I Should Have Made This Weird Tool WAY Sooner

I made a Carbide Straightening Hammer for knife making. This hammer is for straightening hardened steel knives after quenching. It works insanely well. The harder the steel the better it works! How to straighten warped knives.
Carbide Ball bearing ⬇️
amzn.to/44o49C0
Hammers⬇️
amzn.to/44wR75u
Mine was 16oz a cheap one works fine.
Drill bit⬇️
amzn.to/45tMUAQ
Epoxy⬇️
amzn.to/3snUHkS
These are amazon affiliate links
I earn from qualifying purchases
If you wish to simply buy one, here's pre-made straightening hammers for sale⬇️
khdailyknives.com/shop/shop/k...
I am NOT associated with this company in any way. And have not used their products personally. But have heard good things from other people.
My website www.outdoors55.com/shop
(You may need to adjust privacy settings to see links.)
Chapters:
00:00 INTRO
01:03 Things you’ll need
01:35 Starting the build
03:50 First test with the straightening hammer
05:09 Real time straightening HOW TO : WORKS FAST
06:35 Where does this fit in knife making

[@OUTDOORS55]

A typical hammer is going to be somewhere in the low 40hrc range. Not hard enough to dent a hardened knife steel, which is usually in the 65-70hrc range. Hence the need for the tungsten carbide ball bearing, which is going to be 70+hrc. For those wondering why you cant just use a regular hammer. 🙂

[@cae2487]

I'm curious I've got some old carbide punches from work and wondered if I could use them for this project. I believe they are flat bottomed

[@lavasiouxwindwater9789]

Reads like a challenge to me. 😁

[@martindietrich2011]

Why not buying a carbide pin, glue it inside the hammer and grind it round at the tip? You can get round carbide for cheap.(broken Endmill) I measured some of my hammers. The are around 60 HRC

[@Rsama60]

I partially dissagree with you. I made an apprenticeship as a tool and die maker in the late 1970‘s. Straightening thin mold parts that got warped after heat treatment was standard practice. We all had our shop made ball peen hammers. Either with the ball end turned on a lathe or a steel balls insterted into a hammer head. Also a steel ball will „deform“ a hardened blade to be straigthended. I still have my hammers from that time. I just straightended a blade hardened to 62 Hrc with a ship bought hammer you used to inlay the ball. But the ball end is flattened. That said, I also made myself a hammer with a realtively sharp carbide tip to straighten blades. And for sure a carbide ball will not deform. So instead of a carbide ball a steel bearing ball can be used. The dimples will not be as deep/pronounced though

[@marv8481]

Maybe the base steel (but highly doubt it’s even that low, probably around 45hrc), but the face should be case hardened to around 50hrc to mid 50hrc. If you measured this then it’s possible the surface had a lacquer or coating on it. 40hrc is very soft and would probably be damaged by a typical framing nail when trying to drive it in. Just a little fyi.

[@cerocero2817]

I stick a speaker magnet to the drill press to hold the chuck key and some other tools. Seems to be the only way to avoid misplacing it all the time for me.

[@thomasaaron8107]

Same

[@buffalojones341]

I use some small neodymium cup magnets. They have a countersink that lets them be screwed to the sheet metal of the belt housing.

[@wytchypu7412]

damn me too - should have read the comments before I posted 🧲

[@littlejimmy7402]

I keep magnets around just for stuff like this. I can't remember sh!t, so anything like this, tool wrenches, counter-sink bits, right-angle adapters, whatever gets a magnet.

[@erikfontaine1979]

Same here, I use magnets from old computer hard drives

[@Hypnox78]

It's called staking when you used the punch.

[@chrisdiduch3347]

Congratulations! You’ve just completed your very first bezel setting! Usually done with gold and a gemstone, but the concept is almost the exact same. As you found out, the key is to make the hole almost the exact same diameter so it’s a very snug fit. As long as the the center of the ball is just slightly lower than the level of the hammer face, it’s all a matter of reducing the top of the hole diameter so it’s smaller than the diameter of the ball. A word of advice… after a while, the ball will sink deeper into the hole you made in the hammer. When this happens, just squish the edge you hammered down tight again. It will eventually reach a sort of equilibrium where the ball will require more force to compress hammer steel than you’re applying to it. Now that you know how to bezel set, you can apply this technique to your knife making, such as metal inlay. Have fun!

[@Curtislow2]

GREAT INFORMATION. I was wondering if he set the ball in deep enough. But as you explain it will achieve its equilibrium. I was also wondering it the JB weld was necessary? So to recap,for my understanding the hole size and depth are most critical in order to make a long lived tool.

[@chrisdiduch3347]

@@Curtislow2 hole size is crucial. Too narrow? It won’t fit, or you could accidentally break the ball/gem by trying to force it in. Some rare cases you can hammer it in if the thing (the ball) is significantly harder and not brittle. Too wide, and you won’t be able to push the metal over it to keep it in. Well, you technically could, but you’d end up deforming the hammer so much after so much work that it’s not worth trying. Hole depth is just as important, but there are things you can do to mitigate any errors. Too shallow, just drill deeper. A little too deep? Drop a spacer inside. Think like shimming. In my experience, glue isn’t necessary. It help keep the ball from falling out while pushing the metal over it (which wasn’t the case in the video because he had a good fit. With a really good fit, friction will hold it in line in the video.) Sometimes glue is used to keep a stone from moving around within the bezel, but this is for when you don’t have a good tight fit or properly push metal over it. For weaker gemstones, glue can be used as a cushion to reduce the chance of it breaking if you were to accidentally hit it.

[@Curtislow2]

@@chrisdiduch3347 Very interesting.thanks forth informative reply.

[@chrisdiduch3347]

@@Curtislow2 no worries. Any other questions, feel free to ask.

[@drfill9210]

Damn! You beat me to it!

[@peter-radiantpipes2800]

I need the ball bearing, a drill press, bit, anvil, bent piece of metal and I’m almost set! Seriously, cool idea and implementation!

[@N.M.E.]

At least you got the hammer sorted!

[@kingscroach]

you can make this by simply rounding off the hammering end of a hammer btw, or just buy a good ball pin hammer, he just went x10 on it!

[@TheGentlemanRougeScholar]

I used to work in a saw blade factory, and making the blades flat was done almost exactly the same way. The difference was we had a specialized hammer for the task, and we would shine a light at a polished anvil and use a straight edge using the refraction from the anvil to find our dishing, bowing or warping. This system worked really well, and the top paid guy’s in the factory were hammer smith’s, as knowing when to stop hammering was just as important as knowing where to hammer.

[@notsofresh8563]

Ahh, the skill of the hammer. Too many people look at hammers as crude. The hammer is the first tool we made, humans have a LOT of history improving hammering. Scythes were sharpened to a razers edge with a hammer. An interesting actual job title from the past is a "Scissors putter-togetherer". Just the right hammer blows induce the curve that makes scissors work. Took years of practice to perfect. Sounds like what a 5 year old would come up with for a name though. Don't get me started on "doing it by eye" meaning you half-assed it to just close-enough. The eye is the finest instrument known to man, we have just forgotten how to use it.

[@ForbiddenCloudGaming]

when the older generation disseminates information and stories like this I can't help but just appreciate the raw talent and skill it takes to master a craft and then be able to talk about it precisely and passionately. awesome.

[@TheGentlemanRougeScholar]

@@ForbiddenCloudGaming I’ll take that as a compliment, though 42 isn’t part of the “older generation”. It may surprise you that hammer smith’s still work today, no machine can do that job, and the blades for the big saw mills need to be flat, really flat, because they will explode if they aren’t, they are a crucial part of the lumber industry. It’s really amazing just how much is still done “the old way”, even though we all think technology has moved past skill, it’s hasn’t. We used lasers to cut the blade shape out of sheet steel, but if the blade needed to be thinner than .050 inches it was cut into rounds because a laser can’t accurately cut that thin and not melt the end of the tooth, a machinist would tooth it, using a machine that is probably over 75 years old, those blades are how you get perforated toilet paper.

[@ForbiddenCloudGaming]

It was supposed to be one! Not trying to age bash you either. lol I mean it when I say I have the utmost respect for people that take the time to master a craft, it's admirable and takes dedication to do so. Hand tool dexterity and the skill to shape material into whatever you need in whatever field you may find yourself in; that's friggen awesome. It just goes to show how the newest tech isn't always the solution it makes sense with how much surface area there would be at the teeth of those blades It would be appropriate to machine them rather than laser cut. Thanks for sharing man! @@TheGentlemanRougeScholar

[@rollotomasislawyer3405]

That’s a very could hack. Stone masons use the same tick with a straight edge and light when polishing stone to a really flat suffice.

[@NFTI]

Well between my friend and I, we have tried this on 4 different hardened (and tempered) knives in the past couple days, made of 14c28n and RWL-34, and it worked amazingly on all four of them. What a weird and cool trick! Thank you for showing this, I will probably use this on every warp I ever encounter in the future!

[@OUTDOORS55]

It os bazaar isn't it😂 Works like magic 🤌

[@toddburdick1]

Do you think that it'd work on a Spyderco Native 5 blade in maximet?

[@shanek6582]

Pretty cool but the coolest part of this video is your anvil is flat enough to use as a surface plate!

[@The_RC_Guru]

Tool tip of the day- if you tie together the drill chuck key and your 10mm socket, you’ll never lose them again. Since you always find the opposite when you’re looking for another lol. Really tho I find it’s good to have a strong magnet out of the way and ALWAYS put the chuck back on it.

[@andrewsackville-west1609]

Wait, you found the 10mm socket?! 😮

[@The_RC_Guru]

@@andrewsackville-west1609 nah I have a monthly subscription for 50 of them a month for the shop lol. Usually by the second week we spend more time looking for a 10mm then working on something!

[@jeanladoire4141]

a book from 1771 recomends making the hammering part like a wide wedge, so the material only stretches in one direction. It might be even more effective, while leaving fewer marks

[@courier11sec]

I suppose you could use a broken end mill for the striking surface and unlay it into either an existing cross peen or small hand hammer like maybe 1 1/2 or 2 lb

[@jeanladoire4141]

@@courier11sec i mean yeah, back in the 1700's they just made a hammer from very high carbon steel, and they would quench the striking face without giving it a temper for maximum hardness

[@brianlawson3757]

That sounds like my 8 oz. cross peen. I guess it might work if the blade isn't in the 60-65 HRC range coming out of the quench.

[@OUTDOORS55]

Interesting👍

[@jusme8060]

What book? Sounds awesome. We've obviously gotten dumber in many ways and Google is quickly becoming the monopoly on information. Love old books

[@scottbennington2936]

Worth it's weight in gold.... 16oz hammer @$1,900 per ounce Now that's one fancy hammer!! In all seriousness, some custom made tools are truly Priceless. Thanks for the share.

[@OUTDOORS55]

If it saves 5 knives from the bin it actually is😉

[@ganjalfcreamcorn8438]

you charge 6000 for a single knife? lolol na just messing with ya. super cool tool though, I would have thought you hammer it the other way to straighten it out, kinda counterintuitive. seems to work amazingly. @@OUTDOORS55

[@johnalger1924]

I wish it worked on warped wood. 😁

[@OUTDOORS55]

Ha ha me too!

[@bigoldgrizzly]

and the knifemaker said ..... 'I wish I could just plane it down a bit'

[@inssan6550]

Drill press chuck keys - either attach a magnet to the press body or the key and then stick one to the other. I've done both, glue a magnet on a handy place on the drill and just put the key on it when not in use, or drill the back of the key and stick a magnet in it, then you can just leave it anywhere on the drill. You're welcome.

[@brianlawson3757]

Yep. Do that the first day you set it up, because that chuck key will find a way to wander off somewhere one way or another. You might find it in your sock drawer three weeks after you order a replacement otherwise. 😂

[@OUTDOORS55]

I have my other drill press key tied to a rope. This drill press key doesn't have a hole in it yet so I have yet to tie it up.👍🙂

[@turbogt9767]

I have a magnet on mine, but I still lose the darn key. ADHD is real.

[@agentcovert]

Thank you..for such a great tip..

[@ieatcaribou7852]

That's really impressive, especially since you're very honest and not afraid to tell us when something is just hype. It really gives me confidence that this tool works.

[@OUTDOORS55]

This is definitely not hype. Its a proven method for straightening hardened steel blades. It may take some practice but it absolutely works!👍

[@rko2016]

​@@OUTDOORS55Ditto on the integrity part, you're one of the few people i trust on this platform

[@mystic24100]

Thanks, I would have hammered on the wrong side and hit it way to hard.

[@Steve.Garrison]

I've got a few large carbide-tipped teeth from an asphalt road mill that might work well for this. They usually get thrown away and replaced when they wear down to a certain point. I had never thought much about how hardened steel was flattened before, thanks!

[@Hawk013]

Tip for you, you never want to chuck the drill on the flutes. The shank is a softer for a reason, it gives slightly to let the chuck jaws "bite" and not slip. The flutes can damage your chuck jaws, and not allow it to hold concentricity because two flutes and three jaws don't line up. I prefer to buy stub or screw length drills as needed, they're more rigid that jobber length drills, and don't take up as much workspace between the table and the chuck.

[@brandonn2538]

Put a magnet on the drill press belt cover and put the key there.

[@insederec]

Setting that bearing is actually exactly how cabochon gemstones are set in bezels. Interesting to see how much crossover there is in all these skillsets.

[@paullmight42]

i've been watching people make blades and fix warps for like 10 years now and only very very recently did i see someone use one of these...interesting stuff

[@colecollins5642]

Just a thought expanding on the idea. Use tungsten carbide rod 1. It's much cheaper and widely available in a multitude of sizes 2. It would be far simpler to seat in a striking tool for example a brass hammer that makes use of a set screw to allow for changing out broken bits and 3. You can grind a plethora of profiles other than a ball to allow for more controlled stretching, giving you more exact results and far fewer blemishes that require finishing work. 4. One easy to fab brass hammer with say 5 bit profiles cross peen, ball, chevron, scallop , and perhaps a waffle for some knock off knurlling texture. 6. This would also make the idea much easier to transfer to a small jewelers hammer peice which would increase you precision and efficiency to the point you'd likely be able to work through entire boxes of warped blades in a sitting.

[@reddogknives]

Long ,but effective.

[@Nevir202]

Seems like using a rod would be a lot more likely both to break and to mar your work by strikes on its edges. Ball bearing has the advantage that it has no edges.

[@dennisobrien3618]

Not everyone has the capability of grinding tungsten carbide. Ideally, you would want diamond or CBN grinding wheels to accomplish it, I think.

[@danielanthony9621]

I dont know if you get tired of hearing this but thanks for your genuine videos. Your info is without question the most informative and no BS content on you tube.

[@remcovanvliet3018]

Trick to prevent your chuck key from running off and hiding every time you need it: just drill a little hole in the handle, and secure it to the drill press with a length of ball chain. (the type that's used to secure the drain plug to your sink)

[@kevinschwartz3242]

I really appreciate the level of craftsmanship you put into your knives. Keep up the great work.

[@MultiUroX]

I would use it during smiting too. This is a brilliant design. If you hammer it while it's hot, the microstructure will be more dense, therefore the knives would be far better quality (tougher,...)

[@stantilton2191]

Wow, so simple and works so well. Thank you.

[@onlyychevys]

I have always looked at it backwards, boy did I learn a lot today. Thank you!

[@travislecount3003]

That's incredible. Thanks for sharing with everyone.

[@elguapo1507]

I love watching people overcome problems through the absolute understanding of first principles. That was a really good lesson as well as a great tool design! 👍

[@darrenwidas2473]

Thanks for sharing this! Very much appreciated

[@valsforge4318]

You are correct, that is amazing, magical even. Thanks for sharing this!

[@kreech68]

this is a great video - I sharpen knives and sometimes some are bent. This is the same story as using a punch on a framing square to bring it "back to square" (note, creep up on square, and let the metal relax a while or you will go past square). Murray Carter has a video on the same topic. I might have to add this to my collection of "stuff"

[@citizenVader]

PERFECT.. this is gold

[@mountainwolf1]

Brutal design very clever I may need to add this to my arsenal of smithing tools thanks for sharing your wisdom.

[@12346unkown]

This guys videos never fail to deliver. Keep up the great work!

[@garetkonigsfeld2]

I found an old mining drill head years ago. I used the carbide nobbies out of the drill head. I mention this because I see these drill heads at the swopp meet fairly often might be easier to find and you will have enough carbide for a life time or friends. These hammers work really well. It worth the time to make one. Thanks for sharing.

[@shanksjeffcott8598]

O man now that would been amazing to know 20yrs ago. That is so simple and effective. Im so making this. This is one of those so simple and so so effective. Thank you so much

[@leeirvin5983]

Very informative thank you sir!!!

[@bobcougar77]

I finally mounted a magnet to the side of my drill press just for the chuck. I love it.

[@sorokahdeen]

Thank you very much. Should I ever need to straighten a blade, I will certainly try your method.

[@TheFROSTER420]

That's so sick! Thanks for always sharing stuff like this,amazing!

[@patrickvilda9929]

Thanks for the tip, I sometimes use this technique and get pretty good results. But the several marks on the blade are hard to remove loosing thickness.

[@courier11sec]

Nice! I want aware of this nugget. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

[@skricha6743]

Great videos with great info! I use a neodynium magnet super glued to any blank spot on the drill to store the chuck key. Mine is stuck to that round blank spot on the middle of the handwheel. Always in the right spot and easy to access.

[@opieshomeshop]

*_It looks like it worked great. I'm going to make one for sure._*

[@MRR-qv3bw]

This really is an impressive video man and the tool is something that can be used more than A handful of times in a lifetime! Awesome job my friend👍👍👍

[@sleazy1drache]

Very cool! Never heard of this. Thanks for sharing

[@internet_internet]

Nice. Will probably try this with my dad. He like to modify tools and equipment for upgrades, and it always ends up being worthwhile.

[@alext8828]

I saw a video once on trueing up framing squares. Almost the same kind of thing. Accept not going from side to side. Really just working on one side to stretch the metal. Cool.

[@rustytygart405]

Thanks for this video this is really helpful

[@shanek447]

Great video and thank you for sharing. Much better than isolating heat to remove warps.

[@SolvingTornadoes]

I'm shocked too. Good video. Thanks.

[@claudiogadda5344]

Very nice Implementation of the shot peening process, in a "reduced manual" scale. It's allways good to see when known technics are modified or adapted to achive his own goals. Thanks for sharing.

[@tombrown4683]

Damn ! A valuable tip ! You are always educating. Good seeing you posting again.

[@mikeboone4425]

Much better than your last visit, great info for many I'm sure in the knife world. Happy Trails

[@TheScrawnyLumberjack]

I’ve had a lot of success with mine but I have cracked a few blades by using it. I would highly recommend doing both temper cycles before using it and if you’re going over 65 hrc to be careful.

[@toddburdick1]

Sounds like I should expect to be able to it with a Spyderco Native 5 blade in maximet.

[@aurysage3043]

Wow. Nice on several levels.

[@joshuadelisle]

Excellent tip. Cheers J

[@jeremyhanisch1241]

fist time I see/hear of it. So nice. thanks for the tip !

[@jcubetube3778]

I bought the last bearing! Thanks brotha! ❤️

[@breezybmetal8646]

I had the same problem, Misplacing the Chuck key just place a magnet on the side of the press, and when you’re done with the key, place it on the magnet - easy fix

[@whatme3473]

Simple but effective 👌

[@GibsonCutlery]

Totally game changing for sure! I have one of Kyle's hammers (KHDaily Knives - highly recommend - link in the description) and it absolutely changed my world. It has saved me hours of time. The tagane hammer paired with a quench vice took straightening from a real time sink to something that only takes a few minutes per blade usually. When I originally saw Murray Carter do it I assumed it only worked on thinner cross sections, but it works well even on 3/16 stock.

[@kkkastro123]

Sweet. I purchased one from a knifemaker, but now I need a heavier one. Thanks for the easy tutorial.

[@josephhargrove4319]

This tool has the hallmarks of a good tool: it does the job efficiently and, when you need it, nothing else works as well. Definitely a nice tool to have in your tool box. ---

[@lesamourai777]

I learned a lot from this video. Thanks!

[@brandonwilson896]

How has this not broken the internet. What an amazing trick. Now where did you learn it?

[@CrimeVid]

That is a neat idea !

[@jeffallen3382]

Wow that is cool! I knew it worked for auto body but never thought about knife steel.

[@SiliconeSword]

Hell yeah, gonna try this with a busted end mill

[@clive-t.m.d7955]

I'd never have believed this was possible if I hadn't seen it being done. Really neat 👍

[@thefamily_ak1863]

Wow , thx man I gotta try one

[@martinswiney2192]

I always chuck the wrench up in the chuck it belongs to. Neat job on the hammer.

[@flyingsodwai1382]

WHoah... I seriously learned something. THANKS!

[@pyrosmoak53]

I got a JB Weld ad while watching 😂 Nice hammer mod👍🏽

[@dspeerelec643]

Thank you for your excellent video

[@robbabcock_]

Fascinating!

[@Billy123bobzzz]

Great job!

[@messinger123]

Funny you mention CPM M4. I did a big blade in that steel not long ago and got the worst warp I’ve ever had. Got it straight, but it was sketchy. This is a great video. Cheers.

[@Killbilly31]

Awesome thanks 👍

[@GWServices]

Ah yes, the key for the chuck we don’t own anymore. Why do always keep them?

[@danlscan]

That's a great idea.

[@Donorcyclist]

Thank you for this public service! It’s a very affordable DIY that will make a huge difference to knife makers’ productivity and bottom line.

[@walterashley149]

Excellent video!!,

[@hddm3]

Awsome! Learned something new today! Godbless my man

[@hawkknight4223]

That is the correct terminology. The only other would be socketing! But that’s more of a jeweling term. Great video! And God bless you.

[@nathanbackner8742]

One of those janitor retracto key chains attached to drill press with chuck on ring end best mod ever.

[@stephenkeefer3436]

One of your finer outside the box creations, Alex. Stay well up home there, be safe. Slop- I mean winter , is on its way.

[@Hypnox78]

Brilliant!!!!

[@kanukkarhu]

That was super cool! Lol! I loved the "next you gotta find your drill chuck" part! Hahah! SO relatable! Another great video. Thanks!

[@joepublic573]

nice. truly impressive - a little bit of creative thinking and voila :) excellent approach (and content).

[@LogicalNiko]

Chuck + magnet. Then just stick it on the side of the drill press housing. Also paint it Orange, Yellow, Fluorescent Green/Pink/etc. (or dip the handles in a similar colored plasti-dip)

[@dionpage7948]

That's some smart thinkin brother!!

[@EnlightenedSavage]

Keith fenner has great videos on how to straighten metals. Also old lathe and machining tool tend to have lots of braised carbide tips. You can buy yhis old tooling cheaply. Lastly backlight the material while it is lying on a flat surface and you will see the light bleed through parts where it is bent. Cheers

[@RedBeardOps]

I literally just got one of these in the mail from Kyle Daily! So excited to try it this weekend.

[@RedBeardOps]

Very slick construction on yours BTW

[@BasedBidoof]

great idea

[@hughjass4876]

He is a hard worker 🎉

[@hhhobby]

Awsome! 👍😃👌I have a ton of curved hand plane blades and a ton of curved chipbreakers. I need this hammer

[@vgullotta]

1:56 I put an old hard drive magnet stuck to the top of my drill press and I stick the chuck to it after I use it every time, makes it always right there =)

[@kjproductions5068]

That's such a counterintuitive concept! Hammer on the problem side