All of the secrets of Japanese HT revealed

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BTW I didn't mention it in the previous message but it's a very nice looking piece. :)
 
Thanks! The small ones are my Tactical Orange Peelers. The big one is Kohai's Tactical Grapefruit Peeler. Pics will be up of that post-weekend.
 
Thanks for posting the method, I'm planning on trying this on the blade I'm currently working on (7" x 3/16" flat ground bowie using 1095). Found some similar (I hope) furnace cement at Ace Hardware, supposedly good for 2700 deg F, 8 oz plastic tub about $5.

Haven't seen anybody mention using a torch to do this yet, but I'm going to try it instead of a furnace or oven (since I don't have those anyway). Hope I don't blow the whole thing, but it seems worth a try. Besides, if I screw it up I can blame it on being a newbie. The trick may be holding a steady temp just above non-magnetic for 10+ seconds.

Would I get an even more distinct temper line by torching only the exposed steel, or should I go ahead and heat the entire blade/clay anyway?
 
Hey, good luck. As for the cement, once I started using Satanite, I'll never use that furnace cement again. It is easier to use than Satanite, but my temper lines are a lot more interesting with Satanite. You can do a decent job with the method I listed, but Satanite is better and for some pretty low cha ching you can get a lifetime supply from Ellis.

Now, as far as using a torch, good luck. You're going to have a hell of a time, with any gas, getting a 7"x3/16" blade to critical, and keeping it there, with a clay coat. Definitely not with propane and probably not with whatever gas is in the yellow containers. OA may get you there, but even then I'd be surprised.

Do a search for some of my past posts. Around this time last year and a little later you'll see a lot of 1095 metallurgy stuff. You can caveman 1095 and make pretty good knives, but it really does better at precisely controlled temperatures and with precision soak times, etc. Like I said, you can caveman it, which is what I have done for years, but it can be handled better. I highly doubt, though, that you're going to get that knife up to temp with a torch. You really need a simple forge at least. GO to Dave Ellis's site and see all of the forge plans. I made a little forge and posted a tutorial there that uses about $30 worth of stuff.
 
The trick may be holding a steady temp just above non-magnetic for 10+ seconds.
Click to expand...
try for 5-10 min's not seconds also
Steve is right with the OA I've done a lot of HT with it but to do a 7" blade with coating you want to have a lot of practice at it..with a big OA out-put
and a big Rosebud, but where I have an oven also I'd use it on anything over 6" for clay
I've been threaten to use Porcelain slip it's here I just need to do it..
it's cheap too..
look here if interested..
http://p222.ezboard.com/fprimalfiresfrm19.showMessage?topicID=605.topic
 
I now soak at a low temp, like 1400, for 5 mins, then ramp to 1435, hold for 4 mins, then quench. The lst 5 blades ive done using that have looked smokin'!
 
Thanks for the info, guys. Well, I have Oxy/Acet and a big rosebud. The hardness seems to come out pretty close to what I want, but I always end up with plenty of scale to clean off and usually some graininess left, too. I appreciate the info on the homebrew forge, I think I'll see if I can put one together that I can at least heat treat with.
Jerry
 
hello there i has been trying to get hamon in1095 but still impossible the question is: is mandatory to quench the 1095 in oil to get the hamon or I can use water please help me my knifemakin knowledge sucks sometimes
 
you can quench 1095 in water, but you stand a much greater chance of cracking blades in water as compared to oil.
 
If you are going to quench 1095 in water, normalize it a couple times before and do not overheat it when you are ready to quench.
 
The 2 blades of 1095 that I quenched in water both cracked. The blades I quenched in motor oil didn't harden as fully as I wanted them to. The blades that I've quenched in ATF (automatic transmission fluid) have had a nice post-heat hardness to them... bottom line, I've had lots o' bad luck quenching 1095 in water.
 
Trout Tamer said:
The 2 blades of 1095 that I quenched in water both cracked. The blades I quenched in motor oil didn't harden as fully as I wanted them to. The blades that I've quenched in ATF (automatic transmission fluid) have had a nice post-heat hardness to them... bottom line, I've had lots o' bad luck quenching 1095 in water.
Click to expand...

water is ok to use but you need to know how to do it, you can't in many cases just stick it there and leave it..to help you with water try a salt brine this will slow the quench down some..
motor is to slow for 1095
veggie oil is a bit slow and varying.
or get an oil made for the speed needed for 1095
I've just started using tuff quench for 1095..but use it warm for at least 1095
 
Dan,
When you say that you use tuff quench cold for 1095, Why is that? I thought that increasing the temperature of the quenching solution decreased viscosity and so gave a better quench than when cold. Not knocking what you're doin just would like to hear your reasoning for my own clarification.
Matt Doyle
 
Matt sorry I'm glad you caught me on that...

Tuff quench is not (by it's label ) for 1095,and air cooled steel, and is meant to be used cold on other steels.
but use it warmed for at least the 1095

I need to change what I posted..
like said I've just started using it and I got mixed up on what Brownells told me.
they say use it cold
and it was ok for 1095 ,
I called them because the can says not for 1095 and the guy I talked to uses it himself on 1095 and says he uses it cold..:confused: I should have said the can says use cold but use warmed for 1095...
no I heat it to 120F to make it faster.. thanks
 
These are so nice. I have been out of the Art for awhile and I'm getting back in. I was on a deployement and such and I'm being asked to make a knife as a military gift. This is exactly what I want to accomplish and have tried to do with refactory cement I got at ACE. I remember doing the wrap with wire, and it just didnt work out perfectly. Unfortunatly I feel like I have to re-learn everything so I am going through all my books and saying "Oh yea, I forgot about that". Bad thing is all the little stuff never made it through the move. I have my forge and KMG, but no drill bits, no files, you know, ALL that little stuff is gone. It sucks because it adds up. But I'm really happy I have a new home and can build my small work area the way I want it.

Thanks for posting these pics because this is such a great resource.
 
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