So did I harden it right?

trentu

trentu

Joined
Mar 2, 2006
Messages
1,120
Well I made a blank out of 1095. Heated it red hot in a charcoal fire. Quenched it in Canola oil that was heated to 140 deg for 15min. Put it in the oven for 2 hours at 425deg. Soaked it after that for 15min. So do you think it will keep an edge?
 
You'll find out faster by testing it than asking anybody :p

Seriously though, after quenching but before tempering, test the edge with a file, see if it skates. Make sure to test the tip of the edge, the middle, AND a spot near the ricasso. Gotta make sure you hardened the WHOLE thing.

Then after tempering, test it again. Do the brass rod test, and cut up a whole bunch of cardboard. If (after you sharpen it) the edge flexes when you push it against a brass rod, but doesn't chip but also doesn deform... and you can cut up a ton of cardboard and still have it pretty much as sharp as when you started, then you're in good shape.

No need to tweak or make fine adjustements to your heat treating times and temperatures until you've got a process that basically works!


The only other thing is this: "Heated it red hot..." That's pretty vague. Did you check to see whether it still stuck to a magnet?
Reaching a non-magnetic state is a more reliable indicator that you got it hot enough than the color change. Not a perfect indicator, but better than eyeballing the colors.

Go ahead and test it, and YOU tell US whether it's hardened! :D

Good luck :thumbup:
Mike
 
By soaked I mean let stand in the oil. I will give it the brass and cardboard test. For some reason this stage of making a knife always makes me nervous. I really need to get a good magnet.
 
find an old boom box or other set of speakers that doesn't work and knock the round magnet out of the back of the speacker. works great for me :D
 
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