heat treat ats-34

D

dave thomas

Joined
Feb 10, 2008
Messages
3
new to heat treating- Does ats-34 have to be oil quenched? I checked the info on evenheat web site provided by koval knives and It say to oil quench- I thought it was an air hardening steel. can anyone give me some advice on this?
thanks
 
Welcome to Shoptalk, Dave.

Here is a good heat treat instruction for the American equivalent of ATS34 called 154CM. Crucible 154CM HT

You will notice that it says oil or positive pressure 60PSI gas quench. So, letting it sit in still air or under a fan is not the optimum.

What is popular nowadays is what's called "plate quenching". This consists of placing the blade (still in foil envelope) between two pieces of thick metal (aluminum is most common) and pressing them together. Many people put them on the floor and just step on the top plate. Some people make a rig in a woodworker's vise. Frequently, 1" aluminum is used, larger than the blade in both dimensions. Some people use steel, and some have even had access to free copper.

After it reaches "hand-holding" temps, it can be removed from the envelope, cold or cryo treated if desired, then tempered.
 
i ll do nothing but plates now that i started it
im not looking towards the day that i start doing "simple" oil and water steels for razors and other odds and ends
 
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