I'll browse around your channel Mike, but I'd really like to know how you heat treated your flatbar thrower.
Sorry I didn't get back sooner, but what I did is used my harbor freight flamethrower torch to heat the knife, while the knife was inside a small firebrick forge. Just 6 firebricks stacked to make a small oven. I heated the knife until it hit the non-magnetic temp, then within 1-2 seconds had it out and submerged in my 5 gallon bucket which was filled with some cooking oil, motor oil, both new and old. 30 second soak in the oil.
Before I started the process I placed my pizza stone in the oven and turned the temp to 425 to preheat. A pizza stone has to preheat with the oven, put it in first. The stone also heats up just like anything else in the oven, slower than the oven, so let it sit once it has preheated, for at least 15 minutes to stabilize the temp of the stone.
After the oil soak I cleaned the knife with some warm water and plenty of dishwashing detergent really good to get the oil off, wiped it down and dropped it on the stone, set the oven for 1 hour and walked away. The end result was a beautiful golden color, just what I wanted. This knife I ran through the oven twice. The first time at 425, the second time at 400. I have since made a 14" knife from another flatbar, the same technique but only tempered it in the oven at 425 for one hour, didn't do the second temper, as a test.
The knife is brutal. It is heavy, thick and hits like a ton of bricks. I balanced all of my knifes right at the center point, and it throws as good as any knife I have every thrown. WELL worth the 2 bucks for the 15" flatbar from harbor freight
I will make a video of that knife, its just a big hunk of heavy, balanced, 2"x"4 splitting steel. Ant the finish came out better, hope this helps, btw after I oven temper the blades at 425 for one hour to relieve the stress, I drop them in that bucket of oil quick to cool them down, then clean them, finish off the tip and polish, then BAM BAM BAM
