- Joined
- Aug 12, 2002
- Messages
- 2,259
First off, I hope that was a descriptive enough topic, after all the hoopla about that. 
Anyways, I'm not forging blades yet, still working by stock removal, but I wnat to make the best knife I possibly can to respect my customers.
I have heard mentioned often, including again int hat thread that had the amazing picture of grain structure in one of Ed's knives, mention of thermal cycles to refine grain structure. I am well aware that I will not be able to get the same type of grain patterns/matrices with simple thermal cycles as Ed or other forgers do by combining forging with thermal cycles, but I would like to improve my knives as much as possible.
So anwyays, currently working with O1, and will add the previously mentioned 10xx steels to the line up with my next purchase of steel. So how exactly do y'all go about the thermal cycling. If I understand right, a common practice is three thermal cycles(and I already do triple tempering). What exactly comprises a thermal cycle if you're not forging? Is this just normalzing the steel(which to my understanding is bringing up to non magnetic then letting cool to room temp in the air) before your heat treat and temper cycles? Or do I need to anneal(which again, to my understanding is bring up to non magnetic, then cool to room temp SLOWLY, 50 deg. per hour, by keeping it in something such as sand, ash or vermiculite)? Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I would like to start this process each night for next three nights on two knives I'm working on so I can heat treat and temper them this weekend(or at least start the process). I will be calling around for firebricks this evening, hopefully.
Also, on normalizing, does it matter if I bring up whole piece of steel to nonmagnetic at same time, or as long as all of it's nonmagnetic at some time in process, would what be at least pretty good? My thinking is that since you're not quenching it, just letting it air cool, that it probably wouldn't be quite as crucial to have it all nonmagnetic at one time, which would be easier as I could do that with torch now, even though I don't ahve the firebricks and one brick forge yet(if need be,though, can get it all non magnetic in grill with hairdryer blower. I know, first three knives actually got too hot in that method and so all had very coarse grain structure. This is what I'm trying to avoid, and may actually replace the one of those that I sold, as it was to a good friend).

Anyways, I'm not forging blades yet, still working by stock removal, but I wnat to make the best knife I possibly can to respect my customers.
I have heard mentioned often, including again int hat thread that had the amazing picture of grain structure in one of Ed's knives, mention of thermal cycles to refine grain structure. I am well aware that I will not be able to get the same type of grain patterns/matrices with simple thermal cycles as Ed or other forgers do by combining forging with thermal cycles, but I would like to improve my knives as much as possible.
So anwyays, currently working with O1, and will add the previously mentioned 10xx steels to the line up with my next purchase of steel. So how exactly do y'all go about the thermal cycling. If I understand right, a common practice is three thermal cycles(and I already do triple tempering). What exactly comprises a thermal cycle if you're not forging? Is this just normalzing the steel(which to my understanding is bringing up to non magnetic then letting cool to room temp in the air) before your heat treat and temper cycles? Or do I need to anneal(which again, to my understanding is bring up to non magnetic, then cool to room temp SLOWLY, 50 deg. per hour, by keeping it in something such as sand, ash or vermiculite)? Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I would like to start this process each night for next three nights on two knives I'm working on so I can heat treat and temper them this weekend(or at least start the process). I will be calling around for firebricks this evening, hopefully.
Also, on normalizing, does it matter if I bring up whole piece of steel to nonmagnetic at same time, or as long as all of it's nonmagnetic at some time in process, would what be at least pretty good? My thinking is that since you're not quenching it, just letting it air cool, that it probably wouldn't be quite as crucial to have it all nonmagnetic at one time, which would be easier as I could do that with torch now, even though I don't ahve the firebricks and one brick forge yet(if need be,though, can get it all non magnetic in grill with hairdryer blower. I know, first three knives actually got too hot in that method and so all had very coarse grain structure. This is what I'm trying to avoid, and may actually replace the one of those that I sold, as it was to a good friend).