Who's doing in-house S30V Heat Treat?

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rlinger

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I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours.

I'll show mine no matter what. Not tonight though. I'm too tired to get the notes out and type them out right now.

I seem to be having good edge results both in sharpness and retention.
All testing is from field use feedback from end users. I have not done any destructive testing as of yet. At time I have made four blades of CPM s30v. Three of the same heat treatment.

I believe Rhino is now into s30v.

Tomorrow I will post my heat treat specs. for this steel but don't let that delay your responce. As a former Virginia gentleman I will post my specs. the next tommorrow.

Roger
 
Here is how I treated the last three blades (and the first blade as described at the bottom of this post):

It is important, I think, to note that spine thickeness of the last three blades (those of the first HT example) was approx. 0.088 inch and edge thickness was in the neiborhood of 0.015 inch.

The first blade (that of the last HT example described) was more of the 0.098 inch spine and an edge of probably about 0.020 inch).

I can not remember these thickness numbers correctly but know that they are very close to accurate.
-------------
In foil wrap,

Ramp to 1580 F., hold for 9 min. - EQUALIZE

Ramp to 1965 F., hold for 18 min. - AUSTINITIZE

Rapid air cool to < 100 F. (tip of tang in vise for all coolings)

Remove from foil wrap

Ramp to 400 F., hold for 2 hr. 15 min. - SNAP TEMPER

Still air cool to hand warm

Ramp to 600 F., hold for 2 hr. 15 min. - TEMPER

Still air cool to hand warm

Ramp to 600 F., hold for 2 hr. 15 min. - TEMPER

Still air cool to hand warm

Ramp to 600 F., hold for 2 hr. 0 minutes - TEMPER

---------

The first blade was treated as above except for these differences:

The equalize temp. was 1575 F. and held for 8 minutes.

Austinitizing temp. was 1975 F. and held for 20 minutes.

A cryo was performed but lasted too shortly to properly cryo. The dry ice volume was too small to persist long enough.

Snap temper was for 2 hr. only.

There were only two following tempers, both at 570 F. and for only 2 hr.

The first knife (the HT described just above) was tested in field by me in a field dress of a deer. While the knife performed very well for that, I did notice after washing - the edge could use a touch up and did get one.

From feedback, although young so far, I suspect the first heat treat as described above is better.


SIDE NOTE: I am an absolute believer in cryo (aging). I did not for the last three knives (those of the top mentioned HT) because I was up against the clock. I am not happy about that but it just had to work that way this time.

Roger
 
Keep us posted on this if you can. I would be interested in what hardness you obtained also. I'm getting ready to try it and it would be great if I didn't have to destroy the usual amount of steel to learn the heat treat. It will probably be a little different with my furnace but it's nice to get a headstart with the times and temps.
thanks..
 
Sticky,

My specs are pretty much within Crucible's. I do one more full temper than they suggest (2, I have been doing 3 - 4 including the snap temper). They suggest 'at least 2 hours per temper'. I just threw in an extra 15 minutes on a huntch. I may do two snap tempers with the second about 50 deg. F. higher than the first, 400 F. I will, unless advised otherwise, stay with the 3 full tempers - except that this may be worth a try: snap at 400, 450, and 500 follow with TWO 600 F. tempers. I think I like that and believe I'll do that next time.

I am getting good reports back from the end users. I have one out there that has been used almost every day for about 2 1/2 weeks as a paring knife and, while it no longer shaves like a razor, is holding a very good edge for kitchen use. Another of the same HT has been in kitchen use for about a week and I am getting very good feedback about that one too. A third has not been unwrapped yet (Christmas).

If Rhino is doing his own HT I hope he chimes in too.

Roger
 
i have done the one brick forge for carbon steels but stopped. my shop in in a garage downstairs and this is a old building. i am afraid that i might burn the damn place down!:eek: the sparks from the grinder are enough to watch. i keep two fire extingushers in the shop, one three ft from the grinder and a back up! i also keep a .45 caliber 1911 pistol for back up from all the creeps that wander down the alley.:D
 
Larry!

I knew I liked you. 1911 my favorite. I've been tempted in the past to get something else, but nothing compares to the original single action, semi-auto.

Steve
 
Roger, You mention snap temper in heat treating your blades. Can you explain the process and reason for snap tempering.I have stumbled across that term before and I need to know what it means. T.I.A. It looks like you use a digital oven for your heat treating.Is that correct?.
Roland
unica@bak.rr.com
 
By the way, speaking of 1911,s. I build and accurized Bullseye and Action shooting 1911,s for quite a few years. They have been trying to make a better gun for almost a hundred years and I don,t believe I have seen a better one yet. Especially when the are properly tuned.I just thought I would throw that in. Remember you started it.:).
Roland
unica@bak.rr.com
 
saw my buddies 1911 get blown to crap (nobody hurt thank God) but the lug got torn from off of the barrel, the barrel split, the ejector broke off, hammer cracked in half. quite a mess. anyhow, always loved the looks of a 1911, owned a few, and for something thats been around almost 100 yrs, they are a damn fine pistol. i'll prolly get around to getting a commander one of these days...

but i wouldnt trade my HK for one ;)










EDITED to add: be careful when you reload ammo :)
 
Roland,

I believe a snap temper is used to relieve some stress in the steel after it has been hardened. It is normally done on tool steels, at least, just before cryogenically aging the steel, then followed by the temper cycles.

Yes, I am using the Even Heat oven with a digital controller they call the Rampmaster 2.

Roger
 
I ramp it up to 1250= 1500= 1950= and hold at 1950 for 25 minutes. Take it out of the heat treat oven and clamp it in large vise to dissipate heat quickly. I also have a large fan on high pointed at the blade in the vise to cool it down as rapid as possible. Usually in less than 3 minutes you can hand touch it. Then double temper rounds at 600 with a cool down in between. They Rockwell out at 59 +/-1
 
Jim,

Yes, that sounds very close to Crucible specs. I too have a large fan at the ready for rapid quenching. Probably the two biggest differences between us, I guess, is I hold for an equalize before ramping to austinitization and I do a snap temper.

Thanks for your specs;

Roger
 
maybe paul will chine in for you guys and give a few pointers on what has worked for him.
 
FWIW, my batch of S30V was done at Pacific Heat Treat. They wanted to use 1900/400. However, I wanted 1950/600. I was worried I wouldn't get what I wanted.

The blades tested out at 59rc. I just tested one last night (mom's christmas present, so it wasn't a destruction test!). I sharpened it, then hacked at some wood. It still shaved like the edge was brand new.

I must say, I'm impressed with the stuff.

Steve
 
Steve,

I guess from the way you wrote that they did it at 1950/600(?) and your Rc indicates that. You don't specify if they did it that way but you do impress you may have told them to. If so, you are within Crucuble's recommendations for both HT and Rc for that HT.

Thanks for sharing that with us.:)

Rhino, I haven't noticed any posting from Mr. Bos for some time now. May be too busy?:(

Roger
 
Roger,

I think they did do what I asked. He (actually the 'knife' guy doesn't talk directly with customers much) said that they have used 1900/400 and liked it. I said I still wanted 1950/600 and took in the CM spec sheet and highlighted the recommendation. Based on the performance I think I got what I wanted.

Roger, have you mirror finished that S30V? I tried buffing the stuff. D2 (the only other steel I've tried) was easy. This stuff won't buff on a wheel - no matter what compound - for me.

I could get some results on a cork belt with grey compound.

Steve
 
Well Guys, It seems everybody is haveing fairley good luck with S-30-v, It seemes to be very heat treat friendley. I have run the hardining temp. from 1900 to 1950, Tempering from 400-950, Cryo. after hardining, to Cryo. after first Temp. After alot of testing by Strider, Rob Simonich, and Jerry Hossom this is what we came up with. Preheat @ 1550 deg. F. 1950 deg. F.for 30 Min., Rapid gas quench, Cryo. @ -280 deg. F. for 8 hrs. Plus------ Temper @ 625-650 deg F. for 2 hrs. @ temp. Repeat 2 to 3 times. Final R\C-59.5-60. I do 3 tempers for hard use blades. for a higher R\C I temper @ 400 deg. F for 60-61. Have done some for a customer that wanted them tempered @ 925, they came out R\C-58. We will be doing more blade testing in the future, will let you know what we come up wih. So far it seemes like it will be a prety good all around blade steel. Hope this helps.
 
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