firepit HT on 1/4 in 1084

[redd1981]

Has anyone done this on a small firepit? 1/4 just seems so thick.

Pretty much just looking for pointers, like how big of a fire and what kind of wood would burn hot enough?

Thanks.

 

[redd1981]

also do I need to normalize it by air cooling it a few times?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

If you make a list of HT methods, a firepit will be at the very bottom of the list. I can't think of a worse system to use.

Even using an OA or Mapp torch would be better.

You can build a small two-brick forge for very little, and while a 2BF far from perfect, it will be far better than a firepit.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/920120-Virtual-BBQ-2-Brick-Forge-WIP

 

[Tai Goo]

Soft wood like pine will work best. It’s important to cut the pieces to a uniform size first, about the size of an apple for an average sized knife blade. You need a large fire and bed of coals,… about 3-4 times as long as the blade. Build the fire up high as well, (about 12-15 inches for an average blade) and make sure you have good air circulation. If you can control the draft a little it will help. Keep something to fan it with handy just in case.

Normalizing it first is a good idea.

Good luck.

 

[tryppyr]

If you make a list of HT methods, a firepit will be at the very bottom of the list. I can't think of a worse system to use.

OOooo... that sounds like a challenge!

HT methods that are worse than a firepit:

1) Flamethrower (Larry the Cable Guy's preferred barbeque starter)
2) Concentrated solar energy
3) Nuclear fission reactor
4) 10,000 match heads glued together with the blade in the middle
5) Using your mom's brand new 6 burner Viking Professional gas range
6) The smoldering ruins of your next door neighbors house fire (started under suspicious circumstances)
7) Pointing two dozen model rocket engines at the blade and igniting them all at once
8) Dipping it in fresh lava at Volcano Nation Park in Hawaii
9) Embedding it in a small brick of homemade napalm and setting it off
10) Using your sister's E-Z Bake Oven

 

[redd1981]

Well that does it I guess Ill have to build a brick forge Im just not sure where to get the "soft" bricks at

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Everyone says they can't be found in their town, but I would bet that they can be found in almost any area.

Look in the phone directory, google, or check with:
Boiler repair, Refractory supplies, Plumbing and heating, pottery supply, fireplace shop/supplies, fireplace section of the HD or Lowes, Knife suppliers,older hardware stores, welding supply, etc.

Here is a thread about soft firebricks:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/842434-type-23-fire-brick

Zaph sells the bricks in boxes of 15 bricks.
Here is his two-brick forge WIP:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/920120-Virtual-BBQ-2-Brick-Forge-WIP

"High Temperature Tool and Refractory" is your one stop shop for everything related to building forges and HT supplies.
http://www.hightemptools.com/supplies-mainpage.html


Of course you could just google Soft Firebrick Saint Louis MO ......you get
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=soft+firebrick+Saint+louis,+MO&ei=UTF-8&fr=hp-pvdt

 

[Don Nguyen]

OOooo... that sounds like a challenge!

HT methods that are worse than a firepit:

1) Flamethrower (Larry the Cable Guy's preferred barbeque starter)
2) Concentrated solar energy
3) Nuclear fission reactor
4) 10,000 match heads glued together with the blade in the middle
5) Using your mom's brand new 6 burner Viking Professional gas range
6) The smoldering ruins of your next door neighbors house fire (started under suspicious circumstances)
7) Pointing two dozen model rocket engines at the blade and igniting them all at once
8) Dipping it in fresh lava at Volcano Nation Park in Hawaii
9) Embedding it in a small brick of homemade napalm and setting it off
10) Using your sister's E-Z Bake Oven

Giving me stupid ideas for a quench now.

How about we just quench straight into ferric chloride so it etches AND hardens at the same time? Or if we want to quench super fast liquid Nitrogen? Or maybe we can get some Mercury and...