HELP: My kitchen oven is a POS!

M

Mikel_24

Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Messages
2,959
Hi there,
I am trying to follow some forum members advice for tempering my blades in the kitchen oven. I got a cheap oven termometer, set it to the highest setting and just wait to see how hot it would get.

I read quite a few times that doing two cicles of two hours each at 250ºC cooling to room temperature between them should be enough to soften the steel just enough so it is not brittle.

The problem is that my POS kitchen oven doesn't reach 250ºC just a little above 210ºC.

What can I do to temper my blades with this oven? Can I just leave them in the oven at 210ºC for a longer time? Doing more tempering cicles?

Any help would be wellcome. Unless I can make do with this oven I will be forced to use a propane torch and check for colors but the oven system seems more fool prof.

Mikel
 
go get you a good toaster oven and a good candy thermometer ought to hit 250º C (482º F) pretty easily
 
210 C is a good basic tempering temperature for knives .Just do 2+2 and it will be fine .
 
buy a cheap good working toaster oven :) and a good thermometer. Keep the knifemaking stuff out of the kitchen. Not exactly the most healthy practice if you know what i mean. :)
 
Leu Custom said:
buy a cheap good working toaster oven :) and a good thermometer. Keep the knifemaking stuff out of the kitchen. Not exactly the most healthy practice if you know what i mean. :)
Click to expand...

Especially when the wife gets a whiff of the odor, and decides to boot you out to your shop.....permanently.

When I began using real heat treat oils, the aroma went from the smell of cookies baking (standard cooking type oils and lards) to a car engine on fire. That's when she decided I needed a toaster oven!
 
Scott, didn't you ever think of washing off the oil ??? I learned my lesson as a kid when my father [an artist] and I were home alone. We started to talk about charcoal for drawing and gathered up different types of wood and made charcoal in the kitchen to test . Then my mother came home - she didn't appreciate the smell !!
 
You can probably pick up a cheapo priced toaster oven at a goodwill store or something along those lines. Keep the "stink" to the outside or garage! :D I did it once in the kitchen oven years ago when I was living at home and boy did I hear it from my mom! and then years later from my wife at home after quenching an 01 blade and wiping it off, it still somewhat "stunk"
 
Wow! Thanks a lot for all the replies. You guys are awesome.

After letting them cook in the oven for two hours at full throttle (I washed the engine oil before with soap, a scrup and the strongest grease solvent my mom had at home) I shut it off and let them sit there overnight.

This morning they had a beautiful cooper-like color so I guess it didn't do that bad. None of us noticed any extrange smell at anytime, so that's good as well. I will try to do another 2h cicle tonight.

I am planning on getting a cheap oven for the knifemaking stuff so I can take it to Noja (1h drive, there is where I do all my knifemaking stuff). Now I just have to find one for sale somewhere.

I can't wait to finish the blades by hand (sanding I mean) and glueing the slabs... mmm I think I can have this batch of knives done with just another free wekend!
Mikel
 
I'm really looking forward to seeing them finished. I've enjoyed your last few posts. It's cool to see such good work done by hand.
 
jackrabbitslim said:
I'm really looking forward to seeing them finished. I've enjoyed your last few posts. It's cool to see such good work done by hand.
Click to expand...

Never thought I was drawing so much attention! Thanks for the compliment jackrabitslim, I will try to finish them as soon as possible.

Mikel
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top