Paint pen temper line???

[titaniumdoctor]

I just recently got back a few blades from heat treat that my name and steel type were marked with yellow paint pen. One of these blades is ATS 34. I brought this blade up to a 400 grit hand rubbed finish and can still see my name in the steel where I wrote it with the paint. I only marked the blades on one side but I can see it on both sides of the blade. NOT GOOD KIDS!!!!!! By doing this, do you think the paint acted as a thermal mask like clay???? What to do, I have a delivery date next week!

Jeremy

[TexasJack]

Maybe some decarb on the surface, maybe something chemical from metals in the paint. Best bet: try etching it in ferric chloride or vinegar. Use a series of short soaks.

[Ray Rogers]

I don't think decarb would show on both sides of the blade like that unless the problem went all the way through the blade. TexasJack's idea of etching might cover the problem but whatever it is will still be in the steel and might show up again later after the customer has used the knife for a while. And, if I'm right that the problem goes through the steel, then the etch may actually highlight the difference in hardness even more. So, an etch might be useful just to prove what we already fear which is that the steel is damaged. If it is, I would scrap the blade. Explain to the customer that the heat treat didn't meet your high standards (without explaining exactly why ) and to insure a quality product for him there will be a delivery delay while you make him another blade.....

[rhrocker]

If it went through the blade, your name will be reversed on the other side.

[NJStricker]

Do you have pics? Okay, so you might have a ruined blade. But in the process, looks like you've potentially come across a way to etch designs, etc., in stainless blades during heat treat. . .just trying to make some lemonade here. . .

[Ice Tigre]

I'm with Armory414, What kind of pen did you use? I fee for the loss, if its ruined, but you might have found a great breakthrough...


G.

[DC KNIVES]

My best guess is that it's permanent and won't etch away. Since the heat is ramped up slowly the paint probabably acted like clay and would slow heating enough to distort the steel. I haven't found this reaction with knife steels nor have I tried to.I did have this happen many years ago when repainting a custom van of mine.I had some reflective lettering on the sides and after sanding down the paint for repainting the bare metal still showed the where the lettering was. The temperature differences between the reflective lettering and the surrounding darker paint surface was enough to distort the metal. While not quite the same type of heating if anything disrupts even heating problems generally occur. I would try the etching but wouldn't hold out much hope for sucess. I heat-treat all my carbon steel and send out my stainless so I engrave steel type and my name on the tang with a Dremal engraver. Good Luck. Dave

[titaniumdoctor]

Thanks for the replies guys, the name definatly goes all the way through and is reversed on the opposite side. I would post some pics, but it is hard to capture in a photograph. In some lights you can't see the name, in other lights it stands out like a sore thumb. The pen is just a standard ball bearing shaker paint pen. I did not gob the paint on the blades, just quickly wrote my name on each one. I really cannot believe this happened with such a thin mask. Like you guys said, maybe we have a new way of making cool designes in stainless.
Thanks all, Jeremy