Have to try water quenching!

J.Marsillo

J.Marsillo

Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
1,255
This sucks bigtime,I have 2 knives out of cable I am getting close to finishing and I cant get them to harden in oil.I tryed peanut oil and atf....nothing, file still bites right in.Should I try water or brine to get them to harden? I know there is the risk of cracking but nothing else is working.Maybe I spent too many heats forging.Any insight on this would really help alot.
 
Are you sure of the carbon content of the cable? Carbon steel wants to harden, even by air cooling it some degree of hardening will occur. Are you file testing it on a flat area or right on the edge?

A good file will still bite into a corner or edge that had been hardened but it will skate across a flat area.
 
Plunge it into a can of granulated sugar and then into the oil.......I,ve huard this works to add carbon to steel, just a thought..........?
 
win70 , that's a myth. ...Joe ,you don't have anything to lose ,give it a try.
 
Either the cable was low carbon, or what there was got burned up in the forging.Adding carbon is not quite as simple as that sugar trick. What that will do is mess up your quenching oil (but it won't help the steel at all).
 
Joe, is this the cable we welded up at IG's that you're working with? if so, mine's pretty soft as well, i just think it's a very low carbon content steel, probably around 1018 mild or so. The pattern is nice, but it just doesnt seem to get hard, even with a water quench. It'll make a nice decorative blade, but not a good cutting one from the little i've worked with my billet.
 
Joe,
I think I'd try thinning some of your peanut with diesel first to get it about the consistency of water. THEN if that doesn't work maybe water.
Matt
 
Matt,this is the cable I sent you I remember the carbon was .55 but I had some harden up pretty well in oil.I think it has alot to do with my (lack of) forging abilities.On the last quench I tried I raised the oil temp,still got nothing.
Would mineral oil be as fast and safer than water? All of this trouble is making me wonder what type of quench oil I should be buying with my christmas money instead of wasting my time.
Tomorrow I'll get some shop time and hopefully make the best of it.Should I try quenching in hot water first 150 degrees or so?
 
valimas said:
Would mineral oil be as fast and safer than water? All of this trouble is making me wonder what type of quench oil I should be buying with my christmas money instead of wasting my time.
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Hey bro!

You've got the right idea there! You spend way too much of your time making killer looking knives to blow it all on crappy quenching oil. Spend the long dollar on some good stuff and be done with it! It'll last a long time, and the results will help you be predictable... and considering how serious you are about this stuff, it seems like the right thing to do. Your work deserves better!:)
 
I have had to quench cable in brine. Some does not even take with the brine. Try the water if no go then go to brine, if no go then us the rest for fixtures and chalk it up to experience.

Chuck
 
Try filing a little deeper, it may be harder than you think, it could be a decarb problem.

Leon Pugh
 
Justin.Mercier said:
Joe, is this the cable we welded up at IG's that you're working with? if so, mine's pretty soft as well, i just think it's a very low carbon content steel, probably around 1018 mild or so. The pattern is nice, but it just doesnt seem to get hard, even with a water quench. It'll make a nice decorative blade, but not a good cutting one from the little i've worked with my billet.
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I hope all the guys that made up billets out of Joe's cable are reading this thread. Lil Mamma made up two billets from Joe's cable.:eek: I going to segregate the rest of the pieces I have here.:confused:
 
Draw out those billets and fold them lengthwise,inserting a piece of 1/8" 1095 in the fold. Weld together and draw out as necessary.Forge your blade from this billet,keeping the core centered. You will have a cable san mai blade with an edge that gets wicked sharp!
Stacy
 
bladsmth said:
Draw out those billets and fold them lengthwise,inserting a piece of 1/8" 1095 in the fold. Weld together and draw out as necessary.Forge your blade from this billet,keeping the core centered. You will have a cable san mai blade with an edge that gets wicked sharp!
Stacy
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Cool idea, Stacy!
 
indian george said:
I hope all the guys that made up billets out of Joe's cable are reading this thread. Lil Mamma made up two billets from Joe's cable.:eek: I going to segregate the rest of the pieces I have here.:confused:
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I.G. I had it analyzed and everything pointed to extra improved plowsteel,I think my problem is I'm decarbing the pee pee out of it:eek:
Check with grasshoppa too I thought he said he finished one too:confused:

bladsmth said:
Draw out those billets and fold them lengthwise,inserting a piece of 1/8" 1095 in the fold. Weld together and draw out as necessary.Forge your blade from this billet,keeping the core centered. You will have a cable san mai blade with an edge that gets wicked sharp!
Stacy
Click to expand...
Thanks, Stacy I have some 3/32" x 1 1/2" 1095 I want to try that on especially after seeing Ariel's cable san mai pics :thumbup:

Update.......pinnnnngggg:o The one smaller blade cracked in 3 peices!!
I got that file to skate nicley after re-quenching the bigger blade in cold ATF.
I didnt have the heart to try the second blade after the first one cracked right before my eyes.
 
Seems like every water quenching thread ends with the word "PING!!!"
I think I've learned my lesson. Well, maybe I'll give it one more shot sometime....
 
Joe,
I think that I remember you using 1095 as well??? If that is indeed the case buy some fast quenching oil from brownells and try it. You'll use it for the 1095 any how. I don't know the names of them but I'm sure others do. Also I'm sure if you call Brownells they will steer you right. Seems like I remember something about fifty in the title for 1095??? I know it's faster than the one used for other steels like O1 and 5160. All I do know is that there is definitely at least 50 points of carbon there so you should be fine. Especially if you just blew one up with water. I truly do not believe heating the water would serve you any better, and buying another cheap oil is just throwing away more good money that should be used for some good quenching oil.
Keep me posted,
Matt
 
Joe,
I did some searching for you this morning and found this:
http://www.knifeandgun.com/catalog/fast_quench_heat_treating_oil_1516356.htm
It appears to be the best deal in a real quenching oil in 5 gal qnty
I am unsure of its speed but I'm sure you could find out. The one I was thinking of was Parks #50 and I don't think you or I would want the minimum order. Also check out this thread: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=431411&highlight=quench
This is where I came up with the info,
Matt
 
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