Hardening blades

B

bigtree31

Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Messages
287
I recently watched Tai Goo harden a blade on the Hoods Woods video and he said you should harden or quench the blade while its pointing north. The reason for this is so the blade will not warp while cooling. The blade is not magnetic when it is a very hot temperature, and when it cools all the particles line up and point magnetic north. It makes sense but is it really true? A friend of mine questions it but I beleive it so what is it, is it true or not? Please help me out here. Thanks.
 
That is just one of those ritual things,Like meditating for a hour then burning three different types of incense and washing your head hands and feet then the moon has to be in the correct phase before you can start the forging process.If you are superstisios then you need to do it that way,but I have one quench tank that is for edge quenching that points a little south west and I have a oil quench that is for full quenching blades and it is a pipe that stands up by my forge so when I quench in this my Blades are pointing at HE** I wonder if that will make them mean or something....
Just find your own little ritual and do it every time that way you know that you are doing every thing the same and thus a even heat treat every time.
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
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Bruce! Point at H***? Ha Ha Ha. good one. I quench point down too, when I'm not edge quenching. Given the nature of my resident forge Lares, I'd like to think its pointing at Shwartzalfheim.
 
I am guessing that there might be some truth to the steel particles lining up along magnetic lines, I know this happens with magnetic particles in undersea lava, but in most shops there is metal, and possibly magnets, and electricity everywhere, all these things throw off a compas, so I am assuming they would screw up any northern alignment of steel particles.
Kyle
 
Yeah it might be cosmic hoowee but I still point my blades at magnetic north. Im not saying it works for sure. I just don't see what it can hurt. You have to point it somewhere. Magnetic north is as good as any. And maybe better.

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http://www.livelyknives.com

[This message has been edited by lively (edited 06-07-2001).]
 
I need all the help I can get, point it north, say a little prayer, do a little dance,(make a little love, get down tonite). My next step is to have the parish priest come over with holy water, but if he missed the blade and hit me then I would be heat treated.

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INDIAN GEORGE
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http://www.indiangeorgesknives.com/

[This message has been edited by indian george (edited 06-07-2001).]
 
LMFAO!!!

i have heard it all now,,,,,,,lmao

best bet is to grind it symetrical on both sides, dont get it hot enough during grinding to change it to any color, and finally dont agitate the blade in the quench, oh yea and make sure the oil is not room temp or cold when ya do it,about 135 to 140 degrees is just right 8-)

quench it pointing north !!! now that was a good one,,,,,lmfao!!!!

Allen
 
In Willie White's video, he does make a mention of having his quench trough aligned with magnetic north.

Personally, I prefer to slaughter a goat at the lunar equinox in preparation for quenching.

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Glen AKA Centaur
"It does not do to leave a dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him."
- J. R. R. Tolkein
 
If one honestly believes in the benefit of quenching along magnetic lines, wouldn't it be easier to just mount a strong magnet inside of your quench tank? Neodymium magnets are available in blown out hard drives for free, and they're strong enough to have to pry them off of the fridge.

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Oz


"Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken!" -Tyler Durden
Check out my egocentric homepage! Updated just last November!
http://www.freespeech.org/oz/
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Centaur:

Personally, I prefer to slaughter a goat at the lunar equinox in preparation for quenching.

</font>
Click to expand...

nope, nope... I'm all new to this forum, and smithing in general, but this begs the question - "how does one slaughter the goat when ones knife is not yet finished?"

 
I once seen a guy I worked with, (metalurgical engineer) tell me he could make a weak magnet with an iron bar and hammer by pointing one end of the bar due north and smacking the bar on the other end with a hammer. You know what, it worked!
 
I like to heat the blade until it is red as a monkey's ass and then quench it in a slave.
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Danbo, soul brother of Rambo
 
Tai, did't start this one I've heard it before.

The steel plants, forge line here in OK, runs north & south but the bucket pours to the east, hmmmm.

What do you do in South America?

Forge North
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<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by ulyanov:
...but this begs the question - "how does one slaughter the goat when ones knife is not yet finished?"</font>
Click to expand...

That's easy! You start out with a stone knife...

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Glen AKA Centaur
"It does not do to leave a dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him."
- J. R. R. Tolkein
 
Bruce, do you sit up nights thinking of these things....."Point to He..." I'm too old to laugh this much!
 
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