Snark it like it owes ya money!!!

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zuluninja said:
I should be able to treat 1084 with that setup, right?
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The short answer is yes, 1084 is exactly the right choice for a basic HT set-up. It also happens to make very tough knives with fine-grained, keen edges. :)
 
james terrio said:
The short answer is yes, 1084 is exactly the right choice for a basic HT set-up. It also happens to make very tough knives with fine-grained, keen edges. :)
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James is correct. the short answer is yes. BUT, You can also paint a car with a 5 gallon bucket of paint and a roller. ;) The devil is in the details IMO.
 
1084 is fine steel and very forgiving in heat treat.. break open that old yellow book and let your fingers do the walking, find a local precision heat treat company close to you and make a friend, when you get your forge up and at 'em heat treat a test piece as you would a knife then take that sample to them and have them test the rc. bring it back and temper it.. take another sample heat treat like you did the first one this time temper it also, take both samples in and see where your rc is...

once you get the hang of your temps and your furnace I think you'll be fine, yeah its scientific madness but worth it.. make sure you keep a log with your testing/times/temps/quench methods etc...

skate tests may work but I've had samples come in at 48rc when I skate tested (and thought they were good), rockwell doesn't lie... I have since bought a rockwell tester, expensive, but I think my friend the heat treater got sick of me being around all the time :D
 
TMHunt said:
James is correct. the short answer is yes. BUT, You can also paint a car with a 5 gallon bucket of paint and a roller. ;) The devil is in the details IMO.
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"I'll paint any car for $49.95".. Earl Sheib... Those were the days... Now we know how he did it... Tawd, there's a new source of green for you... help fund the shop expansion. Murph can run the roller... maybe.

Doc
 
I bought my rockwell tester new the same time I bought my HT oven. It was a huge investment, but well worth it. I admire anyone that wants to do there own HT. But, there's really no way around having the right tools for the job.
There is a cheaper alternative for a rockwell tester and that is a set of hardness files. Not near as accurate but will at least give you a ballpark idea of where your at. I think a set can be bought for around $100-$150. bucks.
 
Doc_Savage said:
"I'll paint any car for $49.95".. Earl Sheib... Those were the days... Now we know how he did it... Tawd, there's a new source of green for you... help fund the shop expansion. Murph can run the roller... maybe.

Doc
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Murph would spend his time sniffin the paint thinner. Id never get any work out of him. :rolleyes:
 
TMHunt said:
But, there's really no way around having the right tools for the job.
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agreed.... even then, testing, testing and more testing til you've gone mad!!!! my oven was off by 10 degrees when calibrated, even the right tools for the job can lie.... that's why heat treat is much more then meets the eye, especially when you plan to sell knives...... I can't over express testing..... HT is a whole other animal in and of itself
 
TMHunt said:
There is a cheaper alternative for a rockwell tester and that is a set of hardness files. Not near as accurate but will at least give you a ballpark idea of where your at. I think a set can be bought for around $100-$150. bucks.
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That's one way to do it. On the other hand, for $150 I can have Peters' do a dozen blades and they Rockwell each one. Selling one knife pays for the whole batch ;)

As we were discussing the other day, HT is a lot like grinders... what you invest in and how you go about it depends on so many factors that there really is no "right" short answer. There a lot of wrong answers, though, including cat pee quenchants and making knives out of old bed springs :p
 
Battle Creek Knives said:
...HT is a whole other animal in and of itself...
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It really is. Brad Stallsmith told me once, "I've been a heat-treater for 25 years... and if I do it another 25 years I might know it all." Like TM said, I have nothing but admiration for folks who take the time to learn how to do their own HT properly. Me, I'm not very bright and still trying to figure out how to grind the dang things right, so I let the pros handle the high-tech scientifical stuff :D
 
Battle Creek Knives said:
agreed.... even then, testing, testing and more testing til you've gone mad!!!! my oven was off by 10 degrees when calibrated, even the right tools for the job can lie.... that's why heat treat is much more then meets the eye, especially when you plan to sell knives...... I can't over express testing..... HT is a whole other animal in and of itself
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james terrio said:
That's one way to do it. On the other hand, for $150 I can have Peters' do a dozen blades and they Rockwell each one. Selling one knife pays for the whole batch ;)

As we were discussing the other day, HT is a lot like grinders... what you invest in and how you go about it depends on so many factors that there really is no "right" short answer. There a lot of wrong answers, though, including cat pee quenchants and making knives out of old bed springs :p
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All good points and well said, and kinda goes back to a earlier point. If your can't invest in the time, knowledge and money needed for proper HT for whatever reason. Its best to depend on the pros. I've heard nothing but good things about Peters. I'm sure your knives are in great hands there. I've seen and played with both of your knives firsthand and know enough about them to know that both of you gentleman make a good product.
As for me personally, I'm just a control freak that doesn't trust anyone when it comes to my name stamped on the blade. Hell, ask Murph, he'll tell ya.
That's also why I got into making my own sheaths. I was paying a fair amount of money for them. I was getting good work, but not stuff that I was satisfied with. I can't justify paying good money for not having complete control over it. If I'm gonna shell out big bucks its gonna be to my liking. Piece of mind is worth a lot to me.
 
TMHunt said:
As for me personally, I'm just a control freak that doesn't trust anyone when it comes to my name stamped on the blade. .... Piece of mind is worth a lot to me.
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I can understand that. :thumbup:

Too much reality though, not enough snark on this page...
TMHunt said:
I've seen and played with both of your knives firsthand and know enough about them to know that both of you gentleman make a good product.
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Pffft, who you callin' a gentleman? :rolleyes: :p
 
TMHunt said:
Murph would spend his time sniffin the paint thinner. Id never get any work out of him. :rolleyes:
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You get work outa him now?!?

I thought you just used him like a mop to soak up all the beer around there.
 
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