?'s on heat treating O1

[swsccassidy]

Hi Guys,
New to the whole process so here we go. I ordered a piece of 01 and traced out my shape and went at it with my bench grinder. I don't have any specialized tools and I'm in college so that pretty much means I'm broke......So I've got the edge all ground out, holes for handle pins all drilled, and now I've got to heat treat it. I don't have a propane torch, let alone a furnace. So, is there any way that I can use just a stove top burner or a camp stove to heat this thing anywhere near 1200-1300 F? What type of results would I get if I were to put it in the oven for say 30 mins on broil (~600F) and then run it over the burner for a while? Is there any hope or do I just need to go get a propane torch now and get it over with? Are there any other options that won't cost me any more $$$? I would love to do it in a fire pit but thats not an option... Thanks!

 

[raylaconico]

You can't do it on a stove/oven. It won't get hot enough. You can't do it with just a propane torch unless it's a very small blade. I've never tried it but a propane torch might work if the blade is thin and less than maybe 1 -2".. The cheapest way to do it is with a BBQ using charcoal. It's tricky and your results won't be the greatest but it will work.

Biggest advice is.. Be VERY careful when you're working with fire if you're not sure about what you are doing.

 

[AcridSaint]

The propane torch will give successful results if you back it with a soft firebrick on a small blade (4-5"). However, you won't be getting a "proper" heat treat on the blade, just one that hardens it enough to call it a knife. There are a couple places that offer heat treating of oil hardening steels, Delbert Ealy here on BF does it for a reasonable price, I hear.

Another option would be to try and find a maker near you who would show you how to heat treat the knife. Where are you located?

 

[silver_pilate]

1200 - 1300F is not near enough heat. O1 needs 1450-1500F and a hold for minimum 5 minutes after it's at even temperature (it really benefits from 10-15 minutes hold at temp). If you're able to build a small one brick propane forge, you can heat to non magnetic and then try and bring the temp up a little bit more and hold it. Careful about just overheating it as you can weaken the blade with grain growth. Quench in oil heated to 130F. Canola has worked for me if you have nothing else.

Do a google search with the following format replacing query with your search:

shoptalk site:bladeforums.com query

There have been several threads on this topic in which you will find great info. Research the heat treat as much as you can as it is one of the most critical parts of making a usable knife.

--nathan

 

[swsccassidy]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm in Southern California, so finding a charcoal BBQ is definitely possible. I'm just having some fun making these blades, not planning on using them like I would my other knives. As far as Delbert Ealy goes, how do I find out some more about what he does and costs, etc? My buddy may have a charcoal BBQ, so if I'm brave I may try that. We'll see, thanks for the info.

 

[silver_pilate]

Google him and shoot him an email. I've heard he does a great job.

--nathan

 

[rtj1981]

Here's probably your cheapest route other than finding someone in your area to help you out. This is what I used to heat treat my knives before I built a kiln. Its built out of a soft fire brick. You can try to find them locally or order one from Darren Ellis, they're cheap so if you buy/order one I would suggest buying 2-3. Plus if you build one then you can use it multiple times.

Here is a picture of the firebricks I'm talking about. Notice that its a soft fire brick not a hard one like you use in a wood stove. Those won't work because they have no insulating properties.

Next I use a spade bit and a cordless drill to bore out 2 holes that will later become the chamber. You could use a smaller drill bit it would just take longer. Try not to leave the edges too thin so there is less of a chance of cracking.

Next I used a wood rasp to knock out the excess firebrick material and make the chamber into an oval shape.

The last thing to do is drill a hole large enough to fit the tip of your torch tip into perpendicular to your chamber you just drilled out. Notice the torch tip on the right in this last pic. You might want to also use wire to help hold the brick together since they have a tendency to crack after repeated use. I don't know how big your knife is but i hoe this helps.

 

[silver_pilate]

That's pretty much the setup I used starting out. You can play with the position of the torch hole to get the best flame distribution. Use a Bernzomatic JTH7 torch and place the torch tip several inches outside the hole in the brick to allow O2 mixing as the torch blows into the small forge. Use a couple of bricks drilled out end to end to increase the depth of the forge, but you'll lose heat as you move away from the flame hole and there will be hot spots. Let the blade come up to temperature (past non magnetic, pull it out and let the temps equalize a bit in the blade but don't let it cool too much. Then move the blade in/out in the brick forge to reheat to even heat, trying to hold the temp as you reach the critical temperature.

--nathan

 

[Cliff Davis]

I'm in college so that pretty much means I'm broke...

Been there, done that,, couldn't afford the T-shirt Cassidy.
If you'll ship it out to me and shoot me a PM or email with your HT and Tempering preferences, I'll be glad to do it for you.
You can pay me back when you make your first million as a knife maker.

 

[swsccassidy]

Thanks for all of the replies guys! Once the budget allows it I may try and make a one brick propane forge. Cliff, thats a very generous offer, I've sent ou an email. Thanks again!