Steel to make tools

[gregmcateer]

Morning good people,

I'm toying with making a 3-point tool and an inside scraper for box making.

I've no experience of metal work, so it'll only be grinding wheel shaping, no heat or bending, etc.

So my questions, after some internet searching is:

Do I need tool steel, silver steel, high speed steel or something else? Or are they the same thing?! And anywhere particular to source them?

Many thanks in advance from a very naive newbie!!

Cheers

Greg

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Look on evilbay or Amazon for HSS. You can buy 200mm x 10mm round bar for three or four quid and flat stuff equally cheaply. Watch the lengths - a lot of it is 100mm. That'll do your three point, and another will make you a nice round skew. I've two, one skewed end, one square.

 

[Rorschach]

If you cannot heat treat it then as Phil has said HSS is your best bet, it is pre-hardened and you don't need to worry about overheating it when shaping.

If you have an angle grinder use that to get the rough shape and then refine on a bench grinder.

HSS doesn't take quite the edge that a good high carbon tool steel will but it's pretty darn good and it hold the edge well also.

Cheapest prices are direct from China but postage is slow.

 

[gregmcateer]

Gents,
Thank you for your very prompt and helpful replies.
I shall commence the search when I get a chance.
(This lockdown does seem to increase domestic chores!)
Cheers
Greg

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The little ones can be usefull for small stuff - iirc the HSS for them was £4 ............ for ten.

 

[marcros]

Do you find the point tool useful Phil?

 

[gregmcateer]

Very nice, Phil. Thanks for the encouragement.
Greg

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Do you find the point tool useful Phil?

That's not a very good pic. I've made only skews and scrapers atm. I have a piece awaiting a point, but I've not used one yet. At that price for the HSS you can afford to mess about - I'll try one and grind again if I don't get on with it.