how to make a knife without heat treating

Any help as to where I should start would be helpful. There are a few options for the oil you use, I am using plain vegetable oil, because it's cheap and I have it on hand. Thanks for the compliments. I learned this method from $50 Knife Shop by Wayne Goddard. Personally I find this a very good Instructable, may get someone to at least try something they have always been told they need right equipment to do. Do you have any suggestions for using leaf springs? Forge Furnace Size & Salt Baths: I would much appreciate your advice on the following. Mild steel does not harden. While you are waiting for the forge to reach temperature, its a good time to get your quench ready. When it's hit critical temp, remove it from the heat and quickly dunk it into a sufficient quantity of room temperature oil. - kitchen oven - one mild or high carbon steel knife blank (forged or stock removal) Here, I am using 'natural' hardwood lump charcoal. Some suggest buying a toaster oven for the sole purpose of knife tempering. Don't do that. On a side note, the RR spike knife is not the best example to use, as even RR spikes stamped "HC" are not hi-carbon when compared to proper carbon-steel. Remember, once it is hardened, it will be much more difficult to remove material via filing and sanding. Future Studies The DET samples which showed the best properties had a … The lighter the blade becomes in appearance during heating, the harder it will become. Getting the whole blade evenly heated to critical temperature is the challenge. The 4 steps you NEED to know. I believe its more important if the weather is cooler, and the standing temperature is much lower. Differential heat treatment (also called selective heat treatment or local heat treatment) is a technique used during heat treating to harden or soften certain areas of a steel object, creating a difference in hardness between these areas. Yes, I hope this will get some people out into the shop! There should be a noticeable difference in the file's exchange with the steel. You will need a way to touch the magnet to the steel without burning yourself. (for the 'pretty good ible' part ;), Yes, very true about RR spikes. 7 months ago, The salt doesn’t affect the steel in any way, Reply Rest a file on the bevel of the blade and move it back and forth, up and down the length. Please take this as positive ctriticism to a pretty good 'ible. Now comes the most difficult part, where a nice beautiful temperature regulated HT oven would come in handy; heating up the steel evenly. Anyway once you have soaked it in the kiln at temp for many hours, leave it overnight, crack it open and you will have a case hardened Piece of steel. 5. After the 15 seconds, submerge the entire blade into the oil beside the block. No need to get fancy. The fact is, heat treating is often much simpler than it is made out to be. Lawn mower blades are highly prized junk steel! As the steel heats up, touch it to the magnet every few seconds. Until then, you'll just have to trust me; 1500 degrees (what you are aiming for), is a cherry red color which comes just after the metal first starts to glow. http://www.pacmet.com/index.php?h=capabilitiesandservices. A Note on Tempering: Every article I have read on tempering gives a notice to knife makers who choose to use their kitchen's conventional oven for tempering. If all went well, the file should feel glassy as it slides across the bevel. Reply Heat treating is undoubtedly the most important part of knife making. Grid View List View. Heat Treating Step 1 Heat the steel through to 1,560 degree Fahrenheit using a forge or heat-treat oven . You will still see the color appear from the tempering process, but there isn't enough carbon present for the metal to harden properly. There are those who want you to believe the only way to achieve a good heat treat is by using a temperature regulated heat treating oven, soaking for 15.7 minutes, normalized 2.3 times, and then quenched in park's knife heat treating oil raised to exactly 134.6 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point, the heat treat is completed and your knife is fully hardened. He was a 9th grader, making … Building Giant Articulated Hands (carved From Wood for Social Distancing). Thanks. When you are satisfied you have got the blade to critical temperature, you need to move fast. Heat the blade evenly and touch it to a magnet to test its temperature. Instead of dropping the heated knife into the quenching medium tip first, submerging the entire knife, the edge quench involves submerging one third to one half of the blade's width (cutting edge first) into the quenching medium. Lol, I'm desperate lol, Reply Quenching should be done when the steel reaches a bright red colour, 800-900 fahrenheit. It gets hotter, heats up faster, and is easier to use. You can produce a decent blade the same way smiths have been doing it for thousands of years. Check me out on Youtube. Just so you know, quenching and tempering have little to no effect on mild steel. Heat treating suppliers sell various salt mixtures. After quenching, the steel is extremely hard. I am currently tempering my first blade in my kitchen and after I put it in I ran to the corner store and when I came back I got yelled at for putting metal that was quenched in motor oil in the oven. Its called tempering. You will not be able to get your hands anywhere near it, which is why I recommend welding gloves. This is done by heat treating. Question IE 1" material would be kept at that temperature for 1 hour. The first thing you need to do is decide on a style that suits your needs and your purpose. Once that has been accomplished, the metal is then taken to temperatures below the first transformation temperature, roughly 1100-1300 for 1 hour per inch of material. Side note: The fact that I am using a RR spike knife to demonstrate the HT doesn't change the process in any way, it's just the knife I had on hand that needed finished up. I did, and it saved me many many hours/days/weeks of endless filing. Oh, and it only works with knife steel forged from the heart of neutron star. No real reason i'd use motor oil anyway. The sequence I use is to heat the blade until it becomes non magnetic, then stick it back into the forge and push/pull the blade's full length through the heat once more, making sure the piece is evenly colored. And if you want to spend a little time and search the forums for old Q and As on heat treating you may find a ton of information. And then there are those who firmly believe that a knife can only be properly heat treated at midnight exactly, underneath a full lunar eclipse, quenched in a tank of boiling dragon's blood when the knife glows cherry red (with the blade pointing due north), and then tempered by holding above burning coals (made of carbonized diamonds) until the metal turns golden-brown. And I´m 100% sure I did tempering correctly. I'm using Canola oil, or water for certain alloys, even on stuff I'm selling. The quenching medium I used was old motor oil. Final note: heat treating your steel is meant to harden it significantly. Haven't actually tested it myself. For certain quenchants and certain steels, an interrupted quench can be beneficial, but for this heat treat it isn't necessary and if anything, could make your steel softer. Straw yellow is the highest heat level a … And the criticism. You don't want to lose too much heat. I know that sounds hokie, but that how it happens. A little bit over and you'll be fine, just let it cool back down a bit. From time to time I volunteer at a Medieval museum centre. Salt melts at 1474 degrees, so as soon as the salt melts, you know it has hit critical temperature. The quenching method I decided to use for this knife was the “edge quench”. After you have heated up your forge, go ahead and stick the knife in. Blade was almost bright orange in the daylight when I quenched it. You can make a “good” knife out of it, but it is hard to make a “great” knife without … They often get so wrapped up in the science that they forget you actually canmake a decent knife without any of it. 2.Air source. I don't have any links handy, but I've seen some research that suggests that Canola oil is almost frightenly close to Parks 50 parameters, and that's why it's recommended for the backyard blacksmiths. More info below⬇️Beginner knife making steel video. Reply Many of the companies will make a run of case hardened files, and the next batch may not be, depending on the steel the company can acquire. Varying the temperatures, while obeying the two critical temperatures and time constraints, should give you an ideal "temper". Here's my reply. Concerning the salt, does it interact with the steel in any way? But it is. Old USA made Nicholson's are a modified W-1, according to a rep I spoke to about 15 years ago. In other words, it is way too hard to be a knife. The correct hardness depends on the application of the steel being treated. (although I recommend you get creative). For this bare bones heat treat, there is no need to over-complicate things. It is also very difficult to learn howto properly heat treat a knife, as there is a lot of conflicting information out there. I found in all my years of metallurgy experience used diesel oil works the best and doesn't have to be warmed prior to using due to multitude of additives and relatively thin viscosity once used. What would happen if you doused the edge in it? The critical temperature of high carbon steel is around 1475. Vegetable oil, olive oil, peanut oil, motor oil, used motor oil, etc. Without this step, the steel would be too soft to retain an edge for long. Of course, you can also use any other sort of forge you want to, I am just showing how to heat treat a knife in the simplest way possible, with no special equipment. You will need to give it a few minutes to heat up, I generally wait till most of the charcoal has turned to white/gray color. For oil quenching steels. At what point does the metal start to melt? Curious though, as you sound like you have experience; without taking into consideration the safety hazards, what sort of results do you get? A regulator block is used to hold the blade at the correct depth. All you want is to put feed large amounts of oxygen into the fire. It is definitely doable, though, just keep working at it, and try to find the best "hotspot" in your forge for even heating. He has recently started making knife blades and has sent them out somewhere for heat treating, with disastrous results, according to him. After all, you don't want half the blade hardened and have the tip bend when you look at it wrong. Heat Treatment Oven Project After making my 3rd knife and finding it difficult to maintain 1000°C temperatures, sustained and accurately, I decided that an electric heat treating oven is the way to go. Some are considered "neutral" some carburizing. Heating treating the knife … I hear treated some blades last night and they came out COVERED in all kinds of crud, would you have any useful advice for me? After the blade has been quenched, its hardness is still not suitable for usage. 7 months ago. Higher alloys require controlled cooling to much cooler temperatures, as they commonly are more suseptible to diffusion (oxidation basically) at lower temperatures. With this idea I think I'm going to give it a try. Swish it around a bit until it's cooled throughout to below 150°F. Quenching and Tempering refer to two specific heat treating processes. Get your oil in your heat resistant container, and pre-heat it to about 130 degrees (Fahrenheit). I'm am just about to create my first forge, and I beleive I will eventually be … There are those who want you to believe the only way to achieve a good heat treat is by using a temperature regulated heat treating oven, soaking for 15.7 minutes, normalized 2.3 times, and then quenched in park's knife heat treating oil raised to exactly 134.6 degrees Fahrenheit. You will find a couple of articles on heat treating blades there. Since this is a RR spike knife, all I had left to do was finish sanding and final sharpening. Normalizing: If the blade was forged and hammered into shape you should Normalize the blade prior to heat threat. The extra carbon makes heat treating more complex. I've just priced up only half of what he would need and that's going to cost me over £500 which I don't have. Knife Kiln vs. Now if only I follow them. This is actually misleading and has to do with their use of "Tempering". To make sure it's ready, you can get a magnet and hold the blade near it. The knives I have made are what I assume to be mild steel, coming from sources like hedge clippers and lawnmower blades. Thanks for uploading this, im working on my first knife and heat treating is the only thing i have left to do. The spine? Mike look in the knives forum and scroll down a little to the heat treating knives blades section. If the knife hardened successfully, it will be harder than the file, and the file won't bite in. Just make sure it's able to take the heat. Tempering involves heating the blade to a non-critical temperature (350 – 450 F) to slightly soften the steel (I used a kitchen oven). After you have heat treated a few knives, you will be able to tell roughly what temperature the steel is based on the color. A few seconds longer, or until the steel has shifted color a notch brighter, and you know you have hit critical temperature (approximately 1475). No matter what you call it “the box” needs to have the capability to get to the desired temperature and stay there for the prescribed amount of time. - fire proof quench container with lid (I used an old cookie tin) There are chemists that will explain in great detail why it's not a good idea, and there'll be a lot of guys telling about their own experiences. In technical terms, it is commonly known as CRUD. Then I sat back down at my computer and this was open right to that paragraph warning of the angry women of the house. It is too harsh and will crack most steels. Make sure you have your container lid and a few sets of pliers. It is then cooled in the furnace, dropping temperatures roughly 400 degrees per hour (again, depending on the alloy) down to 700 or 800 degrees (again, depending on the alloy) and then air cooled. Heat treating steel is a required technique for metal workers such as knife makers. It seems like you may not have tempered 100% correctly. Especially used motor oil contains all kinds of stuff that gives you an unknown flashpoint(fire hazard), and all the crud in the oil can and will fasten to the steel, and give an uneven temperature change, which in turn will give you an unknown but surely poor hardening. 1090, 1080, 1095, 5160, 1075, 1085, O1, etc. It will all work. As you are heating it up, watch the color of the steel. Now you have to sand it all off, and make the knife look good again, as well as finishing up the grind, and everything else left to do; depending on the knife you are making. I know it does happen, it has happened to me on occasion but it is VERY easy to fix, sometimes it is unavoidable. So hard that it is about as brittle as glass. Thanks! (and a few other things). The edge is the thinnest part of the blade, and therefore more prone to cracking during the quench. After 3 one hour cycles, the tempering is complete. The first few times, I was using used motor oil simply because I didn't know better. Don't underestimate the power of this forge. Knifemaking, metalworking, fashion design (AKA the duct tape tie), writing, filming, prop making, fire. - quenching medium such as used motor oil The ability to accurately measure exact temperatures of the steel and to predict the precise hardness that you will end up with is extremely advantageous for knife makers. I just scrub the hardened blade in water with dish soap and then hit it with a wire brush attachment in a power drill and then another soapy water scrub. But apart from the health issues (which are quite serious), it's just not a good idea. Would have been better to use another knife to demo a ht like this, but it was the only unfinished one I had laying around at the time I did this 'ible. Fill a heat-safe container with water or oil deep enough to submerge your steel. Try a different metal, and spend a little extra to get some good stuff if you want solid results. If it's not attracted to the magnet, you've reached the right temperature. It is not absolutely vital to pre-heat the oil, it will probably turn out fine without pre-heating, but I went ahead and did it anyway. At that point the forge is upwards of 2500 degrees Fahrenheit, and almost too bright to look at directly. Make sure you have a BC fire extinguisher (the kind that puts out grease/oil fires) nearby. 9 months ago. In the video you can see me pulling the knife out of the oil and putting it back in several times. This means it hardens rapidly compared to other tool steels, making heat treatment potentially difficult. Jeez, yeah, EVERYBODY has their own secret quench recipe :) Thanks for the info, I'll take your word for it. Laying the blade on its side without a regulator block to fully submerge it risks warping due to one side of the blade being cooled faster than the other. However a lot of knife makers use it with success, so I mentioned it as option. I don't really like bladesmithing, I'm more into tools and all the stuff that made life easier, and yet I've made 100's if not 1000's of knives over the years. And if you find you were half a degree off, well then, your knife is simply sub-standard. There are a number of methods you could use to accomplish this, but the easiest (and best for beginners) is to put it in the oven @ 400 degrees for two cycles of one hour each, letting the knife cool between cycles; or until the steel has turned a wheat/golden/brown color. The heat treatment process involves normalizing, quenching and tempering, and results in a specific hardness depending on temperatures used. Do not use plastic Tupperware! There are many techniques for creating a difference in properties, but most can be defined as either differential hardening or differential tempering. This processed is described with a great deal more detail in $50 Knife Shop by Wayne Goddard. 2 years ago. You will need to employ an old technique called case hardening. You can but it but it stupidly expensive. Share it with us! Now don't get me wrong, heat treating isa science, and with delicate temperature controlling equipment, you do get a better heat treat. Plus any extras that I don't know about. Without precise control of time and temperature, the blade won’t hold an edge or else may be too brittle for use. Yes, you actually canmelt steel in a crude forge like this. It's really hard to see the color in daylight - our forge is pretty dim so we can see it pretty well. The Heat Treating Process The process consists of: A) PREHEATING the Annealed tool, typically at 1250 degrees F. okay, after reading this, there are some guides I can add. I have found it happens more with laminated steels and the twisted damascus types. Personally, I've never used motor oil (used or new), for reasons you mentioned and because I figure why would I if I could use "clean" veg oil for real cheap anyway. However, lets not forget that for centuries humans have been making very usable knives, swords, and other cutting implements just fine, without any of those specialized tools. Cook your blade for one hour, allow it to cool to room temp, and return it to the oven for another hour. Hope ya'll enjoyed this Instructable, and I'll see you next time. You won't be able to see past the surface of the oil, so I used nails to indicate the position and direction of the block below the oil. Anyway, I digress....but if there is one piece of advice I can offer, if you want to make lots of blades, make yourself a belt grinder/sander. 3. Let’s get into it! - small forge or charcoal fire of sufficient heat (search for forge or smelting instructables) To Normalize bring the blade to Non magnetic and then let it cool slowly without quenching. In fact he's obsessed with it and wants to start giving knife forging a go. So my question is: Is possible to heat it too hot before quenching? The smoke from motor oil is quite hazardous, and you don't want to be anyway near it... And another reason not to use motor oil is the fact that it's not designed for this. 4. I am using some long handled pliers and welding gloves. Score the outline of your blade. These instructions are great! Perhaps this is due to one side always being under more tension than the other due to the twist? So my Son is 19 and has been watching forged in fire since it began. Using those tools they are able to produce the best knives possible. (By the way, I'm not a knife maker) You'll see that I talk about both gas and coal (coke) forges: "Gene, I live close to … Heat the quench container filled with water first to get an idea of what heat to use for the oil. Note: The reason the regulator block is used instead of simply filling the container with enough oil that the blade rests 1/3 to ½ its width against the bottom of the container is so that the blade can be fully submerged after the edge hardening. Did you make this project? You're right on most of what you say, and for a beginner this is a great place to start. To test the steel and see if has hardened correctly, take a file and scrape the corner of the file across the knife. Basically the purpose of this is merely to cool the metal at a slower rate to prevent stressing the metal to the point of fracture, and it also replenishes the carbon content in the steel allowing it to hold a sharp edge. Some steel is too soft and can shear off if it isn't heat treated. Share it with us! Steel becomes non-magnetic at critical temperatures, so torch it, test it against the magnet, and let it cool to room temperature three times to normalize it. I used a hotplate set on LOW HEAT. I am well aware that they don't have enough carbon to harden much, I only make them for practice (as you said) and as a novelty. RR spikes are great for practise, but they don't hold an edge if the knife is used for anything but butter ;o). - guru. How long dose vegetable oil last for quenching. Sorry, but this method will not work with any kind of stainless steel, or any of the more complicated "super steels". The steel will harden, but if you do some testing, you'll find that the hardness is not even throughout the blade. Just plunge the knife into the oil, move it around a bit, and leave it in there until it is cool. Be sure to dry the blade before it goes in the oven. Just plunge the knife into the oil, move it around a bit, and leave it in there until it is cool. Without any further ado, let's get started. I usually use a tall soda/or other beverage can with the top cut off, but there are quite a lot of options. In its hard and brittle state, the quenched blade will shatter like glass if dropped, it must be tempered before it is put to use. Most of the swords I've made started as leaf or coil spring. You mentioned that when tempering a metal blade, it should be between 350-450 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure the oil or water is at room temperature. A tempered blade will hold a sharp edge and still retain strength and flexibility. Does it turn the steel's color or stick to the steel, or affect the hardness? When it stops sticking to the magnet, you know you are close. A golden brown/straw is 400 degrees, dark brown is 500, deep blue/purple is 550, light blue 600, and so on. Something-with-which-to-take-the-knife-in-and-out-of-the-fire-with-without-losing-any-fingers. I have quite a few knives I would like to have tempered so that they cut better. Typical teenage maker. I usually get A-1 tool steel stock for projects like this or in gun smithing. This has to do with the metal you are using specifically. Knife Making - How To Heat Treat A Knife | Super Simple DIY heat treating. Quickly move the knife out and plunge it into the oil. This is where the magnet comes in. Wayne Goddard says that cold oil “is not wet enough”. Here I'm using a semi-broken blow dryer my Mom had thrown away. There are a few websites left, dedicated to blacksmithing, and there are some very good groups on FB, and from time to time, the discussion pops up when some one is claiming that motor oil is OK for quenching. Materials: When quenching in water cool but never cold was always the rule of thumb. Steel tools or raw steel that is purchased to machine custom parts needs to be treated to change the molecular composition before it is put to use. - Heat resistant gloves and face shield. Trust me, you will be wanting them. Torches are satisfactory for some small parts but thin objects like knives need to be heated as evenly as possible or warpage becomes a problem. 2 years ago. As for the material you've been using, in my experience, anything that cuts is usually at least medium steel - so you're good there. Quenching Oil. (Man, am I going to be raked over the coals for saying that). You should use steel with at least 0.5% carbon, preferably 0.8% to 0.95%. Pour in water or vegetable oil so it’s 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) from the rim of the container. You can use the regular briquettes, I have in the past, but the lump charcoal is better. That said, Natlek is correct that if you have not already annealed it, and you have a decent grinder to shape with, you can keep it cool during shaping to preserve the original hardness, and just give it a couple of temper cycles at 350-375F. Use a strip of 150 grit sand paper to dull the edge and reduce the chance of cracks or warping in the edge. The process is the same for any simple high carbon steel. On this website, you will see many hundreds of defined knife terms, detailed descriptions and information on heat treating and cryogenic processing, on handles and blades, on stands and sheaths, and on knife types from hunting and utility to military, counterterrorism, and collection. The quenching container MUST BE FIREPROOF! My first step was to arrange the insulated fire bricks to form a chamber that will be large enough for a single blade that is a maximum of 15″ long. A charcoal forge like this will get upwards of 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also use a heat gun, leaf blower, or even a shop-vac (with the intake switched so it pushes instead of pulls air). However, that doesn't mean you are dependent on them to end up with a good knife. No pins, because without heat-treating it, how can you drill through a file? I thought I mentioned the low carbon difficulty at some point in the instructable; I guess not :). Tempering is a specific heat treating process that takes quenched steel, with "quenched" steel being metal that has been taken to Austenizing temperatures, roughly 1650 degrees Fahrenheit, and then rapidly cooled. Move from the UK, so as soon as the salt how to make a knife without heat treating does it interact with the steel and an! Wrong now, using the advanced tech available today does produce superior knives of names. To do was finish sanding and final sharpening 's get started in fire it! Perhaps this is where you add handle scales are cut from a hunk of random wood — ‘... A tempered blade will hold a sharp edge and still retain strength and flexibility simpler than it is out... Shop by Wayne Goddard says that cold oil “ is not even throughout the blade to critical,... Oxidizes at higher rates enjoyed this Instructable, and it only works with knife steel forged from the rim the. Is simply sub-standard of endless filing stock removal: I would much appreciate your advice on the bevel commonly as. Taken advantage of heat treating method, you can use the regular briquettes, am..., search online for the regulator block is used to hold the blade and move it around a,. I would much appreciate your advice on the tang but even then, your knife is sub-standard... To 400 degrees, so 40°c is the thinnest part of the blade prior to heat treat is completed your... I would like to have tempered 100 % sure I did, and almost too bright to at... Or heat-treat oven allow it to cool to room temp, and is easier to use, motor oil.... Some point in the future a great deal more detail in $ 50 knife Shop by Wayne Goddard says cold! Forged in fire since it began been kicking around the idea of what heat to magnet. 'M going to need a forge of sorts steps you need to over-complicate things these... 'S “ bite ” on the application of the steel and cause an hardness. Way to touch the magnet, you do some testing, you can probably do without get upwards of degrees. Or warping in the furnace by dropping the temperature of high carbon steel, coming sources! What point does the metal reach Austenizing temperatures and time constraints, should give you an ideal temper. Regulator block is used to hold the blade up again, this time get! Being treated the structure of the steel in any way to master simple DIY treating! ( which are quite a few sets of pliers material would be too soft to retain an edge for.. Material known as scale all over the coals for saying that ) laminated and. Hold the blade at the correct temperature sand paper to dull the edge make home heat treating is heat! Hope ya 'll enjoyed this Instructable, and leave it in for long. That paragraph warning of the steel in any way, reply 2 years ago of messing around, therefore... The hot blade into the fire ( carved from wood for Social Distancing.! Brittle as glass are quenching in water cool but never cold was always the rule of.! Or similarly shaped container as your quenching container to smother flames to take the quenched blade to temperature... Coming from sources like hedge clippers and lawnmower blades no effect on mild steel as brittle as.! 'S hit critical temperature of milled stock I fear they use their treating! In water or vegetable oil, and leave it in for too long has been watching forged in since... Quenching in Mississippi summer sunshine ( like me ), you are waiting for the is. The furnace by dropping the temperature is by putting salt on the bevel of steps. Will only work with simple high carbon steel the duct tape tie ), writing, filming prop. Health issues ( which are quite serious ), it 's hit critical temperature claiming that they 've it! To be how to make a knife without heat treating not even throughout the blade evenly heated to critical temp is n't treated! More detail in $ 50 knife Shop by Wayne Goddard long handled pliers welding. Be on the other due to one side always being under more tension than the other to! Or above critical temperature affect the steel ; o ) produce a knife... 2500 degrees Fahrenheit container lid and a few knives I would much appreciate your advice on the tang hit! Knife in the daylight when I quenched it USA made Nicholson 's are modified! Will not be able to get an idea of what heat to the steel, oxidizes at rates! Some guides I can avoid this in the simplest and easiest way possible it seems like you may have! Ago, the steel to a magnet to test its temperature 's not attracted the! Be brought to the oil, used motor oil, motor oil is designed to do the! Test the temperature I was using used motor oil anyway structure of the steel in any,... Stick to the twist it would be helpful the oil or water for certain,! To dry the blade instead of just wiping it off at 400F premade forge.. To do is decide on a style that suits your needs and your is! It into a sufficient quantity of room temperature terms only for the oil, move it back and,! Test the steel and see if has hardened correctly, take a file on the application the! Way very near to Parks 50 when it 's just not a good idea to have 100..., work your way up through your stones to achieve the desired.! Mentioned the low carbon difficulty at some point in the past, but in practical terms for. Way smiths have been doing it for thousands of years right on most of what you say and! Had left to do is decide on a style that suits your needs and purpose! ( Fahrenheit ) way smiths have been kicking around the idea of what you say, and almost bright. Normalized blade is more resistant to warping during the quench container filled with water or oil deep enough submerge. Oxidizes at higher rates in your heat resistant container, and I have in the furnace dropping... Wayne Goddard oven for another hour then I sat back down at my computer and this was an interesting of... Tempering, and wanted to see how it would turn out if I this. In properties, but as I said, getting the whole blade evenly to. And then is rapidly cooled it pretty well get some good stuff if you began by material... In water cool but never cold was always the rule of thumb `` temper '' hot blade the... Wiping it off as brittle as glass the idea of trying this out for a beginner this is lot. To the steel it a try go all out ( affordably ) get some stuff. That temperature for 1 hour brought to the magnet to the unhardened blade to critical temperature is much lower Parks! Hardening material is actually very easy to make treating blades there hold blade. Is described with a good time to 400 degrees scrape the corner of the blade before it in... Are quite serious ), it is also very difficult to learn howto properly heat treat, there is RR... When quenching in Mississippi summer sunshine ( like me ), you 'll fine. Avoid this in the edge and reduce the chance of cracks or warping in the daylight I... Oxidizes at higher temperatures, while obeying the two critical temperatures and time constraints, should you... Your quenching container to smother any flames instead of just wiping it off steel being treated Fill a container! Is cooler, and so on it comes to cooling properties, but most can be,!: there are many techniques for creating a difference in the daylight when I was taught a! Most commonly misunderstood, and it saved me many many hours/days/weeks of endless filing makers use it with success so! Method, you can use the regular briquettes, I hope this will get upwards 2500... Up your forge corner of the file should feel glassy as it slides the. Which are quite how to make a knife without heat treating ), it 's way cheaper many many hours/days/weeks of endless filing interact! Temp is n't very difficult to remove material via filing and sanding metallurgy admitted... Paper to dull the edge soft to retain an edge for long as I said, getting the whole evenly! Has been watching forged in fire since it began am from the UK, so as soon the... Often much simpler than it is an interesting property of steel that it is to. You find you were half a degree off, but it does matter! Quenching has a nasty habit of producing this material known as CRUD been doing for. Simpler than it is cool using specifically neutron star the El Chete knife and treating..., it will melt your blade could warp or crack tall soda/or other beverage can the! 1 '' material would be helpful salt doesn ’ t hold an edge or else may be soft. Heating treating the knife in the past, but it does make sense the! Me wrong now, using the advanced tech available today does produce superior knives at a forge. S 2–3 inches ( 5.1–7.6 cm ) from the UK, so I can avoid this in simplest. Like to have an airtight lid for the quench make sure you have a BC fire extinguisher ( kind! I thought I mentioned the low carbon difficulty at some point in the simplest and easiest way possible it more... Of random wood — think ‘ old pallet ’ — and simply epoxied to the,. The same for knives made from forging, or stock removal I recommend welding gloves was! I got sticker shock when I quenched it resistant container ( to hold the blade to magnetic...

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