Heat treating 1095.??

[BRO2032]

I have a hunting knife that is 5/32 in 1095 stock that i have profiled. I'm wondering if I HT this knife the same as I would 1084, what kind of results can I expect.? All I have is a brake drum forge at the moment, so that is really all I'm capable of..

Thanks Guys,

 

[Barry Clodfelter]

With your setup, can you get it hard...yes. Can you maximize 1095 with your set up...no. 1095 needs a soak at temp and a fast quench oil to get the most out of it. With your set up stick with 1075, 1080 or 1084 and you will get decent results.

 

[BRO2032]

With your setup, can you get it hard...yes. Can you maximize 1095 with your set up...no. 1095 needs a soak at temp and a fast quench oil to get the most out of it. With your set up stick with 1075, 1080 or 1084 and you will get decent results.

I've read about soak times, and know 1095 needs a little more attention. I have a lot of 1080 now, and thats all I'm using from now on, but I've already got this one profiled, and would like to go ahead and try it. just wondered if it is worth the trouble. Will it make a decent usable, light duty knife.?

 

[Overmountain]

At an absolute minimum and absent temoerature measurement and a reliable heat source, get it to non-magnetic then one shade higher... The edge is of paramount concern, preferrably the whole blade is uniform, but make sure the edge is at a uniform color. Yes it needs a soak, but the key is to get it uniform with that soak, not a preset time...
I would then advise a very fast oil or water quench. To keep from warping, go edge first into the quench holding an area of non-critical steel like the back of the handle. Move up and down in the quench, not side to side. I use an interrupted quench with water and 1095, and rarely get warping with water provided temp/color is even and the blade is moved up and down. You also need a large volume of water. Just a gallon or so won't cut it... you need room in there to move the blade up and down. I use a 5 gallon bucket for knives of average size.
The absolute thing to avoid is getting too hot. This will cause brittle steel and will usually crack upon quench. 1095 isn't hard hard to work with, but it isn't quite as easy as 1084 either. Uniform temperature of 1450-1475 throughout then dropping to sub 400 in about a second is the key... Do that successfully and you will have a nice hard blade... then draw as needed...
For large blades in 1095, I rarely harden the whole blade. I go for a differential blade edge only HT. I do so by heating the whole blade, then quenching the edge. And again, I use water almost exclusively with 1095. And I use a lot of 1095...
Without proper temperature measurement it isn't going to be ideal for you, but it can be done... I HT probably 15 blades or tools in 1095 before I really started getting the results I wanted. And I found accurate temperature measurement was the key. A thermocouple with a sleeve and a meter to read it will ensure you get it right where it needs to be before the quench...

 

[BRO2032]

Get it to non-magnetic then one shade higher... The edge is of paramount concern, preferrably the whole blade is uniform, but make sure the edge is at a uniform color. Yes it needs a soak, but the key is to get it uniform with that soak, not a preset time...
I would advise a very fast oil or water quench. To keep from warping, go edge first into the quench holding an area of non-critical steel like the back of the handle. Move up and down in the quench, not side to side. I use an interrupted quench with water and 1095, and rarely get warping with water provided temp/color is even and the blade is moved up and down. You also need a large volume of water. Just a gallon or so won't cut it... you need room in there to move the blade up and down. I use a 5 gallon bucket for knives of average size.
The absolute thing to avoid is getting too hot. This will cause brittle steel and will usually crack upon quench. 1095 isn't hard hard to work with, but it isn't quite as easy as 1084 either. Uniform temperature throughout then dropping to sub 400 in about a second is the key...

Thanks.!! That helps..