The dreaded "tink"

J

Jason Fry

Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
3,224
Well, I gave it my first shot at heat treating tonight. I had four blades ready to go. One sawzall blade, one trap spring, two files. I heated them to nonmagnetic and quenched in water. I should have known better than to use water :rolleyes: Of the four, the sawzall came out perfect, the trap spring came out perfect. The smaller file blade warped at the ricasso. The large blade, the one I'd put the most time in on, got the dreaded tink. Cracked right where the taper reached full thickness along the spine. Several questions rise out of this experience. Should I have gone with oil of some kind, or is this just part of the process? Two, is there a way to straighten the warped blade? Anneal and straighten, then re-heat treat? Now I have to find another file the same size as the one I broke, since I already have a good set of handles made up...:thumbdn:
 
i suggest you get one of these http://www.secowarwick.com/htdb/htdb.htm itl help you heat treat more successfully if you know what metal you using,its also free, theres also a list of steels used in certain springs and tools on the forums if you rummage around a bit to help you identify the steel your using. the crack was probably caused by a stress raiser like a small grinding mark or something like that. i wouldent be discouraged, 2 out of 4 for a first heat treat is pretty good. got any pics? you should invest in some steel like 1095 or some other easy to heat treat steel and perfect it instead of using several steels that require different recipes and quenching mediums. its inexpensive if you look on the net. have fun -Stan
 
My sawzall blades are Bi-metal, which wouldn't "tink", but won't hold an edge ,either.
How were you heating the blades for quench? Overheating is the killer of blades in water quenching.
Stacy
 
I've learned to hope I hear the 'tink' in the shop rather than the customer get it in the field... I made some hunters a couple years ago for someone for himself and his friends (4 total), and when he was using his in the field it broke on him! I guess it was a hairline crack or sumthin' I didn't see... oops... I made it right but still...
 
bladsmth said:
My sawzall blades are Bi-metal, which wouldn't "tink", but won't hold an edge ,either.
How were you heating the blades for quench? Overheating is the killer of blades in water quenching.
Stacy
Click to expand...

Not to hijack the thread but how does being bi-metal make them not hold an edge? I have an assortment of worn out demolition blades,big and made for metal cutting, and was going to make some filet knives out of them. They break like glass after a water quench,before temper of course. Not worth messing with?
 
bi metal blades bi meaning two the edge where the teeth are is a high carbon steel that hardens. the back is more times than not a lower carbon steel that will not get hard enough. if you where to make a blade out of them the teeth would be the only steel that would work and that just doesn't work
 
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