HT in a Weber?

larry1096

larry1096

Joined
Mar 7, 2002
Messages
181
Let's just say there was...uh, this guy....and he was thinking about trying to use a Weber (either gas or charcoal) to get some O-1 blades hot enough to quench. I...uh, this guy was wondering if the typical temps in a home BBQ got high enough to do something like that. The last time I was...uh, this guy was using torches to do this he scared the bejeezes out of himself and almost wet my pants.


Appreciate any help,

Larry
 
I would tell the guy that if he was able to scare himself with the torches that means he was smart enough to not have blown himself up so.......try the torches again.... no way to learn without "paying your dues" :D

Save the Webber for Ribs.... or use the torch for hot dogs and blades both :D :D
 
Larry- What kind of torch are you using and what aspect of it's use induced such fear? It is my humble opinion (especially given the much greater experience and qualifications of the previous respondents) that a barbecue will provide a much greater and more uniform heat than a typical propane torch (assuming that your torch is propane)- provided that some form of blower is used- which needn't be anything more than a piece of pipe and a hair blower. If you can, get a copy of "The $50.00 Knife Shop" by Wayne Goddard which describes how to get started with a minimum of investment in expensive tooling and equipment. With a few bricks and a pipe and a hairblower I converted my smoker/barbeque into a forge that doubles as a melting furnace for casting bronze- plenty of heat! I did have to give up on using my wife's hair blowers after toasting 3 of them- I now use my $14 harbor freight shop-vac with a rheostat to control the blast (from the shop-vac and my wife!). ;-)
 
Larry, If you don't have a copy of the 50.00 knife shop and are impatient, call up Harbor Freight. They have a "weed burner" torch for about 17.00 that you can hook up to your grill tank. It has a knob for adjusting your gas flow, and a lever that you squeeze to make about a 4 foot 8 inch diameter flame.
Heres what you do. Get about 4 fire brick and make a little oven (one on each side, one in the back, two on top for small blades. Cut up a coat hanger and bend some little jigs to hold a blade upright on its back. Sit your blade in there (DO THIS OUTSIDE, NOT IN THE BASEMENT!!). Back up and blast away. You'll have it up to critical temp (non-magnetic) in about 2-4 minutes. Heat up your oil first so its ready when you snatch the hot blade out and quench immediately. This is the way I worked for about the first 3 years. Had no troubles getting it up to heat treating temps.
Ed
 
Thanks, I'll ....uh, let my friend know.

He got scared when he swung the torch around when he tried to get the magnet on the blade, and you should have heard me scream...when he told me, I mean...when that puppy almost burned his eyebrows off. Made me think a more stationary and faster heat source might be safer.

I'll try that four brick weed-flame thrower thing. Any idea where you can buy a fire brick? Home Depot type place, or are they special order?

Thanks for all the help!

Larry
 
Larry....doesn't your friend read the posts here. Like the time I set my shirt on fire while a client was pulling in the parking lot....or the time I burned a 5" hole in my sweat pants with the grinder, or the time I lit the forge AFTER turning on the gas and launched it into space.....

Shucks, I'm the careful one here..

You should see What Mark Does! :D
:footinmou :footinmou :footinmou

All Kidding aside, Ed and CW gave very good advice!
 
Hey larry....dont give up.

What I do is clamp a CB radio magnet in my bench vise. Hold the blade in one hand with vise grips and the torch in the other. My quench tank is right below the magnet off to the right a tad. I never point the torch but to the right of me and angled down.

I have a very limited space at the moment and keep well aware of my torching area.....

You can also try clamping the torch in a stationary position.
 
Ed

Do you know if the weed burner would operate using natural gas supplied a connection from the house? How do you set the flame? It seems that one does not need a "4 foot 8 inch diameter flame" unless one was HTing a long sword.

Thanks.

Phil
 
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