1075 and 1084 heat treat

StrangeDaze

StrangeDaze

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I am finally able to get back into making blades and have ordered 1075 and 1084 stock from NJSB. I finally have a temperature gun so i can get better heat treat and am looking for a solid process for maximum hardness and then temper it down. I will be doing stock removal and am using a propane forge. I am going to try out a diff heat treat on the 1075 most likely.
If anyone wants to share the process they use or links to resources please post!
 
jdm61 said:
1500/400F through harden.
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Is that for 1075, 1084 or both? I want to put a hamon on the 1075 blades, are you saying to not do that and just harden it through? Or to harden it theough and put the clay on the edge during temper (i was going to put it on the spine and put it in the forge during the quenching process)
 
Meshach said:
Is that for 1075, 1084 or both? I want to put a hamon on the 1075 blades, are you saying to not do that and just harden it through? Or to harden it theough and put the clay on the edge during temper (i was going to put it on the spine and put it in the forge during the quenching process)
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Clay is fine for 1075. 1084 has a bit too much manganese. I thought you were referring to edge quenching.
 
You can clay quench 1084 as well, and get a hamon line. There just isn't a lot of activity in the hamon. 1500 quench /400 temper is a good starting point for both of those steels... Depending on the type of knife you're working on.
 
jdm61 said:
Clay is fine for 1075. 1084 has a bit too much manganese. I thought you were referring to edge quenching.
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S.Alexander said:
You can clay quench 1084 as well, and get a hamon line. There just isn't a lot of activity in the hamon. 1500 quench /400 temper is a good starting point for both of those steels... Depending on the type of knife you're working on.
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Thanks guys! And i guess i need to normalize before quenching? So if i soak at 1500 for 5 minutes and let cool 3 times it should be ok? Or should i scale down the temp each time; 1500, 1450, 1400. And then bring it back to soak at 1500 then quench?
 
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Normalizing performs a different operation than "thermal cycling". Normalizing is not needed if you're simply doing stock removal, those 2 steels from Aldo are ready to harden (so I've been told). Normalizing temp for those 2 steels is around 1600F, and is necessary for forged blades, or steels that are heavily spheroidized (Aldo's 1084 and 1075 aren't heavily spheroidized....so I've been told). If you wanted to "thermal cycle" them, then you can follow the temps you mentioned. I do descending heats, and again for those 2 steels, the 1500, 1450, 1400 will work well. This is done to allow for a finer aus grain (Normalizing is not about finer aus grain...but rather carbides and a few other things).
 
samuraistuart said:
Normalizing performs a different operation than "thermal cycling". Normalizing is not needed if you're simply doing stock removal, those 2 steels from Aldo are ready to harden (so I've been told). Normalizing temp for those 2 steels is around 1600F, and is necessary for forged blades, or steels that are heavily spheroidized (Aldo's 1084 and 1075 aren't heavily spheroidized....so I've been told). If you wanted to "thermal cycle" them, then you can follow the temps you mentioned. I do descending heats, and again for those 2 steels, the 1500, 1450, 1400 will work well. This is done to allow for a finer aus grain (Normalizing is not about finer aus grain...but rather carbides and a few other things).
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Thank you, that makes allot of sense. I thought i read on a post somewhere that it was spheroidized. The website says its %95 spheroidized. Im not sure what that means exactly
 
Some batches of 1084 were highly spheroidized. It's best to call Aldo and ask him about the current supply.
 
Willie71 said:
Some batches of 1084 were highly spheroidized. It's best to call Aldo and ask him about the current supply.
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Will do. But is there any harm in normalizing if it isnt highly spheroidized? And when would you perform the normalization? I would think it would go: normalize, thermal cycle, quench
 
No harm from normalizing/thermal cycling, other than a bit of decarb. Normalize first, then thermal cycle, then austentize/quench.
 
Willie71 said:
Some batches of 1084 were highly spheroidized. It's best to call Aldo and ask him about the current supply.
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yea like some of the 80crv2. Its coarse spheroidized and has to be thermal cycled to HT correctly. Used a lot of 1084 and 1075. Both good steels. They don't get the press that many steels get but Id carry a knife properly made from either any day.
 
Would anyone suggest quenching the whole knife (tang included) or just the blade?
 
I normalize and cycle everything from Aldo. Way easier than trying to figure out which batch is which. I wish he would quit with the coarse spherodized stuff as I don't see the benefit. It's just more work to normalize and cycle.
 
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kuraki said:
I normalize and cycle everything from Aldo. Way easier than trying to figure out which batch is which. I wish he would quit with the coarse spherodized stuff as I don't see the benefit. It's just more work to normalize and cycle.
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I just read up a little on what spherodizing is and it sounds like its to make it easier to shape.
 
It's easier to machine but only slightly. Not worth the extra work in heat treating but that's just my opinion. 10xx is pretty easy to machine in every state but hardened.
 
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