Thread: Salt vs. Oven
View Single Post
  #2  
Old 08-07-2017, 09:06 PM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
Guru
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Now live in Las Cruces NM.
Posts: 1,345
Not an expert Kevin, but salt baths are used for very high heats and high temperature tempering to mainly keep oxygen off the metal. There are others who can tell you much more. Salt melts somewhere around 500 degrees so you get the idea. It will protect the steel from decarburization which is a BIG concern for many steels. Imagine a 2200 degree austenizing heat with a 1000 degree temper. Either use salt baths or vacuum oven/controlled atmosphere and oxygen must never be allowed to hit the surface if it is a called for requirement. It is not just for knives and has many industrial uses as well. For some tooling it is part of the price when you wonder why that end mill cost 4x more than this one.

Don't ask me how they quench a knife in a salt bath as I have no idea. lol


__________________
Now it says Guru and it used to say Master. I think I like Master better, though skilled would be the best description
Reply With Quote