Difference between heat treat and no heat treat?

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DavidL41

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Im curious what the difference would be if I took two block of steel, heat treated one block and the other had no heat treatment.

For something like a screw driver does the heat treatment give the steel more strength (less soft) and prevent it from twisting?
 
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The non-HT screwdriver would bend and the tip would be destroyed on the first few screws.
 
a regular carbon steel or high speed steel.

So heat treating makes the steel less pliable?

What about a metal anvil does it need heat treating?
 
Yes!
An anvil is heat treated. That's why you have to inspect old ones to make sure they weren't in a Barn fire.
 
One block would be much harder then the other, and have greater abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance wouldn't change much, and because you chose a block as your shape, compression and tensile strength and resistance to bending or spring properties wouldn't be of any concern
 
Thanks, makes a lot of sense.

I have one last question.. How would I heat treat a block of steel 2 inches high, 3 inches wide, 10 inches long without discolouring?
 
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What are you using it for?

There are all kinds of ways to heat treat a piece of steel for a certain application.

Youre probably out of luck on the discoloration thing. You can try some anti scale compound, but thats not 100% guaranteed. Not even stainless steels come out perfect if they're heat treated in foil.
 
Heat treat can make steel hundreds to thousands time more durable at given application...
 
DavidL41 said:
Thanks, makes a lot of sense.

I have one last question.. How would I heat treat a block of steel 2 inches high, 3 inches wide, 10 inches long without discolouring?
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Which KIND of steel ?

Heat treat specifications are tailored to the type of steel and the steel is chosen based on it's use.

What's your use ?



You could send it to a pro heat treater and specify "no surface changes"
 
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Im thinking if its possible to make a small japanese hand plane (shaped like a block). Steel would be melted down then poured into a cast. The steel would start from liquid so when can it be heat treated if at all?
End result would be a good looking steel after being sanded, and most importantly stay strong and straight for years.

Does a steel that thick and lengthy need heat treating to stay flat?

Im not familiar with the types of steels. A quick search came up with carbon steel like AISI 1080 which sounds suitable.
 
Why not make the plane out of wood body and buy a piece of steel bar stock and shape the blade? I don't understand what part of the plane you want to cast out of steel? Also pouring steel is very energetic = expensive.
 
Interesting thing about a planer that is 2x3x10 from solid steel, its going to weigh 17LBS

That makes me tired just thinking about using it ;0)
 
DavidL41 said:
Im thinking if its possible to make a small japanese hand plane (shaped like a block). Steel would be melted down then poured into a cast. The steel would start from liquid so when can it be heat treated if at all?
End result would be a good looking steel after being sanded, and most importantly stay strong and straight for years.

Does a steel that thick and lengthy need heat treating to stay flat?

Im not familiar with the types of steels. A quick search came up with carbon steel like AISI 1080 which sounds suitable.
Click to expand...



I'm thinking you have no practical experience with casting steel, heat treatment, or Japanese planes.

For some education on metallurgy and HT, read the stickys. For casting steel, you will need a lot of reasonably expensive equipment and experience. For Japanese plane info, try some fine woodworking sites.
 
I think wikipedia / google "heat treating steel" will help you understand the basics best.

Make the block oversized. Heat treat changes dimensions, but predictably. In your case irrelevant. Heat treat, temper, finish to exact tolerances. That way you will have great surface.

An alternative is case hardening.
 
I'd say if you want a hardened surface that will stay straight, it'd be better to have a thin steel face on a wooden body than a 17lb plane.
 
****Reads this entire thread****

Tries hard to avoid laughing so hard that teeth fly from mouth........................... barely succeeds because wife is pounding on the back.

I'm sorry but this smacks of someone trolling us all. If he'd bothered to do the least bit of reading on why you heat treat steel this could have been avoided. It reminds me of someone (on another forum) who wants to learn to use a $$$$$$$ 3D software tool called Maya without

A) Owning the tool
B) Having a machine pumped up enough to run it
C) Who is looking for the Dummies version of being trained in no time at all
D) would really just like the templates she desperately needs handed over IMMEDIATELY and for free

The derision heaped on that individual in that other forum was subtle but massive............... BladeForums is sooooooooooooooooooo civilized. I'm proud of y'all

Heading out to the badger Knife show in Janesville in an hour. YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!

Corey "synthesist" Gimbel
 
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