Water quenching is fun!!

Belstain

Belstain

Joined
Sep 17, 1999
Messages
320
Last night I tried clay quenching in water for the first time on a knife that was waaaayyy too big -18" blade-. It didn't turn out so well. About 4 inches at the tip didn't get hard and the rest didn't get hard enough.

I figured out that I didn't get it hot enough, or even enough. I usually do my heat treating in daylight and this one I did at night. Add the coating of clay to the mix and I couldn't tell when it was up to the right temp.

So, today I started over. This time I didn't put any clay at all on the edge and I did it during daylight. It's in the oven for the first temper cycle now but I think it came out right. I checked with a file all the way around and it is super hard everywhere it should be and nice and soft everywhere else.

:rolleyes: It came out perfectly straight this time. A little too straight even. Originally it had about 3/8" of recurve, now I have a straight knife:D Oh well. As long as it cuts good thats OK.
 
Congrats! Welcome to the club. I think water quenching is more stressful on the smith than the knife! Just wait till an edge rips apart, now we're talkin'! :cool:

What kind of steel was it? How (what tool) did you heat it up with? What kind of clay?
 
Yeah, post some pics. I'm getting all goosebumply! :) :D
 
Originally posted by Belstain

So, today I started over. This time I didn't put any clay at all on the edge and I did it during daylight.
Click to expand...

The clay goes on the spine doesn't it? I've never done it, so I'm interested in learning too.

Steve
 
It is 1080 heated in a verticle propane forge (ala Don Fogg's website) I used Itc100 because that's all I had handy but I wouldn't recomend it at $35 a pint (I used Half of it on this knife)

As for pictures I'll get some next week when It's done. It is basically the knife in my avatar with 9 more inches of blade and a blued damascus S-guard.
It's the blade I was talking about in this thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=269352
 
Yeah I put the clay about 1/8" thick on the back half of the blade. From what I have read about it most people put a thin wash of clay over the whole blade too. I tried that the first time but it made it harder for me to tell the temperature. I think most people doing that are using salt pots.
 
Congrats Belstain, glad it worked out for you. I never got the hang of it. The closest I've come is to quench in wet sand.

You guys are getting me excited.
Rodger....I have just one word for you "TINK" If you don't understand, quench a few in water:D
 
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