Quenching revisited

[samwereb]

Supposing one bought or built a small gas forge. Most highcarbon steels have to be quenched to below critical pretty damn quickly, certainly in under 1 second.

I have tried to work out all sorts of apparati to incorporate into a forge for quenching but it doesn't seem, on paper, to really get the job done in time. I have tried to design a trap-door bottom, but even gravity is too slow to get the object in the quench before the temperature drops.

How are you guys able to ensure that you are getting precise hardening in a home forge?

 

[Ed Caffrey]

It's not really difficlt. Speaking to most of the steels that a bladesmith would use, in order for the steel to "harden", it must go from critical temp to below 500 degrees in six seconds or less. There will be some retained austinite in the matrix, but this can be minimzed, and in some cases practically eliminate through other thermal cycles. Sometmes the old ways are the best. A number of years ago I was very concerned with exact temps of blades that were being hardened, and wasted a lot of energy (and money) on various devices to control temp. A gentleman who had been a blacksmith for over half of his 82 years told me to use magnets to determine critical temps. I've been doing so for the past several years. They never lie, they don't need calibrating, and once you get used to them, you can judge a wide range of heats. A simple answer to your question would be to locate your quench tank(s) in an area very near the forge, or maybe try hardening with a torch, that way you can be right next to the quench tank when the operation is in progress. Take Care!
http://www.mtn-webtech.com/~caffrey

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Ed Caffrey
"The Montana Bladesmith"