Heat treating furnace

[Col Defender]

Just thinking here....about getting a low end heat treating furnace. I know they start at a bit under $800 which I might be able to swing and go way up from there. But are the low end ones any good. I'd use it maybe once a week and am not dependent on knife selling for food on the table.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[MeatRobot]

I have an even-heat kiln with a programmable controller and it's really nice for the more exotic steels which need 2150F.
If you are going to use it that often go for the better kiln.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

There are two ways to think about it.
1) If you plan on using it 50 times a year for many years, get a good unit. Something that will get that much use should be quality and reliable. The bottom price units aren't usually the best.
2) Something that will be used 50 times in four years that costs $1000 costs $20 per use. This will go down over years, but even based on four years, that is $5 per blade. It may well be more cost efficient to just send the blades out for HT unless you HT over 100 blades a year.

That said, having a HT oven is more a want than a need. Many of the tools and toys of knifemakers are ridiculously priced...but we still buy them. After all other equipment is of good grade, a HT oven is nice to have. I would suggest you get a VS grinder with all the arms and wheels you need, all your forging gear/equipment (if forging is what you do), and a good drill press and small mill before you got a HT oven.


Even making a knife yourself silly cost wise, as it takes much more to make a knife than to buy one.

 

[J.Babody]

I Agree with Stacy, only because I keep telling myself I will build one, but it always falls last on my list when I really start looking at the big picture.

I can ht simple steels in my forge fairly reliably (although that took some trial and error and a friend with a Rockwell tester) If I want to use something more complex or stainless I will send it out for the time being. Cost is interesting, because Stacy only factored the purchase price, not the electricity to run the oven. Its more economical to do multiple blades at a time vs. one every now and again when you have to expel energy just to let it get to temp (same as a forge ht, however).

I don't have a vs grinder but it's coming soon to replace my Bader ii. If I had the room I would be buying a mill and surface grinder, but I'm still in the corner of moms garage so I bought a welder and plasma cutter for other projects instead. Still no oven. Take it for what it's worth, but I have more fun tools to buy before I purchase/build an oven.
Justin