Interesting W-2 heat treating results

Tom, just out of curiosity, what anti scale were you using, and did you apply it every cycle? I use the ATP 641 when normalizing, cycling, and austentizing. Kind of a pain, you have to apply it every cycle as it flakes off during air cool or quenching. I've heard the PCB stuff is better for cycling, supposedly it will stay on better. I use a kiln, and there is basically zero decarb layer when I'm thru quenching.

SO glad to hear you were able to get some decent RC reading.
 
I used Brownells ATP 641 and it did flake off after each cycle. But I really only care about keeping the flats protected from decarb.
The Brownells looks like satinite. I wonder if thinned satinite would stay on better.
 
Tom Lewis said:
I used Brownells ATP 641 and it did flake off after each cycle. But I really only care about keeping the flats protected from decarb.
The Brownells looks like satinite. I wonder if thinned satinite would stay on better.
Click to expand...

Tom, I've only tried satanite recently to protect against decarb. I don't have much experience with it other than trying to get a hamon. But, on a blade I just heat treated the other day I put a thin coat on after thoroughly cleaning the blade and letting it dry. I thermal cycled the the blade and had a similar experience to yours. It flaked off and I still had decarb.

I'm going to try to bake it on next time at a lower temp.

 
Last edited:
Don Hanson III said:
Normalization doesn't grow the grain if done right, it refines the grains (makes it smaller). Have also never heard of making 'new' smaller grains.

Smaller grain in W2 reduces hardenability.
Click to expand...

Actually the grains never get smaller, in that they don't "shrink". Reducing the grain size means nucleating new ones within the existing, larger ones.
 
Don Hanson III said:
I wonder if the decarb was there before heat treating? Using the anti scale and such.

I've never had any noticeable decarb with the W2 I have, except two flat bars (from a different batch) with .025-.030" decarb and it came from the mill that way.
Click to expand...

I'm going to do a test today if I have time. I'll normalize and thermal cycle a piece of W2, do a 1200 anneal, austentize, then grind the edge to see how deep the decarb is. I'll do a second piece ground clean before the process as well to compare.
 
As far as decarb goes, I also take Ed Caffrey's advice of "forge it thick, grind it thin" especially when I am foreign down from a round bar. The only time that I have real concern is with the austenizing phase and I use the Brownells liquid anti-scale. I have even used it as the "wash" when trying to get a hamon. i now fear that may hinder that process a little bit because the coat is not thin enough, so I have been thinking about going "bare" or using a very thing wash of Satanite..
 
stezann said:
Actually the grains never get smaller, in that they don't "shrink". Reducing the grain size means nucleating new ones within the existing, larger ones.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info. Like I said, I know what works, just don't know how to talk about it. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top