Heat treating question, before I buy my first steel from NJ Steel Baron

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petercrowell

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Oct 17, 2013
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I'm ready to purchase the steel for my first knife project. My plan is to buy a 4' bar of 1" X 5/32" 1095 from NJ Steel Baron.

Before I do, though I want to make sure I have a decent plan for heat treating.

I plan to cut the blank with a hacksaw, put on the bevel with hand files, and heat treat in a home made forge (yet to be built).

Based on all the youtube videos, with 1095, I heat the knife blank blade until it doesn't stick to a magnet, then I heat it a little more, then I quench it (fast quench in oil, according to Aldo Bruno's product description.)

Then I put it in an oven for 2 hours at 400 degrees.

Then I let it cool to room temp.

I'd like to do this as right as possible with the gear I currently have.

How does my plan sound to you?

Thanks!
 
Get some 1080+ it is easy to work with and ht with 1095 you can't ht in a homemade forge you need precise temperature and a fast oil to do it right -Calvin
 
Aldo will have 1084 back in stock towards the end of the month. Wait a little longer and get it. It will make you a great knife and is easy to heat treat by the method you described. Just use canola oil as your quenchant. You will make a great using knife. I'd recommend 1/8th inch stock though, less to file down if you are working b y hand.
 
Well, I'm very glad I asked.

I appreciate all the responses, and the fact that you all say basically the same thing is helpful, too.

1084 it is.

But I may still go with 5/32", since NJ Steel has it in stock. Not so the 1/8.

I don't mind the extra work, and more to work with might give me a bigger margin of error. However, I'm planning a blade length of no more the 3", so 1/8 may win out.

Depends how long I have to wait. I'm pretty eager to get started.

Thanks everyone!
 
petercrowell said:
Well, I'm very glad I asked.

I appreciate all the responses, and the fact that you all say basically the same thing is helpful, too.

1084 it is.

But I may still go with 5/32", since NJ Steel has it in stock. Not so the 1/8.

I don't mind the extra work, and more to work with might give me a bigger margin of error. However, I'm planning a blade length of no more the 3", so 1/8 may win out.

Depends how long I have to wait. I'm pretty eager to get started.

Thanks everyone!
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Peter, send me your address and cover postage and I'll send you a piece. After all, pieces of 1/8" that small litter my shop.
 
You can get decent results with 80crv2 and 52100 with a good forge and canola oil. You gotta baby sit and really pay attention to colors and what not. Ofcourse it helps to have a hardness tester and understand how other test show where your steels at. I quench both these steels in canola that is warmed up some. I repeatedly get 66-67HRC with the 521 and about 66hrc with the 80crv2. However I am very familier with how Ive got to run my forge and baby sit the **** out of it while I am heat treating with it.

1084 is a great start though and with the ability to get a piece or two free well worth accepting the offer. Its a great steel as well.
 
carbonsteel928 said:
Peter, send me your address and cover postage and I'll send you a piece. After all, pieces of 1/8" that small litter my shop.
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That's really generous, Carbonsteel. I should point out, I am planning to make the handle a bit longer than what I've seen on the smaller blade knives. I have an XL glove size, and I want to make a knife that fits my hand.

I'm think an overall length of 7 inches or so.

Have you got something like that lying around?

Thanks for your offer!
 
quint said:
... understand how other test show where your steels at. I quench both these steels in canola that is warmed up some. I repeatedly get 66-67HRC with the 521 and about 66hrc with the 80crv2. However I am very familier with how Ive got to run my forge and baby sit the **** out of it while I am heat treating with it.

1084 is a great start though and with the ability to get a piece or two free well worth accepting the offer. Its a great steel as well.
Click to expand...

I'm good with the babysitting part.

What other test, beside the magnet, can I do, in the absence of a hardness tester?
 
I've been thinking of getting a temp stick to verify temp before quench. I've found 1480F sticks for $15 on amazon.
I've got good results just using a magnet to gauge temp, but the stick seems more accurate.
 
carbonsteel928 said:
Just let me know what width. I have 2, 1.25 and 1 all in .125 thickness right now.
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I'll go with 1.25. That will allow me to make a slightly wider handle.

And feel free to choose something as long as 8" if you have it. I still have not fully settled on a design.

But I'm grateful for whatever you send.

How shall we work the shipping?

I'm set up for paypal.

Thanks again!
 
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