Even Heat kiln

[m. wohlwend]

After three years of looking into a forge and trying to interpet the temperature of the steel by the color of the steel, I did something very different. I fired up my brand new kiln, heated my blade to the EXACT temp that the steel manafacture recomended and then quenched it. Then I did this several more times, closely monitering the temp of my quench oil and the kiln. No cracks, no warping, no flustration. The feeling you get when you get your heat treat process under control is great. I really don't want to do any more heat treats with out this much control.

 

[Longstrider]

Welcome to the club friend
I realised early on that the prettiest knife in the world wasn't worth a :jerkit: if it hadn't been heat treated properly, but even an ugly knife with good steel, well heat treated, would cut forever That was why a Even Heat KF22.5 was the first thing I spent money on for my knife making hobby after files and abrasive paper. Yes, the FIRST thing. I knew I'd be spending money on a grinder, good materials, a mill etc etc etc as finances allowed, but my first plunge into a rapidly disappearing bank balance was for a heat treat oven. Buying a U.S. made oven here in the UK really hurts the wallet (international shipping and taxes added to what you guys pay), but I figured it was that, or spend even more on a Paragon.
Knowing that you're doing the best thing for the steel is a very reassuring way to go about H/T. I figured the guys who developed the steel and wrote the H/T 'recipe' for it had more smarts than me in that dept, so I wanted to be sure of following the recipe to the letter.
So far I've had nothing crack, and no major warpage on any of the blades I've done in the oven. (Touching wood as I type that bit BTW )