Cryo Treating

L

longcruise

Joined
Oct 21, 2005
Messages
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Hi, this is my first post here and was wondering if anyone has tried home cryo treating blades? I'm talking on the most primitive level of course since my shop equipment is very limited and I'm just an occasional "for fun" knife maker.

I was wondering if a blade confined in a well insulated box with dry ice and left till the whole thing warms to atmosphere would come out cryo treated?
 
longcruise said:
Hi, this is my first post here and was wondering if anyone has tried home cryo treating blades? I'm talking on the most primitive level of course since my shop equipment is very limited and I'm just an occasional "for fun" knife maker.

I was wondering if a blade confined in a well insulated box with dry ice and left till the whole thing warms to atmosphere would come out cryo treated?
Click to expand...

welcome to the forum, glad to have you.
to answer your last question, yes your dry ice will work. throw in some kerosine just to make it a liquid bath and leave it for at least 6 hours. it should be good.

there are probably a billion (or a few less) threads on cryo here, give the search a go. general consensus is, it helps and it sure doesn't hurt.
 
Send it to me. I will leave it on my back porch in February when the westwind is blowing. Dry ice is hot by comparrison..... :eek: :D :D :foot:

Mike
 
Like tmickley says, dry ice and kerosene work pretty well. A few notes:

The best vessels to use are those cheapo white styrofoam beer coolers you can sometimes get at the supermarket. It's hard to find better insulation.

Line the cooler with a trash bag (-109º kerosene leaking out on your floor is bad).

If the dry ice comes wrapped in paper, don't unwrap it all the way. Just tear open a small portion of the wrapper. The kerosene will get just as cold but the dry ice will last longer.

1. Put the blades down flat in the cooler.
2. Put the dry ice in the cooler (away from the blades, if possible).
3. Cover the blades in room-temperature kerosene (this prevents "thermal shock" by cooling the blades slowly along with the kero).
4. Put the cover on and leave the whole mess somewhere without a lot of drafts or air currents.
5. Leave it until the dry ice is gone and the kerosene has warmed back above freezing.

6. Temper the parts again 25º below where you tempered them before to relieve any stress.

Hope this helps.

-Allin
 
Miden, where are you that it gets that cold? :eek:

Thanks for the tips. Sorry to aks a worn out question. I shoulda searched first.

Thought it might be a good thing to do since Texas Knifemakers makes such great claims for it. From the replies here, I oughta be able to cryo treat a bunch of blades for just a few bucks.

Thanks again.
 
Longcruise, I live in Canada. Synonomous with cold as you surely know.
I was just messing with you, no malice intended. Your posting caught my eye and I found it very interesting but had nothing to contribute so I joked with you instead, thanks for even acknowledging it.

I think every question I have asked here has been "worn out" and I have asked many. From what I have seen, there is not a topic that has not been covered many times in the forums but as you saw with the replies you got, there is always someone willing to indulge us.

I have always been enthralled with cryogenics and I learned a lot again, I always thought it can only be done with high-tech methods.

Great bunch of guys here. :thumbup:

Good luck with the freeze.

Mike
 
Yes, very helpful. I won't be freezing anything any time soon, since I want to accumulate four or five blades first and am not sure which they will be.

Thanks
 
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