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1095 heat treat ???
- Thread starter John L
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Your quench tank is more than four feet from your HT oven? 
Howie
Howie
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After counseling with Roger (rlinger) the other day, I HT'ed some 1095/15n20. He cautioned me about the short time also. I had my oven, and quench tank within 2 feet of each other. After the proper soak, I popped open the door, locked onto the blade, and right into the oil. I bet that the time from the Evenheat, to the oil was less than one second. Not hard to do, just sounds that way 
BTW Roger, many thanks, the steel had a Rockwell hardness (this isn't the proper way to display the hardness) of 61.
On another note, you need to get it into your tempering oven fairly soon also, in fact, before the temp of the steel gets much past hand touchable.
BTW Roger, many thanks, the steel had a Rockwell hardness (this isn't the proper way to display the hardness) of 61.On another note, you need to get it into your tempering oven fairly soon also, in fact, before the temp of the steel gets much past hand touchable.
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I dont know where you read the .6 second thing but it should go swiftly. Get the quench tank within a few feet away from the heat source and practice several times first. It should be one nice smooth action. Be sure the hot blade doesnt touch the anything while at this heat because it will bend very easily. I have bent the tip on more than one and had to redo them.
Sando
Knife Maker
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BTW When you hear those quench times from the TTT diagrams, it's not refering to the time between the oven and the oil (although that's a major factor).
It's refering (in broad, general terms) to the speed of getting from the lowest austenite temp to the upper martensite temp. In other words from about 1500 degrees to 400 degrees. So that speed refers more to the cooling rate of the quench.
Of course if you heat the steel to the minimum austenite temp, it will get below that temp before you make it into the quenching medium - ruining the process. So you want the tank close enough to minimize the time, and you want to heat it enough so it's still in austenite when it hits the oil.
I'll try and describe it like this. Say your quench tank is all the way across the room. As long as that blade is still over 1500 degrees (or 1400 or ... depending on steel) when it hits that oil it will harden. So, you could heat the steel to 2000 walk across the room and quench. It will work. (The problem is grain size - you'll have an awful knife if you do it that way.) But I think you see what I mean.
Steve
It's refering (in broad, general terms) to the speed of getting from the lowest austenite temp to the upper martensite temp. In other words from about 1500 degrees to 400 degrees. So that speed refers more to the cooling rate of the quench.
Of course if you heat the steel to the minimum austenite temp, it will get below that temp before you make it into the quenching medium - ruining the process. So you want the tank close enough to minimize the time, and you want to heat it enough so it's still in austenite when it hits the oil.
I'll try and describe it like this. Say your quench tank is all the way across the room. As long as that blade is still over 1500 degrees (or 1400 or ... depending on steel) when it hits that oil it will harden. So, you could heat the steel to 2000 walk across the room and quench. It will work. (The problem is grain size - you'll have an awful knife if you do it that way.) But I think you see what I mean.
Steve
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Yeah, what they all said. I use 1095 and 15N20 and heat treat it like it is 1095. I austenize at 1550° and then quench into warm oil. My quench tanks is only a foot away from my salt pot. What you have to worry about is getting past the nose on the TTT curve in time so you don't form any "other stuff." So for 1095 you need to go from austenizing temp (1400°) down to around 1000° in less than a second.
Here is the TTT curve:
Here is the TTT curve:
Sando
Knife Maker
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- Jul 4, 2002
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Thanks Sean! I was looking for the chart and couldn't find them.
That chart shows the precise temps and times for 1095. I was talking in general terms.
Point again being that the key to hardening is to get it into the oil (or water) while the steel is still above 1400. You can heat to 1700 or 1800 first to buy time. However, the results are inferior. So heat to just far enough above that A line, so it doesn't cool to below that line on the way to the oil. Then trust the oil to get it from 1400 to 1000 (like Sean says for 1095).
Steve
That chart shows the precise temps and times for 1095. I was talking in general terms.
Point again being that the key to hardening is to get it into the oil (or water) while the steel is still above 1400. You can heat to 1700 or 1800 first to buy time. However, the results are inferior. So heat to just far enough above that A line, so it doesn't cool to below that line on the way to the oil. Then trust the oil to get it from 1400 to 1000 (like Sean says for 1095).
Steve
If complying with the book 61 HRc after 400 F temper should be about right for 1095. I am guessing about 1 second is as fast as I have been able to do. I suggest as Bruce does: arrange yourself and quench in such a position as not to have to take any foot steps between oven and quench (a good practice for any steels we use).
RL
RL