Heat treat today

[Doug Lester]

Here's my take on anti-scale compound. It works ok but no better than using white vinegar to take it off with. It also can make it hard to pick out landmarks on the blade and because of it I place my maker's mark on the blade, I stamp after a nomalization heat, because I couldn't see the ricasso clearly. I've stopped us9ing it.

Doug

[Pairomedicsfish]

Ok, re treated my blades today. Brought them up.to ct, held them in the forge for tem more.minutes...very even orange yellow. Quenched in pnut oil at 120...... They are in the oven at precisely 400f...two thermometer check. Will do two cycles. Then descale and work them out to 600 grit. Scalees will be on tonight. If I can't het the scales shaped tonight, then Tuesday is the day....

[WBE]

Originally Posted by ron58

am i not getting a answer because you don't know what it is or is it just not worth talking about?

I use it regularly with 01 in an Even Heat oven. It is great stuff, but only in a temp controlled environment. You cannot use it for cycling, as it will flake off on cool down, but for the stress relief heat and quench heat, it is very good. I take my blades to final dimensions at a 240 grit finish, HT, and then it takes only minor clean up to finish the blade. NO decarb that a file will find.

[WBE]

Originally Posted by Pairomedicsfish

Ok, re treated my blades today. Brought them up.to ct, held them in the forge for tem more.minutes...very even orange yellow. Quenched in pnut oil at 120...... They are in the oven at precisely 400f...two thermometer check. Will do two cycles. Then descale and work them out to 600 grit. Scalees will be on tonight. If I can't het the scales shaped tonight, then Tuesday is the day....

Sounds like you might have gone one extreme to another on heat, but hopefully not. Yellow heat is not good. Grain growth guaranteed. CHECK the edge before you put the grips on. If you got the blade fully hardened, which I am confident you did, a 400? temper might be a tad brittle. If, indeed, you got 1084 rather than 1080, I would bet on it. If these are for every day cutting knives, they would probably be OK. If they are going to be used on the job in rescue work, I would say go 450? on the temper. Minimum. Since these blades have been exposed twice now in high temps, you can expect a little decarb. When you file test the edge for hardness after quench, you may very possibly get a first false read. If the files cuts, file deeper, and you should hit the real hardness and know that they are really OK. Now, in my opinion, based on 40 years and about three months of knifemaking, you have a case of impatience. Constructing a knife, and heat treating the blades are two separate issues. Both of equal importance, but separate. Construction requires experience to develope the skills. Heat treating requires study, research, and good equiptment, if you want your knives to be at their best. You are welcome to come out and use my oven. Just bring your own quench if you continue to use 10xx steels. Nothing wrong with them, but my oil will not quench them properly. If you do so, I can guarantee excellent results, but you will have to limit them to three at a time. Any more, and the oven might over heat those on the sides. Three can be placed center under the thermocouple, and be trusted. Semper Fi, Firefighters.