01 Not Hardening. Help.

C

cartierusm

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Feb 23, 2017
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So I'm new to all this. I have a used, but perfect condition Evenheat with TAP touchscreen. I made some jigs with 01 Tool steel and it doesn't seem hard.

I took the tool steel from the package, drilled some holes then put it in a cold oven with the following program:
Heat no faster 400F per hour, soak at 1350F for 5 minutes, then continue to heat to 1500F and soak for 30 mintues.

Then quench in room temp parks 50. The only deviation from what I read online is having the quench oil at 150-400F, which I forgot about. All my Rc Files dig into the piece.

Anyone have any suggestions? I've successfully harden A2 in the same oven.
 
Ok so I sanded one side on a 80 grit 6x48 belt sander and the files still seems to dig in. It does kind of slide in a few places, but will dig in if you push a little. We're only talking a piece 3/8" x 3" x 1 1/2" O1.
 
Ramp to 1250 at full speed. Soak for ten minutes (put the blade in at 1250. Ramp at full speed to 1475. Soak for 10 minutes. Quench in medium speed oil.
 
Think about your 400/hr ramp. The steel was in the oven for three hours before it got to 1350, then another half hour to get to 1500F, then a 30 minute soak. There is probably a thick decarb layer on the steel. Ramp to 1350 at 9999, then ramp to 1500 at 5000. Soak for 15 to 30 minutes, then quench in 130 canola oil or 140F Parks (Parks is normally a bit fast for O-1, but warm Parks quenches slower than room temp)

Grind q good bit off ( .010") and see what you get.

FWIW, hardness files are pretty poor for determining hardness.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
.... then quench in ........140F Parks (Parks is normally a bit fast for O-1, but warm Parks quenches slower than room temp)

.......
Click to expand...

I'm not sure this info is correct. The technical data from Parks on parks 50 never mentions exceeding 120F and lists 120F as the upper limit. They also state that the oil is as effective at 50F as it is 120F, and specifically list that as a benefit of the oil for those heat treaters that don't have heated quench tanks.

It has a much lower flashpoint than most other oils that we would use for quenching so I would keep the oil no warmer than necessary to get the results I wanted. Personally, I would never use parks 50 at 140F.
 
Thanks for pointing that out. I should have just told him to use a different quenchant.

I was going with the oil he said he had. I agree that Parks should be used at room temperature. It does quench a bit slower at 130-140F, but that isn't how it is supposed to be used.

He should get a medium speed oil or use canola for his O-1. These should be used at 120-130F.

I re-read his post and now see that he doesn't quite understand the temperatures. The stuff he read online about having the oil at 150F to 400F is not right.
 
This is not knife, but a jig I built so grinding off that much wouldn't be good. I went ahead and tempered it and I'll use it as is. I figure that my A2 hardened so the oven must be fine; no reason for it not to be.
 
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