Removing HT scale....Blasting?

T

tmix

Joined
Jun 28, 2006
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I've built a one piece hollow handle knife out of D-2 round bar. A local maker who uses D-2 exclusively tells me to polish the snot out of the blade before heat treating so I wont have to deal with any finish problems.
I plan to finish the knife with Gunkote after HT. (local make knows this) This will mean that I need to blast the knife before coating. So my questions are:

Will blasting remove HT scale on hardened D-2?

Do I really need to go up past 400 grit and remove all scratches before heat treat?

Thanks for any help. I'm pretty close to HT time and I just need a little more info.

This is my first knife, BTW! I'm really excited.
 
HT in stainless steel foil and "plate quench" that will solve all your problems !!
 
Tmix,
What Mete said. If you need foil you can get it here:www.midwestknifemakers.com
I am assuming that since you are new to knife mangling that you do not have an oven. If this is indeed true you would be better off sending your blade out for HT. D2 is great stuff but not for the beginning knife mangler to practice HTing. Finish filling out your profile and someone may volunteer to help you out.
Good luck,:thumbup:
Matt Doyle
 
I guess I should have mentioned that I'll be sending out for HT. Texas Knifemaker's is only a short drive for me. Does this change anyone's response?
 
If you are going to bead blast there is not much sense in taking it past 400 the blasting should take care of it.
Bob
 
tmix said:
Do I really need to go up past 400 grit and remove all scratches before heat treat?
Click to expand...

As others have said, 400 grit should be fine for bead blast.

You really don't want to have to remove any scratches after heat treat. D2 gives you a true appreciation of the meaning of "abrasion resistant" :eek:
 
Speaking from experience, scale on D2 isn't like regular old scale. The high temps and long soaks mean surface decarburation that goes fairly deep. Causes the outer skin of metal to be soft.

I once made a blade, and my argon cut off. I'd taken the edge down to .020 and the decarb was probably about .010, so I had to set the entire edge back. That one became a "test to destruction" blade..

So, like they said. Foil is good stuff.
 
Actual decarb (from heat treating without atmosphere or stainless steel foil) would be rather hard for any blasting to remove. I've tried it, but if you're gonna have it professionally heat treated, there won't be much of it on the surface. just a light buffing on a wheel with 400 grit compound will remove any of decarb.
 
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