D2 heat treat question

J

jimbowie7

Joined
Mar 13, 2005
Messages
90
Some people do an overnight cryo freeze after the first temper, what happens if I don't have any access to liquid nitrogen and put the knife in a freezer on a block of ice overnight instead?

-Any difference in performance?

-Or don't bother as nothing will happen?

(Weird question, I know, but just wondering).

Thanks! :p
 
The nitrogen gets to ~ -300F, dry ice -100F and the typical home freezer 0F. The freezer will do some but not much .-300F is more than mostly needed . The dry ice is just about right [like the three bears porridge !]
 
As mete said.The freezer will make the blade cold,but it won't make it any harder.
 
Jimbowie: Any cryo is better than nothing. The 70F difference between your freezer and room temperature is enough to cause some good things to happen in your D2. How do you think they discovered the benefits of cryo in the first place? By burying things in a snowbank!
 
I cold quench D2 with dry ice. I put blades between two slabs overnight as soon as they cool down to room temperature. This is the reccommended treatment by at least some of the steel makers. I use Bohler/Uddeholm's specs. For tool steels they do not call for snap tempering.

I have never had one crack from this method.
 
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