- Joined
- Nov 24, 1999
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- 4,981
Read some old threads. Found some good info from Ed Fowler, but I have a few more questions.
What was everyone using to heat the steel with? I have a heat shrink torch and a pile of fire bricks. I can use either mapp gas or propane. Its just a specialty type head for a plumbing torch bottle though so capabilities are still limited. I can get about 6" of 3/32" O1 up to a dull orange with plain old propane, easily gets 2-3 inches hot enough for bad scaling if your not careful. Do I have enough heat for a 3"-4" blade kitchen knife in 440C? Use MAPP gas?
Also how light of an oil do you quench in? Texaco type A is what I remember in the other threads. I've just been rednecking it with used motor oil on O1 and getting good results (no harsh testing but the knives have all gotten hard enough to skate a file before tempering, and seem to keep a fine grain and everything) Do I need to quit being a cheap SOB an buy some of the real stuff?
Temper 2 hours at 350? Thats what was done before, anyone tried some more and changed things any?
Thanks. I've been knocking out knives fairly regularly in O1 and have given quite a few away to family and friends. All hunting, and folding knives though. The womenfolk in the family have gone beyond admiring to hinting an actin jealous, so I need to work out something for them here sometime
Think I'm not in trouble with my mom after giving her a little 2" utility knife with a kydex slipsheath for christmas (and putting black micarta on everything in the butcher block), but my sister mentioned how the slice-o-matic ginsu ninja knives they got as a wedding present AREN'T REALLY indestructable(imagine that)after looking over a knife I made.
What was everyone using to heat the steel with? I have a heat shrink torch and a pile of fire bricks. I can use either mapp gas or propane. Its just a specialty type head for a plumbing torch bottle though so capabilities are still limited. I can get about 6" of 3/32" O1 up to a dull orange with plain old propane, easily gets 2-3 inches hot enough for bad scaling if your not careful. Do I have enough heat for a 3"-4" blade kitchen knife in 440C? Use MAPP gas?
Also how light of an oil do you quench in? Texaco type A is what I remember in the other threads. I've just been rednecking it with used motor oil on O1 and getting good results (no harsh testing but the knives have all gotten hard enough to skate a file before tempering, and seem to keep a fine grain and everything) Do I need to quit being a cheap SOB an buy some of the real stuff?
Temper 2 hours at 350? Thats what was done before, anyone tried some more and changed things any?
Thanks. I've been knocking out knives fairly regularly in O1 and have given quite a few away to family and friends. All hunting, and folding knives though. The womenfolk in the family have gone beyond admiring to hinting an actin jealous, so I need to work out something for them here sometime
