Heat treat on D2 and A2 steel - The Knife Network Forums : Knife Making Discussions

U.C.O.K · #1 10-12-2002, 02:30 AM

I wish some of my friends here could give some answer or a guide to another source for heat treatment on D2 and A2 steel. I mean can I do the HT in my home made charcoal forge in my home? THX a lot for kind attentions buddies. God Bless!

MaxTheKnife · #2 10-12-2002, 07:09 AM

Heat treatment for both are essentially the same with a few minor differences.

A2 - Heat to 1750 - 1800 degrees F and hold for 30 - 45 minutes and air quench. Temper at 400 for at least two hours. Temper twice. That will give you a rockwell hardness of 61.

D2 - Heat to 1825 - 1875 degrees F and hold for 30 - 45 minutes then air quench. Temper at 400 for a minimum of two hours and temper twice for a rockwell hardness of 61.

Always do the standard normalizing procedure to relieve stress if you're forging these steels. But keep in mind that both steels are air hardening and very difficult to anneal. A controlled temperature kiln or high temp oven is required to anneal them properly.

Dana Acker · #3 10-12-2002, 08:01 AM

Max, I haven't worked with A2 or D2. When you do an air quench, do you just let them sit in the air, or do you wave them, blow air on them or what. I've always wondered.

MongoForge · #4 10-12-2002, 11:06 AM

D2 is very hard to forge according to
Wayne Goddard..
Ive never worked with either one.
I know Ron Hood had a blade made
from A2 on his sight and it was
chopping elk legs into slices

MaxTheKnife · #5 10-12-2002, 01:30 PM

I've never done anything with D2 Dana, but I fiddled with some A2 a while back. It's not my bag but I suppose it's good steel if you have the patience. I bought a bunch for next to nothing and just haven't tried real hard to work with it. I like plain carbon steels too much and tend to stick with what I know. You know what I mean.

Jan Dox · #6 10-12-2002, 02:34 PM

These air-hardening "tool-steels" require very precise temperature, atmosphere and time control to get the max out of them. I send my knives in D2 out to a professional heat treating firm who use atmosphere controlled ovens so my blades come back (tested) to the hardness specified, golden to bronze coloured, requiring little cleaning and only the final edge to be put on.(plus handles of course if required by the design)
They do what we ask, be it triple tempering or sub-zero quenching.The price is the same for one knife up to several pounds weight of knives .

Jan

Jan Dox · #7 10-12-2002, 02:38 PM

P.S. these are not forged but stock removal knives

Jan:cool:

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