Hudson Bay belt axe project (probably pic heavy)

I don't want to nag,and offer unsolicited advice,but,just in case you'd find this useful:
File-testing is best done not as you'd normally use a file.Especially when testing an un-tempered hardened alloy,a file stroke will knock off/roll over all the tips of the file-teeth that come into contact,you'll effectively trash your file.
Best way is one of the top sharp corners,use it as a scratcher.Use each corner only once.That will give you a consistent analog base,relative more/less scale(using a known sample,if you wish,also),
A fresh forging is normally heavily oxidised also.Remember that oxides are Way harder than steel,and will ruin your file as well.Try to get rid of oxides before using files in earnest.
 
Phantomknives,right off the bat,make sure that you're not dealing with a layer of Decarb.This has thrown many people.
Decarb layer may be quite thick,a few thou,so try to dig deep,see what's under there.You Have overheated this quite a bit sounds like,so it's likely to be thick.
Tempering:Since you speak of "an hour",i take it you used an oven.The oxide colors will be different,then,as each is a Thickness of oxide film,and would get thicker with time.
(purple is fairly normal for such,prolonged,tempering cycle).
This,however,does not mean that your oven thermometer is accurate,probably not.So look up that T,just in case(and those both sides of it too).
Best of luck.
Ok, illI go a little deeper, the oven is brand new so it's probably within 20 or 30 degrees

I don't want to nag,and offer unsolicited advice,but,just in case you'd find this useful:
File-testing is best done not as you'd normally use a file.Especially when testing an un-tempered hardened alloy,a file stroke will knock off/roll over all the tips of the file-teeth that come into contact,you'll effectively trash your file.
Best way is one of the top sharp corners,use it as a scratcher.Use each corner only once.That will give you a consistent analog base,relative more/less scale(using a known sample,if you wish,also),
A fresh forging is normally heavily oxidised also.Remember that oxides are Way harder than steel,and will ruin your file as well.Try to get rid of oxides before using files in earnest.
I did scratch it like you said.
 
Dammit,man,sorry,it happens sometimes...
Aside from taking the temper too far,here's what i can think of:
1.The time from heating to the quench.Most alloys allow for only about a second,second and a half.
2.The Quantity of water insufficient.Sometimes,for some alloys,even a large volume works poorly.Water boils,creating a steam-jacket over the forging(steam is an insulator,it doesn't conduct heat,loosing those critical first seconds).You could try a surfactant of some kind,like folks use Shaklee's for "superquench"...But mainly it's the Volume...(what is the book minimum-gallon a lb of weight?....don't recall..).

You'll get it yet,no worries,it sure Can be a pain,at times....:(
Your heating situation sure can use some improvements...And that left-over chunk,ideally,it'd be sweet to experiment on it some at first...
If you had a few fire-bricks,or blanket refractory i wonder if, well enclosed,a Mapp gas bottle torch will bring just the bit part to critical...
 
i used a little bit less water than i use to quench spike knives. i guess throw some wood in the forge and try again, with a bit more water, maybe with a little bit of oil on top as a "pre-quench" wait no that's a terrible idea.

i couldnt find the ratio for water/steel. i am NOT doing that in the fireplace again. rest in pieces welding helmet. i guess get the whole bit up to temp then quench rather that just a small 3/4" section
 
Oh,hey,is That what you did,just heated 3/4"?...No,that won't work,it'll cool off before you can make it into the quench,too much mass behind it to absorb energy.
You'll need to heat the bit clear up to the eye...That way that mass will work For you.

I'm surprised that heating that in that fireplace (insert?) generates That much heat...I wonder if you run your load of wood first,charcoaling it,that it'd improve matters...Would be great to have some extra,on hand...(you could get a sack of store stuff,for about $1/lb,about 10-15 lbs will do it wish plenty safety margin....).
It sounds like you're blowing the coal,too.Make sure that the fuel is Between the blast and the work...It shouldn't really take that much...

Yes,use at least 5 gal of water,and maybe just a drop of Dawn detergent as surfactant...
 
I have good news and bad news.

good news is i hardened it finally!

here's the bad news:
459yffO.jpg

xvlsdqg.jpg
 
Aw,man...Sorry,Phantom,that's just how it goes sometimes...

We need to get you a decent little propane forge...(and that water-quench is too harsh,for most alloys that axes are likely to be...).

I hope this won't stop you from experimenting,though...Just work on getting a reliable,steady heating situation,and it'll all work out.
 
i dont know how effective it'll be

Man,i hate to say this but must...I don't think it'd be effective at all.
The visible cracks are only a small portion of the deal.Normally when it looks like that it's an entire network of cracks,throughout the affected zone.
Like tempered "safety" glass after collision,only invisible to the naked eye.

If you're particularly attached to the eye and poll,i'd scavange a blade from a donor,and do an arc-weld,nice,proper,ground-out,from both sides et c.
 
I wouldn't bother welding it. Just call it a door stop.

In general, when heating items for quenching the tendency is to overheat the thinner portions and under heat the thicker portions. Some ways to counter this are to apply heat mostly to the thicker areas and allow it to radiate out to the thinner portions. Or alternately cool the thinner portion slightly while the thicker portions are coming up to heat. With something thick like axe cheeks you need to hold it at temperature for some time (maybe 5 minutes)
for the heat to penetrate. Just because the surface has red heat doesn't mean the interior does yet.
 
What a great thread . Thanks for sharing . Really makes me respect the knowledge and skill sets our forefathers had to own when they counted on axes to survive . Thanks again. Charles
 
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