1080, heat treating with a torch

C

Chevyboy

Joined
Nov 14, 2016
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9
Hello, I am young and am looking to make a knife (for the first time) out of 1080 steel, the only problem is that I don't have a forge and I'm not sure that my parents would appriciate the building of one. Tihis led me to consider using a propane torch; however, I have no idea and haven't found much on how this would work. That leads me to asking the question, how would someone go about heat treating a piece of 1080 steel using a propane torch for heat and vegetable oil for the quenching fluid? Thank you.
 
It may be difficult to get a consistant heat treat with a torch. But hey if its the best you can do i say go for it. And vegetable oil would work fine i believe. I dont work with 1080 much but from what i know you should be okay
 
I am only working on my second knife, but after trying to heat treat my first with a propane torch, it convinced me that I needed to make at least a little two firebrick forge to continue with this hobby... The blade length was a little under 5 1/2 inches but it was almost impossible to get the whole thing to consistent color/temperature with just one torch. I would say to either try MAPP fuel if your torch can use it, or even better two torches pointed towards each other and just heating the edge back and forth. If you're just making a little 2 or 3 inch blade you might get away with just the one torch heating just the edge. I used a gallon of canola oil to quench and was plesantly surprised to have the blade skate a file... BUT never again until I make the little forge!

If you google, you can find some people heat treat with charcoal fire with an air blower, you might get away without the blower if your charcoal/fuel is hot enough. Hopefully somebody way more experienced than me will probably drop by with some real knowledge... Good luck, it's a lot of fun! :)
 
milkbaby said:
I am only working on my second knife, but after trying to heat treat my first with a propane torch, it convinced me that I needed to make at least a little two firebrick forge to continue with this hobby... The blade length was a little under 5 1/2 inches but it was almost impossible to get the whole thing to consistent color/temperature with just one torch. I would say to either try MAPP fuel if your torch can use it, or even better two torches pointed towards each other and just heating the edge back and forth. If you're just making a little 2 or 3 inch blade you might get away with just the one torch heating just the edge. I used a gallon of canola oil to quench and was plesantly surprised to have the blade skate a file... BUT never again until I make the little forge!

If you google, you can find some people heat treat with charcoal fire with an air blower, you might get away without the blower if your charcoal/fuel is hot enough. Hopefully somebody way more experienced than me will probably drop by with some real knowledge... Good luck, it's a lot of fun! :)
Click to expand...
I had the same issue when starting out. But im not sure the size of the blade he plans on making
 
Must read: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...eat-Treatment-Sticky-find-HT-discussions-here

Youtube video of torch only HT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iKPgISRATM

Two brick forge: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/920120-Virtual-BBQ-2-Brick-Forge-WIP
More two brick: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1029490-Two-brick-forge-advice

Your parents might not mind the little two brick forge? I'm planning to make mine a little differently than in the WIP linked above, but similarly simple.
 
milkbaby said:
Must read: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...eat-Treatment-Sticky-find-HT-discussions-here

Youtube video of torch only HT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iKPgISRATM

Two brick forge: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/920120-Virtual-BBQ-2-Brick-Forge-WIP
More two brick: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1029490-Two-brick-forge-advice

Your parents might not mind the little two brick forge? I'm planning to make mine a little differently than in the WIP linked above, but similarly simple.
Click to expand...
If your knife is small enough go for it i think
 
Chevyboy said:
Hello, I am young and am looking to make a knife (for the first time) out of 1080 steel, the only problem is that I don't have a forge and I'm not sure that my parents would appriciate the building of one. Tihis led me to consider using a propane torch; however, I have no idea and haven't found much on how this would work. That leads me to asking the question, how would someone go about heat treating a piece of 1080 steel using a propane torch for heat and vegetable oil for the quenching fluid? Thank you.
Click to expand...
Look up soupcan forge on youtube its really small and cheap. You can use your torch too
 
Chevyboy,
Investigate "Differential" heat treating of blades. You can achieve excellent results with a torch using this process. However, while I have done so with an Oxypropane setup, I have not tried it with just a propane torch. You might want to pick up a disposable tank of Mapp gas at the hardware store. Just remember to "paint" the heat to the blade with lighting that you can see the color of the blade well, and have a magnet handy to make sure you are achieving a non-magnetic state.
 
First questions are:
How old are you? and , Do your parents know you are making a knife?

A simple knife can be made with files and sandpaper. A basic HT for 1080 is heating it to just a bit above non-magnetic and quenching in a gallon of canola oil. A propane torch will work if it is a good one. Using MAPP gas instead of propane canisters will get a bit more heat. Placing some fire bricks together to make a "U" tunnel to trap the heat a bit an playing the torch over the edge area of the blade mostly will get a small knife up to the 1450°F needed to harden in the quench. A magnet will stop sticking to the blade just a bit before this temperature ( around 1435°F).
 
The size of the blade will be just over 4 inches, and yes my parents do know. Thank you very much, you've really helped
 
That is a good age to learn at. Get your folks on board to help you.
Fill out your profile so a nearby smith can offer some help and perhaps a shop visit to you and one of your parents.

I started at 11, but had no internet, no other knifemakers, and no books to read beyond a few blacksmithing books. It was many years before I made a decent knife. I was fifty when I got back into it and made what I would today call good knives.

Today, with places like Blade forums and You Tube, a new maker has hundreds of thousands of reference materials to choose from. Take advantage of all these and ask questions before you do things, This avoids you making the mistakes that many of us have already learned from.
 
If you want.
Start a new thread here with drawings and progress of your knife. Mail it to me and I will Heat treat it for you and mail it back.
That way if you make a really nice knife you know the heat treat is good also.
Make sure your parents approve.
Stan
 
Ok, I think I'll take that offer, thank you so much, I'll be in touch when I'm ready to heat treat.
 
I've started designing blades for the build, but I don't know how to post pictures onto blade forums using my iPad. I should be able to order my materials by this week, sorry for the long wait.
 
Download photobucket or another image hosting app and you can upload pics to that. Then you can post the link in these threads. Do some google searching if you get confused. It's easy once you do it a couple times and really helpful for guys to help you out if they can see pictures.
It also helps to put where you're from in your profile.
 
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