Advice need on makeshift kiln idea

[cesnyderces]

So, I'm deployed to Afghanistan. I'm in the process of shaping several knives out of O-1 and D-2. I have a multitool attached to a grinder, and a tormek t-7 both of which have done very well IMO in turning out these knives. When finished, naturally, I'll need to harden these. I have access to propane and oxy acetylene. A friend of mine use acetylene to harden his, which seemed to work, but didn't seem to heat evenly. I'd like to do the same, but improve the results if possible. Without access to a decent kiln, my idea would be to take a 6 inch wide steel tube, cut it in half and weld a few narrow bars for a place to rest the knife on. The theory being that the half round of pipe would deflect more of the heat back on to the knife instead of wasting it into the surrounding space. Hopefully, this would allow more even heating too. Would this be a good idea, wasting my time or can I improve it? I'm looking forward to getting back to the states, so I can purchase a real kiln.

 

[Justin King]

You might try it with the pipe intact first. If you angle the torch into it just right you might be able to create a swirling vortex that runs the length of the pipe, which in turn might help you heat the blade more evenly. I would experiment with a piece of scrap and see what configuration will work best for you.
Wish I could offer more advice, I have not done much HT'ing with a torch so I can't give very pointed answers but I wish you the best. There have been a couple of other deployed fellows on here, it's cool to see some of you guys crackin' at knives while on deployment. We should start a support program, care packages with knifemaking supplies...

 

[cesnyderces]

Thanks, I"ll post some pic of the knife and how the rest of the treat goes. Your vortex idea makes sense, I'll give that a go. I just read a post mentioning a coffee can forge, if I'd seen that sooner, I'd have had the parts for one shipped here. Next deployment, I'll see about bringing all the proper tools for knife making. Cheers!

Charles