Got any tips for a color blind guy?

K

kibuddha4

Joined
Apr 10, 2005
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Hello everyone. Its been a long time since I've posted anything here. Thanks for all the help. I have been having issues with my HT. Since I'm color blind (not to the point I can't see color) how do I tell I'm at critcal? I can't tell the difference between reds or reds and certain oranges (they look the same color to me) as well as blues and purples. I know that using a magnet isn't a sure fire way to tell .so...help:D
-Mike Sheffield
 
Well, you could get a pyrometer in your forge.

I make knives of 1095 currently, and for me at least, I havn't had any problems using a magnet. My knives pass the brass rod test, bending tests, and shave my arm just fine. :)
 
I believe a magnet is more reliable than eyeballing colors, from what I've read. There may be some cases where your magnet won't be perfectly accurate, but for the most part it's pretty good.

For real accuracy, you just need a pyrometer to show you what the temp actually is. :thumbup: :)

Mike

Edit: Thanks, Blue Dragon, beat me by a minute
 
Ouch! I was scared someone would say that. ha. I was thinking of buying one when I bought my belt grinder (doing everything with files and wet dry sand paper). Thanks for the help. Any good suppliers?
 
I've been using my magnet, but it seems that I get the steel too hot for the quench. I can't tell when to pull the blade out and check. It sometimes works good then other times I just want to give up.
 
install a small electro-magnet in the top of your forge and stick the blade to it..when it reaches critical it will fall off :D :D :D :D :D :confused:
 
I have 20/15 vision but very bad fusion so I can't tell if my forged blades are straight. On every one of them I have to use a straight edge. I dont trust my vision enough either to get the distal taper correct. That forces me to normalize more so I can feel it.

I think alot of us have some challenge to get around in knife making. But where there is a will there is a way.
 
You could start using air hardening steel and get an Evenheat oven. You don't need color vision. It's so easy you can do it if you're three days dead! :D

Think about it. Every blade comes out straight - often more so than it went in. The blades don't tarnish when you cut lemon or liver. Little or no scale. Exact soak times at exact temperatures - and you don't need color vision cause there are cheap machines to verify all the money you are making is real. ;)

Rob!
 
Some ideas that you may consider, an IR thermometer, you can get good ones from most industrial supply stores, find one that is accurate in your hardening ranges. they are a bit pricey though. Second, Tempil Sticks, or tempil liquid, these come in many temperatures. find one that is in the austinizing range for your steel. when it melts, you have reached your temp. they are about $12-15 a piece, and will mark hundreds of blades. I would suggest, getting one 50 deg below and 50 deg above as well. put three marks on your blade, the low one will warn you when you are nearing temp, the middle will tell you when you have reached it, and if the third one melts, you have gone too far, let it air cool, normalize and try again.

but if you want to trust your eyes, there is a visual that can be more accurate than the magnet. when steel reaches it's critical point, it stops gaining in temperature, or slows down as the heat is used to change the crystaline structure. similar to water boiling, the water reaches 212, then changes to steam, once it is steam, then it can rise in temperature again. If you watch closely, you will see a "shadow" move across the steel, that shadow shows where the steel is changing internally. However, I would recommend to use this method with simple steels that do not require a long soak.

Good Luck
Ken
 
Sorry for the wait. Work had me extremely busy for an inspection. Thanks for the input. I'll go get a pyrometer and those tempil sticks (great idea IronWolf). I think I'll stick with 1084 and 5160 for now. I really don't want to try forging any air hardning steels...ever, sorry. Thanks for all the help!! You guys are the best.
 
Do a search for the Harbor Freight pyrometer Stacy mentioned a couple of weeks back. They go on sale for $26 or so every now and again and then you can add a decent probe for another $35-40. Cheapest game in town.

-d
 
I'm not color blind, and I still don't trust heat colors. A slight change in ambiant light can make a big differance in the color you precieve. I can get pretty close with colors, but I still use a magnet to verify and sometimes raise the temp a bit. I use a rare earth magnet out of an old hard drive on a piece of tie wire, take the blade out of the forge, touch it to the magnet, if it just barely sticks put it back in for a couple seconds and check again.
 
I have slight to moderate red-green color blindness too. Another problem is that colors look different depending on the available light around your forge. Here are my suggestions.
1. Magnet....every one should have them. mine is screwed to my anvil stand,
2. Pyrometer in the forge. I have an Omega handheld that will take 2 thermocouples/
3. Second cheap thermocouple for your quench tank
4. Yet another cheapo thermocouple for whatever oven you are using to temper your blades.
5. Nominally idiot-proof steel with no chromium content like 1075/80/84 or W2 that can usually be redone if you don't get the HT right the first time :D
 
I picked up a digital pyrometer from harbor freight for about $25 on sale. It works great, and I combine it with magnets to get as consistant as possible. I also have a digital pyrometer I got from ebay that works very well also. I use it in my electric kiln because all it has now is an analog pyrometer, which, come to find out is about 100 degrees off.
 
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