Contract Heat Treating Anyone?

[Col Defender]

I so enjoyed making my little knife at the gathering and finishing it up at home that I might try to make a few more - like maybe two a year or so. I know I can get all the materials on line and I have enough tools here to do everything at home except for the heat treating. I'm wondering if I were to send you some knives in progress any of you pros or other knowledgeable knife guys would be willing to heat treat a few for me once in a while and then send them back?? Of course I would pay shipping both ways and whatever you think is fair for your time and effort.

I have not started any yet and won't for a while so none of this will happen real soon -- just thinking out loud for now.

Thanks!

 

[Chameleonbear]

I keep getting referred to Peters Heat Treat (In Pennsylvania) although I haven't done anything with them personally they are probably who I will be going to for my blade when it's ready.

 

[daizee]

Peters is likely very expensive for one blade at a time.

I believe Darrin Sanders has stopped doing onesies.
Col., try posting over in Shop Talk or the services wanted section of BF. There are whole sections devoted to the making of (instead of breaking-of ) knives.

Alternately, for about $300 you can buy all you'd need to treat small-to-medium pieces of 1084. Or you can make the same for $50 if you're handy.

-Daizee

 

[james terrio]

Peters is likely very expensive for one blade at a time.

I believe Darrin Sanders has stopped doing onesies.
Col., try posting over in Shop Talk or the services wanted section of BF. There are whole sections devoted to the making of (instead of breaking-of ) knives.

Alternately, for about $300 you can buy all you'd need to treat small-to-medium pieces of 1084. Or you can make the same for $50 if you're handy.

-Daizee

What Daizee said! Stick with 1080/1084 and you can make dang good blades and do your own HT with very good results for very little money. (Seriously, a campfire/BBQ and a bucket of canola/peanut oil and your kitchen oven is all you really need to get that stuff hardened and tempered well enough to make a pretty good knife.) That's a big part of why we chose it for the grind-in. :thumbup:

 

[Col Defender]

What Daizee said! Stick with 1080/1084 and you can make dang good blades and do your own HT with very good results for very little money. (Seriously, a campfire/BBQ and a bucket of canola/peanut oil and your kitchen oven is all you really need to get that stuff hardened and tempered well enough to make a pretty good knife.) That's a big part of why we chose it for the grind-in. :thumbup:

Well that sounds great James - if I can get a blank red hot in a camp/charcoal fire, then cool it in canola oil then two one hour sessions in the oven at 400 degrees and that's all there is to it? How long do I need to cool it after quenching before I put it in the oven and how long to cool between oven sessions? I'll also look for some on line articles.

Thanks

Steve

 

[daizee]

Well that sounds great James - if I can get a blank red hot in a camp/charcoal fire, then cool it in canola oil then two one hour sessions in the oven at 400 degrees and that's all there is to it? How long do I need to cool it after quenching before I put it in the oven and how long to cool between oven sessions? I'll also look for some on line articles.

Thanks

Steve

Shop Talk covers this stuff extensively, but here's the summary:

1) Get it orange (red isn't hot enough). You can test with a magnet - it must be NON-magnetic. Make sure the magnet is easy to remove if you haven't reached critical temp yet...
1.5) move from heat to quench FAST - you need to get it from critical (1450F - orange) below 900F in ONE SECOND or it will cool with the wrong structure
2) quench it in warm (135F) canola - stab or cut the oil, do not wave side-to-side
3) Once it is at oil temp, let it cool to ambient - you can put it on something cool to speed it up (a tile or block of metal)
4) quickly put it in the tempering oven - the blade is under high stress at this point. do not wait overnight
5) cool to ambient between tempers. you can do them back-to-back.