Spotted Blade

Big Chris

Big Chris

SAHD/Knifemaker
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Apr 1, 2010
Messages
3,273
I heat treated a blade over the weekend ( .156 O1 ) in a electric furnace at work at 1480 degrees, quenched in McMaster 28 second oil and the blade came out at 63 rockwell. I brought it home and tempered in 435* oven twice for two hours. When I started finishing the blade I noticed bright spots on the faces and some textures that resembled orange peel. What is this? Should I be worried? This was my first knife heated in a furnace, previously blades were done in a makeshift forge and I never saw this spotting before. The steel is Starret O1 from McMaster Carr, where we get most of our tool stell for work. Camera is not working so no pics currently available. Please help and hopefully tell me all is well and that it will grind out with a little elbow grease.

Thanks
Chris
 
Keep sanding. It will most likely go away.
How long did you soak the O-1 at 1480F?
 
My first thought is that most colors do not matter. Your oven temp, and quench oil temp is what matters the most. Your RC 63 is very good if not perfect. Check it again after temper to make sure you get the RC that you are shooting for per your knife application.
Most color and surface texture are only on the surface.
 
The blade came up to temperature with the oven and soaked for about ten minutes.
 
OK, I would suspect that after you remove the scale and decarb "rind" the spots will disappear.
 
Thanks for the help guys. I was hoping that a little more grinding might take care of it.
 
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