Help! My steel's bending!

M

Minibear464

Joined
Jul 14, 2011
Messages
687
I'm using 1084 steel, and heat treating with a fire. Specifically, it's a... the name escapes me, but where you dig two holes, connect them, and have the fire in one hole? I use a hairdryer down the other hole. The problem is, I put straight bars of steel in there, and it comes out slightly bent. Not greatly, but enough that it has to be straightened. I think the problem is that I'm putting it down vertical, and as it gets hotter, it's more malleable and gravity bends it. Any way to solve it? I wish to continue with this type of fire since I can get the most heat from it. Tried doing a search, but the topics are all about straightening afterwards, not preventing.
 
It sounds like you are heating too long of an area. You can only work a few inches at a time anyway with any efficiency. Try not to let it hang over the fire and support it with coke from the bottom. Heat no more than 6 inches at a time unless you are heat treating or doing finishing forging. It might help. Give it a shot unless someone else can chime in.
 
OOPS just saw you are heat treating. First it sounds like it might be too hot. Second don't lay it in the fire you need to hold it with the edge either up or down but not flat. If you have to turn it on its side rotate it and don't leave it in that position very long. If you watch the Japanese smiths they keep it moving all the time.
 
I overheated a blade in ht last weekend. Too many irons in the fire. (no pun intended)

Lots of bend and a little twist. I would guess checking the temp and/or soak time first. If it still is happening, it could be because of stress in the blade.
 
Yes, thank you, it is a Dakota fire. Basically it's in a deep narrow pit, and resting vertically. So suspend it.... I'll try it soon and see how it goes, thanks! Also, on one of my other blades, I can't get it straight. I'm suspending it between two pins, and clamping the middle right now.
 
Are you getting the bend after the quench? That can be caused by a lot of different things. Uneven grind, not heating evenly, not going into the quench straight, even agitating too aggressively. It can occurs to a lessor extent in the tempering oven also. It is more commonly called warp rather than bend. Thus a little confusion there in the beginning.
 
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