Batching O-1 blades in Electric Kiln?

PocketEdge

PocketEdge

Joined
Dec 23, 2008
Messages
566
I have been making all my O-1 tool steel small slipjoint blades one at a time in my Evenheat. Keeping in mind how quickly I must plunge in oil, I have allways done one blade at a time. However, considering how much time and electricity I would save if I could do four at a time, I wondered how this might effect the quality. I'm wondering if I kept the kiln on (as I do now), open the door for the two seconds it takes to remove a blade, close the door, quench and 3 minutes later retreave the next one and so on.

The blades would have allready had the 15 minute soak but after I got to the fourth blade It would have been there for 24 minutes and had the heat level interrupted three times. These are little 3" blades, they loose temp fast so I have always thought it best to do one at a time. I just wondered if anyone is quenching multiple blades with success? I would love to hear from you experts if this would be acceptable.

Thanks!!
 
Could you "string" them together through the pivots holes on a piece of thin steel rod, perhaps with a spacer between each blade and pull them out/quench them all together?
 
I always did batching with my O1 and A2 folder blades and springs, I practiced getting the door open, grab and close and really did not see a temp difference. I have very long pliers and keep the blade away from the door.
 
Just take them out one at a time and quench. The time between blades will be more than long enough to restore any dip in the blade temperature.

Also, the pearlite nose for O-1 is 9 seconds. There is no mad rush needed to get the blade into the oil. As long as he blade drops from above 1350°F to below 900°F in nine seconds, all is good.
 
Should work fine. My kiln drops about 30f when I pull a blade out to quench. It only takes a minute or two for the kiln to equalize, and the blades probably don't even lose that much heat. The great thing about O1 is that it likes a good soak anyway. And since you're using a kiln with good temperature control, you don't have to worry about overheating or grain growth. You could soak your O1 for 2 hours if you wanted and not have any issues.

--nathan
 
You are okay to batch several blades at a time. It helps to have thermal mass in the kiln.(I line the floor with 1/4" mild plate) I am wondering why you are 3mins between quenches? What are you doing for the remaining 2min, 50sec after the quench?:)
 
Guys.. thanks very much for your help!! Rick I usually spend two minutes celebrating a new knife birth but I could wait untill they are all out of the kiln!! Thanks again!
 
Rick Marchand said:
You are okay to batch several blades at a time. It helps to have thermal mass in the kiln.(I line the floor with 1/4" mild plate) I am wondering why you are 3mins between quenches? What are you doing for the remaining 2min, 50sec after the quench?:)
Click to expand...

Rick, if it was me , I'd be checking for straight and correcting if necessary.
 
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