5160 Question

Mitchell Knives

Mitchell Knives

Knifemaker
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May 21, 2000
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I've used 5160 before, but I've always done a standard double sided grind prior to HT. I've never had any issues with warping.

I'm going to make a chisel ground blade from 5160 in the near future, but I'm a bit concerned about warping. Anything I chisel grind prior to HT seems to warp.

Can 5160 be properly hardened if it is unground? I'm not sure if 5160 is a shallow hardening steel or not.

Thanks!
 
5160 is quite deep hardening steel, thanks to chrome content, and is pretty warp resistant.
 
If it does, straighten by hand within a few minutes out of the quench.
 
Yes 5160 can be hardened in full thick state. Since a chisel grind is pretty simple, shape the blade then harden then grind bevel. If you do grind first and HT and it does warp, the straightening needs to be done before it drops below 400F. It is still very pliable and can be moved really easy.
 
AaronJAnderson said:
Did you do this? How did it turn out?
Click to expand...

I went ahead and chisel ground the blade prior to HT. I left the edge a little thicker than normal. Quenched in McMaster Carr 11 second oil. No warp or any other issues. I also tried quenching in water just to see what would happen. (I know that 5160 calls for oil.) Still no warp or cracks.

Just leave the edge a bit thicker than normal, and you should be OK.
 
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