What kind of heat treat oven is good?

Michael J. Spangler

Michael J. Spangler

Joined
Oct 8, 2003
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For a small shop, not worrying about quenching large blades or mass ammounts, what would be a nice heat treat oven? im thinking of getting one for better control of my heat treating, of course reulting in a btter finished product. Does anyone have any info links or suggestions on a good oven to buy? thanks
 
I BOUGHT AN eVAN hEAT AND LIKE IT BUT IT IS MADE FOR CERAMICS. i WOULD BUY THE PARAGON FOR KNIVES ONLY.
 
I've got a good friend who has a Paragon, and he says he wishes he had gotten an Evenheat. He's always having to replace some part on it (elements, thermocouples, et cetera). Plus, I believe it's true that the Evenheat is capable of hotter temps.
I've got an Evenheat, and it is great. My friend borrowed it when his Paragon broke.
I'm very pleased.

Hope this helps.
 
I had a Paragon KM24D for 8 Months and had so many problems with the relays, control unit and thermocouple that I got rid.... it was a bad and expensive expirience!

I now use a German oven which I am not sure is available in the US.... www.nabertherm.com which has proved faultless.
 
Which oven did you pick dcv69? And how much did it cost? I am on the website and there is many options.
 
I like my 18 inch EvenHeat. No problems yet. Have had it about a year and a half.

RL
 
can comeone link me to the evenheat page? rlinger i've seen picture of your results after heat treating.... is that all done with the evenheat oven?
 
Yes, all the pictures you say you have seen must have been done with the EvenHeat. I have done some heat treating using a small forge of mine but that has been some time back. The recent stuff is all with the EvenHeat and all my stainless has been with the EvenHeat.

You found a link; was it the EvenHeat web site or a distributer of theirs? I'll find you the link and post it here in a few minutes.

EDIT: http://www.evenheat-kiln.com/
The one I have is the 18 inch deep knife makers oven with Rampmaster II control. If you do indeed decide on an EvenHeat, be sure to email me before committing to a price or vendor. No, I do not want to sell mine. Just email me before buying a EvenHeat.

RL
 
well i'm not sure of pricing, i might buy a "ShoeString Budget KMG" setup in another month or two. and i think the best thing after that would be an oven. thanks a lot for the info. So the evenheat takes care of stainless? looks like you do some really nice heat treating. do you go by manufacturers methods?
 
I own two large Paragon's that work flawlessly. Also, they (KM series) can easily reach 2400°F. They simply need to be reprogrammed. I had one of mine reprogrammed from the default 2000° to 2400°. With John Hohenshelt's help over the phone. Also, their software control option is real nice and can be controlled via a PC to watch temp versus time gradients and program more ramping and recorded "recipe" options. But, the hardware must be installed at the factory.
 
that brings up another good question for rlinger. how weel is its temp controls for slow annealing, different temp cooling and heating rates etc? although i think from your work it shows that it perfrms well with the right knowledge of heat treating
 
Your question of "good for stainless", as if that were particular to the EvenHeat, escapes me. This may help: it is not a vacuum oven (no inherent atmosphere control). Also please note that I have zero experience with any other make of heat treating oven; so my opinion of the EvenHeat is only that I have one and like it.

Yes, the Rampmaster II provides for ramping both up and down and combining both. It is suited for annealing, although I myself have still got alot to learn about annealing.

A shoe string budget KMG?? See if its got a sister:).

RL
 
well b good for stainless i wanted to know if it treats stainless without ruining it, seeing as from what i know stainless needs a lot of love and some atmosphere control (is that needed?) and what sister would that be? the oven you're referring to i assume?
 
No, I think you said KMG. I thought you ment the KMG grinder. I want one but my shoe strings aren't long enough yet for the cost.

Anyhow, its not a matter of oven so much as it is temperature control when it comes to the stainless or at least what is sometimes refered to as super stainless or more accurately 'high alloy'. Regardless, you need some sort of atmosphere control to prevent or minimize decarborization and scaling. At the temperatures and times required for these steels pitting/scaling will be deep. Without atmosphere control, only a couple/three thousandths for simple carbon steels properly heat treated will turn into much deeper for the supers properly heat treated. Another problem with learning HT of stainless is how to get a consistant quench on all areas of the blade if atmosphere control is not inherently built into the oven and an exterior control, foil or otherwise, is used to protect the steel from oxygen. It is not that stainless is superior or not; just another ball game in a park of different dimensions and no, stainless does not need to be treated gingerly or with any extra love and care than any of the other steels simple or not that we use.

For myself, just because I enjoy working in stainless does not mean I think it be better for the type knives I like making. I think I mainly like working in it because it is more complex in general to properly heat treat. Honestly, I am not real sure that is the real reason why. I just feel that way about it some of the time. At the same time I do not suggest that heat treating even simple carbon steels is like falling off a log. I down play none of it. It all must be done properly to the particulars of each steel and all require experience, testing and analysis.

RL
 
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