- Joined
- Jan 22, 2009
- Messages
- 1,114
I am a new maker and I constantly read about the ways to improve my knives. The first steel I started making knives out of was 5160 and I have done a bunch of tests with different results, but I am in a jam kinda.
Heres what I do,
1. forge the knife out to shape as close as I can get it, and that part I have down pat, I can get a knife to the shape without doing very much sanding at all.
2.After I cut the knife off the bar I normalize 3 times, bring it up to non- magnetic, and let it cool in between.
3. After grinding and leaving the thickness of a nickle on the blade edge, I again normalize 3 times
4. Now I edge quench the blade, Bring it above magnetic and quench in cooking oil, but I cant get temper line to show in the blade after etching?
I have polished to a mirror finish and then etched with ferric chloride, 4 parts water to 1 part Fc, and still nothing, Now this is done before I tempering so I dont understand whats going on? My steel is good steel, I can bring to critical temp and quench in water and break it with my hands so i know its getting hard but cant figure it out?
Thanks for any help and thanks to Mr. Caffrey for putting the great article on his website about 5160, I honestly dont want to waste anyone time with this but I have looked high and low and cant come up with a answer, I really appreciate any help, CHarlie Edmondson
Heres what I do,
1. forge the knife out to shape as close as I can get it, and that part I have down pat, I can get a knife to the shape without doing very much sanding at all.
2.After I cut the knife off the bar I normalize 3 times, bring it up to non- magnetic, and let it cool in between.
3. After grinding and leaving the thickness of a nickle on the blade edge, I again normalize 3 times
4. Now I edge quench the blade, Bring it above magnetic and quench in cooking oil, but I cant get temper line to show in the blade after etching?
I have polished to a mirror finish and then etched with ferric chloride, 4 parts water to 1 part Fc, and still nothing, Now this is done before I tempering so I dont understand whats going on? My steel is good steel, I can bring to critical temp and quench in water and break it with my hands so i know its getting hard but cant figure it out?
Thanks for any help and thanks to Mr. Caffrey for putting the great article on his website about 5160, I honestly dont want to waste anyone time with this but I have looked high and low and cant come up with a answer, I really appreciate any help, CHarlie Edmondson