O1 heat treating using borax?

[Danbo]

Someone posted a little while ago about using a borax solution before heat treating O1. I wonder if someone would repost this formula and heat treating method for me. I have a few O1 blades that I am getting ready to heat treat, and I want to make sure I am doing it correctly. There was something about the borax that kept the scale from forming or something like that. Thanks in advance.

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Danbo, soul brother of Rambo

 

[kile]

I remember reading that topic and was interested because I also have several 0-1 blades to heat treat. from what I remember the guy who posted it(I cant remember who it was) said that he put a bunch of borax, 20 mule team borax that you can find at any walmart, in a coffee can filled it 1/3 full, then put water in the can, and boiled the mixture to get all the borax to disolve, then he dipped the blades in the solution several times, and let them dry between coats. The reason was because the scale supposedly flakes off much easier if you do this. I will be trying it today, so I will let you know how it worked for me, Hopefully I am remembering correctly.
Kyle

 

[weld]

I don`t know if this will help but, here goes. I use to operate a furnace for a heat exchanger maker. We painted all the machined surfaces with silver paint to prevent scale. I believe we went up to 1200 degrees.

 

[kile]

I just tried it, and I dipped the blades several times in a solution of hot water and borax about a 1/3 2/3 mixture, the blades build up a chunky filmy layer, then after heat treat, the scale literally flaked right off, with pressure from my fingernail in some places.
kyle