Heat Treating

There is a good blacksmith hammer-in in six weeks. Usually there are anvils galore for sale ......cheap. This is where to have fun and buy equipment. It will probably be worth a long drive if you need an anvil.

The first annual Gathering of the Blacksmiths
http://tidewaterblacksmiths.com/
 
I think the best first 'real' read on steel and HT is Metallurgy Fundamentals, Brandt/Goodheart-Willcox.
 
I like the list Kevin has here & I'm working my way through it.

http://www.hypefreeblades.com/bib.html


Metallurgy Books

Atlas of isothermal transformation diagrams
the United States Steel Company.

A compilation of transformation diagrams of many common steel alloys, with descriptions of hardenability, and various phases created by cooling from the austenitic phase.


Elements Of Hardenability
M.A. Grossman

An in-depth examination of the nature of steel hardenability which includes chapters on hardenability tests, the nature of hardening, the nature of the quenching process and the effects of alloying elements on hardenability.


Heat Treater's Guide
ASM Publication
ISBN: 0871705206

A compilation of data for each of the standard AISI grades of irons and carbon, as well as alloy, tool and stainless steels. Each data sheet gives the chemical composition of the alloy, a listing of similar U.S. and foreign alloys, its characteristics, and the recommended heat treating procedure. Most of the compilation goes much further and offers a wide variety of additional heat treating data such as representative micrographs, isothermal transformation diagrams, cooling transformation diagrams, tempering curves and data on dimensional change.


Metallurgy
Bert J. Moniz
ISBN: 0-8269-3506-0

Metallurgy covers all aspects of metallurgical engineering including the three areas of extractive, mechanical, and physical metallurgy. The textbook covers both theory and applications of metallurgical principles as applied to the conditioning, design, identification, selection, testing, and processing of metals and alloys. Topics include heat treatment, crystal structures, phase diagrams, materials standards, specific alloys, nondestructive and destructive testing, and fabrication methods. This new edition also covers the latest improvements in laboratory and industry techniques and equipment and adds new content valuable to metallurgy technicians and engineers.

Metallurgy Fundamentals
Daniel Brandt
ISBN: 0-87006-922-5

Metallurgy Fundamentals provides the student with instruction on the basic properties, characteristics, and production of the major metal families. Clear, concise language and numerous illustrations make this an easy-to-understand text for an introductory course in metallurgy. Over 450 tables, diagrams, and photographs show both the theoretical and practical aspects of metallurgy. This is perhaps the easiest to understand of any introductory metallurgy texts, Kevin Cashen says he uses this as his textbook for all of his bladesmithing metallurgy classes.

Quenching and Martempering
the ASM Committees on Quenching and Martempering

Includes chapters on methods of quenching, mechanisms of quenching, testing and evaluation of quench mediums, water and water based quench mediums, oil quenching mediums, gas quenching, factors effecting cooling rate, quenching equipment, maintenance of quenching installations, quenching of induction heated parts, quenching of flame heated parts, safety precautions, martempering methods and mediums, operation and control in martempering and equipment and handling in martempering.


Steel Metallurgy for the Non-Metallurgist
John D. Verhoeven

This book explains the metallurgy of steel and its heat treatment for non-metallurgists. It starts from simple concepts—beginning at the level of high-school chemistry classes and building to more complex concepts involved in heat treatment of most all types of steel as well as cast iron. It was inspired by the author when working with practicing bladesmiths for more than 15 years. Most chapters in the book contain a summary at the end. These summaries provide a short review of the contents of each chapter. This book is THE practical primer on steel metallurgy for those who heat, forge, or machine steel.


Tool Steel Simplified
Frank R. Palmer & George V. Luerssen

World's best selling handbook of modern practice for the man who makes tools and dies. This classic text presents detailed topics covering heat-treating methods and equipment; physical characteristics of tool steel; selecting the right tool steel for each kind of tool; properties, heat treatment, and testing of tool steel; hot acid etch test; spark testing; timbre and hardenability tests; furnace atmosphere; quenching and tempering; troubleshooting; etc. 535 pgs. Illustrated.

Contemporary Knives

An Edge in the Kitchen
Chad Ward
ISBN: 978-0-06-118848-0

An Edge in the Kitchen is the solution – an intelligent and delightful debunking of the mysteries of kitchen knives, once and for all. If you can stack blocks you can cut restaurant quality diced vegetables. If you can fold a paper airplane you can sharpen your knives better than many professionals. If you are willing to be a little adventurous you can find modern kitchen knives that outperform anything ever produced. Veteran cook Chad Ward provides an in-depth guide the most important tool in the kitchen, including choosing the best kitchen knives in your price range, practical tutorials on knife skills, a step-by-step section on sharpening, and more-all illustrated with beautiful photographs throughout. Along the way you will discover what a cow sword is, and why you might want one; why chefs are abandoning their heavy German knives in droves; and why the Claw and the Pinch, strange as they may sound, are in fact the best way to make precision vegetable cuts with speed and style. An Edge in the Kitchen is the one-and-only guide to the most important tool in the kitchen.

Messerklingen und Stahl
Roman Landes
ISBN: 978-3-938711-04-0

A ground breaking work in modern applications of steel for knife edges supported by almost a century of studies on that specific topic. Thus far it is only in German.
 
I think the best first 'real' read on steel and HT is Metallurgy Fundamentals, Brandt/Goodheart-Willcox.

I am certain it is a great book but probably not many pictures - i like pictures.

thank you
 
If the Tidewater hammer in is too far away then come to Alabama the first weekend of April for Batsons... You can discuss blademaking with a bunch of people there.
 
If the Tidewater hammer in is too far away then come to Alabama the first weekend of April for Batsons... You can discuss blademaking with a bunch of people there.

Thank you for the invite, Will but as you have probably determined by now, my "social skills" are not up to the task.
 
Really? Charlie and I are 2 of the biggest A##holes on the planet and we get along fine with everyone but the folks at a grinder comany that starts with the letters Ba.
 
Just ask my wife - I have been undergoing intensive social skills rehab for about a decade now.
 
I believe better info can be found elsewhere. I would question anyone who believes that non-magnetic, which is 1414° and not 1420°, is a quench temp for any steel, and the info on 01 is not all that correct either. Just my opinion, but I was not too impressed with any of it.
 
LRB... you have misquoted the site on the non-magnetic quench... he says that you want to be slightly above non-magnetic and even higher for alloyed steels.


That was one of the first sites I came across when I started... there is some good info in there for beginners. Thanks for the post, BMK.
 
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Just ask my wife - I have been undergoing intensive social skills rehab for about a decade now.

I just thought you were an asshole (no offense), it never crossed my mind there might be more to it than that.

Next month is "Autism awareness month". I'm planning to change my signature to something along the lines of "Some people are just weird and can't help it. Try cutting folks some slack".

If you're telling me you're actually not a troll but are just a genuine quirky individual, I have failed to cut you some slack. I will try harder.
 
Nathan, there are a bunch of us around here that should lighten up (myself included). Everyone seems high strung, lately.
 
I am certain it is a great book but probably not many pictures - i like pictures.

thank you

Lots and lots of pictures, (sometimes funny) drawings/illustrations on every page!!....a very accessible read!
It's probably the fastest way to get a lot of important metallurgy basics.
It's a surprisingly easy read and afterword, you'll know what an Isothermal Transformation Chart is, for instance, and how to use it to tailor a HT protocol using several techniques (which are also described) for virtually any alloy you can get a chart for. All kinds of good basic understanding of important concepts rapidly understandable.
The basics in this book open up the door to a lot of other resources that would be unapproachable otherwise.:thumbup:
 
Really? Charlie and I are 2 of the biggest A##holes on the planet and we get along fine with everyone but the folks at a grinder comany that starts with the letters Ba.

Just ask my wife - I have been undergoing intensive social skills rehab for about a decade now.

Social skills are over-rated. :)

I'm only a lurker in this forum but thank you to everyone that contributes because it's a great place to learn............

And get some laughs, you blokes really crack me up sometimes
 
I just thought you were an asshole (no offense), it never crossed my mind there might be more to it than that.

Next month is "Autism awareness month". I'm planning to change my signature to something along the lines of "Some people are just weird and can't help it. Try cutting folks some slack".

If you're telling me you're actually not a troll but are just a genuine quirky individual, I have failed to cut you some slack. I will try harder.

*ahem*...Well said. As the uncle of two autistic kids, I can tell you that yours is a very cool attitude. Sometimes the "weirdo" is just someone who is wired a little differently from the rest of us.
 
LRB... you have misquoted the site on the non-magnetic quench... he says that you want to be slightly above non-magnetic and even higher for alloyed steels.


That was one of the first sites I came across when I started... there is some good info in there for beginners. Thanks for the post, BMK.

quote "When Heated Carbon Steel becomes Non-Magnetic at 1420F. For many blacksmiths, one of the key indicators that they use in heat-treating is that when heating plain carbon steels they become non-magnetic at just below the transformation temperature. This works very well to tell when we are at the transformation temperature (critical point) for plain carbon steels. For these steels, it can tell us we are ready to quench the steel. One major caution here, this does NOT WORK for the high alloy tool steels. For them, the transformation temperature is quite a bit above the non-magnetic point."

No big deal Rick, but just saying. :)
 
Oh come on guys, This IS a BLACKSMITH site we are talking about. Everyone knows that blacksmiths usually think in round numbers....because charts and tables make their head hurt......and reading is harder than looking at pictures. "Git 'er red and quince 'er " is an ancient blacksmith koan.

This is not because of any mental ability problem, it is a safety factor. While removing your gloves for simple calculations is OK, it is unsafe to take your shoes off when doing higher math in the smithy.
Timing things, like a 5 minute soak time, is not a problem, as every blacksmith knows that it takes right at two minutes to finish off a beer,,,,so when you are half way through a six pack, it is time to quench 1095 ( see, they even understand fractions). O-1 takes a whole six pack.

Please don't think I am a Blacksmith bigot. I know lots of blacksmiths, and they are all nice people. I have even had some over to my house. They are just like everyone else. It's not their fault they were born blacksmiths.

Take Sam for instance..........I rest my case!
 
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