Where to buy torch for heat treating?

E

Ethan_Hardy

Joined
Sep 10, 2011
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350
I saw a video on youtube of a guy heat treating steel knife blanks with a basic fire brick oven and torch. Does anyone use this method or know of any other users that do? What would be a good torch to use for this technique (for 1095)? Would they sell a torch like this at home depot?
 
This would be best moved to Shoptalk. All your questions can be answered there. 1095 needs to be soaked at austentizing temps for a couple minutes to get the carbides in solution. Therefore a firebrick forge isn't the best to use for 1095. 1080, 1084 are two great steals to heat treat yourself.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/741-Shop-Talk-BladeSmith-Questions-and-Answers

There are a couple threads in the first few pages of Shoptalk where people are building burners and forges.

Best o luck!
 
If you want to make a 1 or 2 brick forge, this is the hottest torch you can buy short of a weed burner: Mag-Torch MT245C . This is the same torch used in the Atlas Mini Forge. After this torch you need to go to an actual forge burner either homemade or purchased from several places. Take a look at Zoeller Forge to see a burner and other forge equipment.
 
As much as the lure of building a forge from just a few bricks and a propane plumbers torch sounds attractive, it will still be a minimally effective forge. It will be OK for forging a small blade as long as you pay attention to heating evenly. For HT it is going to be pretty poor in evenness of heat for any blade over 2" in edge length. With no heat control, all you can do is get the blade section to non-magnetic and then heat a little more and quench. What you get is what it is. Holding a 1095 blade at 1450F for ten minutes (soaking) will be impossible.

The cost of a hot burning torch and the bricks, plus the few other supplies needed will cost you around $50.
For about $100 you can build a proper forge that will do forging and heat treatment fairly well for many years to come. The principles of use are the same as the 2-bricker, but the heat control and evenness of the heat will be light years ahead.
Later on, with an additional $100 you can add PID control to read the temperatures in the forge and control them. This will make the forge very good at HT.
 
Ethan,

It doesn't say where you are at a quick reference to your avatar.

If you fill in your location there are lots of guys who will invite you up for a day.

Here's a recent thread with info that will help. I recommend literally spending 2-200 hours reading previous posts when you can't actually work on making knives and spend every minute you cam otherwise making stuff and experientially learning what you've read.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1030214-Propane-forge-and-5160-warpage-questions

Zoeller Forges Sidearm burner is what you should make if you have the skills.

Are you making just one knife, or is this something you'll do once?
 
Thanks for the references guys, i'll keep in all in mind. Honestly, I needed a bit of a reality check. I thought that building my own furnace would be a quick solution. I'll continue to read the forums and previous posts on this subject when I find the time. For the time being I will either try contacting someone locally to see if they can have me for a day or use peter's heat treat (I have heard good things about him). I am currently not a paid member, I hope to do that in the coming weeks/months so i can start sharing and selling my work. I am making several. I starting working from scratch on knives about 10 months or so ago so I still have a lot to learn. I plan on purchasing more steel (1095 to match the 13 blanks i already have) this coming week. Once I have that shipment of steel ground I will have a total of 20 1095 blanks that are ready for heat treat. Like i said once i get this 20 ground and ready ill try to contact someone locally or go to PHT.

I just updated my profile a bit. I live in Loudoun County VA, if you can think of someone offhand (no need to go scrounging yet) that would be great!
 
I'm not sending you to visit.... But, lol, Bladsmith ^^^^^^ is in Norfolk! A great example of why you fill out your profile.

All one blade profile?

Your design or a ready made blank?
 
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