removal if you play with that a little.
Now on to the issue of using a plasma cutter to rough out your knives. While a plasma cutter works well to rough out mild steel, I feel that the end results on hardened steel would adversely affect the heat treat of the knife. You would also be able to accomplish, at best, a very rough cut. We do have customers and grinding services that make use of EDM and water jet technology to rough out pattern knives. The EDM would be the most feasible, as water jet technology is quite expensive.
I may very well end up going with a more aggressive (cheaper) grinding wheel, but I would first like to know logically why this wouldn't work.
If I could give scientific facts on what I am trying to say, I would, but I will leave it at this:
1) Myself and a lot of these fellas have been doing this type of thing for a long time. I think we can all agree that we have seen some of the best and worst ways to damage knife steel before we even have the chance to use it. If we all agree that cutting knife steel with a plasma cutter is an exceptionally bad idea, then it might be worthwhile advice.
2) However... If you find that it is working for you, it is not degrading your finish, it is not taking away from the life of the knife, and is not causing any other production flaws, then by all means use it.
In regard to the abrasive cut-off wheel, it takes less time to get through knife steel with a cut-off wheel than it does with a plasma cutter. I know it sounds funny, but it's true.
By the way, I wasn't challenging anyone's expertise. I just couldn't figure out why nobody used a plasma cutter to cut the knife length since the heat only penetrates 1/8" from the cut. Of course, getting a good square accurate cut may not be such a big deal if my cutoff wheel was appropriate.
On the other hand, if you plasma cut the knife to near net shape and bevel, I'd be concerned about sub-surface cracking adjacent to the HAZ. The instantaneous temperature rise in the plasma cut is about a jillion degrees a second and the drop after the passage of the jet isn't much less - especially if a CNC cutter in used.
I'd think there'd be at least 1/32" to 1/16" distressed metal to remove before you get to safe, sound base metal. Try it and see. Let us know. It's your money and time.
I kerfed the very few profiled knives I've made to rough shape from electric pencil layout with the chop saw. If you space the blank out some distance from the back jaw, you can get the bevel pretty close.
As far as grinding wheels go, they must break down fairly quick to cut fast. You are ahead of the game to run coolant when roughing knives. The coolant washes the metal particles out of the wheel and does not allow them to weld or stick to the wheel material. When the metal particles are pulled back through the cut, they create more heat and thus burning.
Surely there is a suitable wheel for less than $38.
A top quality wheel also reduces the grinding time and the dressing time.
Comment from contributor S:
Some tool steels, such as D2, cannot be cut by a plasma torch - I've tried roughing out some blocks for a stamping die. A big Miller Plasma would not cut into it. I have heard it works worse the higher the chrome content. D2 is 10-12% chrome and stainless steels are 16-18% (with some exceptions). I have not tried it on stainless steel.
A properly cut kerf with decent equipment should not have any burrs at all. You should be able to run your finger along a smooth surface and the cut should be 87-90 degrees. Keep in mind that there are two sides to a kerf, due to the right hand swirl of the plasma interacting with the cutting direction, so one side of the cut will have a rounded cut edge, and the other side will be sharp and either 90 degrees or very close. You want this edge to be on the side of the production part. Definitely use nitrogen, unless you have a high amp cutter and are using solid silver electrodes. You can use pure oxygen with these - the solid silver electrode offers the best possible cooling, and thus highest possible cutting speeds while maintaining perfect cuts and very narrow kerfs and extended life to the hafnium tip.
I would highly recommend plasma over cutting wheels. Cutting wheels are too slow, and speed is the important factor with loss of hardening. If you are not stamping the parts out of sheet, the best options are plasma or waterjet.
