How hot before heat treat is ruined ?

[RDT]

What temperature's will Heat treated stainless steel like BG 43 and ATS 34. I am applying some coating to knives and I'll have to bake them for a while and that frightens me as i have never done this before. The hottest they've ever gotten was whatever temperature the Kydex was when molding sheaths. I think the baking is done at 120 degrees F. That ain't much and probably won't affect it one bit but I am curious if there will be any differences is the blades hardness. Even if only the most minute difference. Kind of a stupid question but I'd like to play it totally safe and not have my blades tolerances change at all. Thanks.....RDT

 

[Mike Hull]

120deg.,F, will not hurt them at all. Your hot water most likely exceeds that. No tolerances will be changed.

 

[RDT]

Thanks Mike, I figured as much...just making totally sure. Take care.....RDT

 

[tom mayo]

the temps that affect h/t are the tempering temperatures........ATS and BG 42 are tempered at around 900 degrees (925 I think)-440c comes in much lower in the 400s. I dont think you need to worry. The steel starts changing colors when the temper starts going out.

 

[Ferret]

The local coating (TiCN etc) guys say to coat after HT is OK and that is around 400F, so yer larfin Rich :

 

[RDT]

Thanks Tom & Dav, I'm just a hypochondriac (is that spelled right ?)

 

[Gollnick]

I have been told, and I hope all of you can confirm this for me, that to affect the heat treatment, you have to heat the blade above the final heat-treat temperature. I'm also told that the lowest final temperature being used today in even the most exotic processes is above 300F. Water boils a little above 200F. So, my rule of thumb has been that as long as you're not getting the blade so hot that a drop of water doesn't sizzle (boil) on it, you're safe by at least a hundred degrees.