quick test A2 tool steel?

[wnease]

Grrrrr, it's happened to you too I bet. I pull 5 blades out of the oven, A-2, pull out of the foil, air cool... hmmn one of them, just curious, I file test. What's this? Soft? Dead soft.

I grab a scrap from the same bar, torch it orange and quench in oil. Dead soft. The other 4 were hard and are in dry ice right now, from a different bar.

So now I'm eying up the stack (40 pieces?)of A-2 wondering what to do with it. Last time this happened it was O-1 and I went through the whole pile slicing off a piece and quench testing each ( almost 10 pieces mild steel in that).

Will A-2 harden with the quick torch test? It's probably a little cool and no soak, but will it at least separate it from mild?

Thanks,

William

 

[Carl_First_Timer]

That sucks. Get it bright orange and quench and she will harden.