I've been considering making a pipe hawk with this head http://www.redaviscompany.com/0317.html in 6150 steel. I have no experience in this and I don't have access to a forge and wanted to know if/how I could heat treat it at home. Thanks.
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Heat treatment on 6150 steel
- Thread starter Brody R.
- Start date
First, great work Brody! Looks classically authentic.
Next, Mete or some of the other really smart guys around here can help you better with the edge treatment specs, but I can tell you that you can buy a small portable tourch at Lowes for around $260. Has really small oxy and ac tanks, but comes with regulators and should get enough BTUs to do the edge on a blade that size. Otherwise you can buy the full sized tourchs for around the same money and do the tank rental bit from you local steel shop.
If you have never used an oxygen/acetylene read the dirrections carefully and treat it like a loaded gun. Never pull the Oxy trigger on anything you don't intend to kill (cut).
Again, great work.
chiger
Next, Mete or some of the other really smart guys around here can help you better with the edge treatment specs, but I can tell you that you can buy a small portable tourch at Lowes for around $260. Has really small oxy and ac tanks, but comes with regulators and should get enough BTUs to do the edge on a blade that size. Otherwise you can buy the full sized tourchs for around the same money and do the tank rental bit from you local steel shop.
If you have never used an oxygen/acetylene read the dirrections carefully and treat it like a loaded gun. Never pull the Oxy trigger on anything you don't intend to kill (cut).
Again, great work.
chiger
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- Dec 24, 2005
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Where did you find the type of steel?? I didn't see it on the web site??
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- Jul 31, 2002
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- 2,954
rocketmann-
We're trying to get a total of six guys together so we can have a special run of heads made in this steel. Normally they only use 8620 for this pattern, which is a low grade steel that can only be case hardened. I suppose we haven't settled on this pattern for sure, as several other guys have expressed concern about the small stem on the pipe.
Mete-
The heads are investment cast so they're pretty clean compared to sand casts or other methods. If you look closely you can still see the sprue and vent lines on top of the head that need to be cleaned up. They come "as cast" and still need to be finished and heat treated.
I'm thinking about trying my hand at heat treating if we do get enough interest for this to go through. Maybe I could use an old barbecue grill lined with ash, and my wife's hair dryer...
Does a Mapp gas torch get hot enough for this? (I have oxy acetylene already too.) Or I might ask around here & see if somebody more experienced would be willing to do it for a reasonable price.
I'm kinda excited about this because I've never seen a pipe hawk (head) in this price range made of decent steel. I don't have the cash for a good handmade one, and all the cheapies I've been able to find over the past couple years are only decorator pieces.
We're trying to get a total of six guys together so we can have a special run of heads made in this steel. Normally they only use 8620 for this pattern, which is a low grade steel that can only be case hardened. I suppose we haven't settled on this pattern for sure, as several other guys have expressed concern about the small stem on the pipe.
Mete-
The heads are investment cast so they're pretty clean compared to sand casts or other methods. If you look closely you can still see the sprue and vent lines on top of the head that need to be cleaned up. They come "as cast" and still need to be finished and heat treated.
I'm thinking about trying my hand at heat treating if we do get enough interest for this to go through. Maybe I could use an old barbecue grill lined with ash, and my wife's hair dryer...
Does a Mapp gas torch get hot enough for this? (I have oxy acetylene already too.) Or I might ask around here & see if somebody more experienced would be willing to do it for a reasonable price. I'm kinda excited about this because I've never seen a pipe hawk (head) in this price range made of decent steel. I don't have the cash for a good handmade one, and all the cheapies I've been able to find over the past couple years are only decorator pieces.
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- Dec 24, 2005
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- 1,254
possum, how many heads do you need to order to get the job done??
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- Jul 31, 2002
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- 2,954
Rocketmann-
We only need to order six heads at a time to get a special run. So, five other guys besides me. I started a thread about it in the hatchet forum, and several have already expressed serious interest. Still need to hash out the details, but I figure I won't bother unless we've got enough guys to go through with it.
We only need to order six heads at a time to get a special run. So, five other guys besides me. I started a thread about it in the hatchet forum, and several have already expressed serious interest. Still need to hash out the details, but I figure I won't bother unless we've got enough guys to go through with it.
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- Jul 31, 2002
- Messages
- 2,954
Looks like we have enough serious interest for an order. More details here.
Mete-
Even though it would probably be easier just to heat up the edge or do an edge quench, I'd greatly prefer to harden the entire thing and then draw it down. I feel its overall durability would be greatly increased. Yeah, I know they made 'em from brass too, but since we're going through the trouble of getting some in decent steel, I may as well take advantage of it.
By the same token, I really don't want to draw the edge down all the way to 54 Rc either. I want it at least 56, but would prefer 58. Lots of big chopping knives and axes are this hard or harder (at least at the edge). Unless this range would hit an embrittlement zone or something... don't suppose you have an impact resistance chart for this steel layin' around, do ya? What temperature would be proper for this higher hardness? If I do it myself, I'd temper it to a faint yellow color at first, and test it out a bit to see if I need more toughness than that.
Mete-
Even though it would probably be easier just to heat up the edge or do an edge quench, I'd greatly prefer to harden the entire thing and then draw it down. I feel its overall durability would be greatly increased. Yeah, I know they made 'em from brass too, but since we're going through the trouble of getting some in decent steel, I may as well take advantage of it.
By the same token, I really don't want to draw the edge down all the way to 54 Rc either. I want it at least 56, but would prefer 58. Lots of big chopping knives and axes are this hard or harder (at least at the edge). Unless this range would hit an embrittlement zone or something... don't suppose you have an impact resistance chart for this steel layin' around, do ya? What temperature would be proper for this higher hardness? If I do it myself, I'd temper it to a faint yellow color at first, and test it out a bit to see if I need more toughness than that.
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- Mar 7, 2003
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- 4,270
Also, in between uses, cut off the Acetylene at the tank valve. It is notorius for leaking away if you just shut off the valve at the head.
Again, great work.