Ztuff toughness testing

rodriguezryan14

rodriguezryan14

Joined
Jan 6, 2023
Messages
208
Been playing with some ztuff heat treats, and I think I’ve settled on what I’m after. Let’s see if I can post this video, I had trouble recording it, so excuse the crappy video, kinda hard to beat a knife with a sledge hammer and record at the same time!
 
rodriguezryan14 said:
Been playing with some ztuff heat treats, and I think I’ve settled on what I’m after. Let’s see if I can post this video, I had trouble recording it, so excuse the crappy video, kinda hard to beat a knife with a sledge hammer and record at the same time!
Click to expand...
Well I can’t seem to post a video. It’s basically a video of me beating the hell out of a blade I made, an older blade. These are done with a higher temper, and the toughness is insane! I can’t break the dam knife! I’ll try and figure out how to post a video today sometime! I also tested an A8 mod knife with a similar heat treat! And I got similar results!!
 
rodriguezryan14 said:
Well I can’t seem to post a video. It’s basically a video of me beating the hell out of a blade I made, an older blade. These are done with a higher temper, and the toughness is insane! I can’t break the dam knife! I’ll try and figure out how to post a video today sometime! I also tested an A8 mod knife with a similar heat treat! And I got similar results!!
Click to expand...
It's a PM steel made for toughness specifically by the metallurgst that made 3V! How high of a temper are we talking about here? 450?
 
_Dan_ said:
It's a PM steel made for toughness specifically by the metallurgst that made 3V! How high of a temper are we talking about here? 450?
Click to expand...
I’ve used the high and low temper, and have settled on the high temper, 980-1000 degrees. You lose some corrosion resistance, but gain an extreme amount of raw toughness! And the edge retention is still really good. I butchered a pig two weeks ago, and had to touch up my blade one time. You may lose a slight amount of the fine edge stability that you gain with the low temper, but it’s not much! Previously I was using a 400 degree temper with cryo. Austenized at 1925. Now I’m austenizing at 1925, and triple temper at 1000 for 59 rc. You can drop the temper to around 975 or 980 for better hardness and gain a little more fine edge stability! No cryo with the high temper!
 
rodriguezryan14 said:
I’ve used the high and low temper, and have settled on the high temper, 980-1000 degrees. You lose some corrosion resistance, but gain an extreme amount of raw toughness! And the edge retention is still really good. I butchered a pig two weeks ago, and had to touch up my blade one time. You may lose a slight amount of the fine edge stability that you gain with the low temper, but it’s not much! Previously I was using a 400 degree temper with cryo. Austenized at 1925. Now I’m austenizing at 1925, and triple temper at 1000 for 59 rc. You can drop the temper to around 975 or 980 for better hardness and gain a little more fine edge stability! No cryo with the high temper!
Click to expand...
I’m not sure how to post a video! Any idea?
 
rodriguezryan14 said:
I’ve used the high and low temper, and have settled on the high temper, 980-1000 degrees. You lose some corrosion resistance, but gain an extreme amount of raw toughness! And the edge retention is still really good. I butchered a pig two weeks ago, and had to touch up my blade one time. You may lose a slight amount of the fine edge stability that you gain with the low temper, but it’s not much! Previously I was using a 400 degree temper with cryo. Austenized at 1925. Now I’m austenizing at 1925, and triple temper at 1000 for 59 rc. You can drop the temper to around 975 or 980 for better hardness and gain a little more fine edge stability! No cryo with the high temper!
Click to expand...
Mmm I've never tested it in the higher range - I'm actually doing a study on low tempering hss alloys but you seem to understand the science here... Are you testing scientifically? If there's any toughness increase from the high temper I'd have to think RA? Of course it's going to lose corrosion it's martensitic steel but I would not have expected a significant toughness increase on that specific alloy from secondary hardening. But I can't say that I've tested it on charpy or izod (things that you can make pretty easily). I'm interested! Hah.
 
_Dan_ said:
It's a PM steel made for toughness specifically by the metallurgst that made 3V! How high of a temper are we talking about here? 450?
Click to expand...
I also tried a pre quench and the low temper for some grain refinement, more testing needs to be done. The blades came out really brittle. I soaked at 1700 for 20 minutes pre quenched, then back into the oven and soaked at 1925 for 30 minutes, quench, cryo and triple tempered at 400. Blades were really brittle with that heat treat. One hit with a hammer snapped them in half! The 1000 degree temper has taken over 30 two handed hits with a hammer and refused to break! Talk about impressive!! Lol
 
_Dan_ said:
Mmm I've never tested it in the higher range - I'm actually doing a study on low tempering hss alloys but you seem to understand the science here... Are you testing scientifically? If there's any toughness increase from the high temper I'd have to think RA? Of course it's going to lose corrosion it's martensitic steel but I would not have expected a significant toughness increase on that specific alloy from secondary hardening. But I can't say that I've tested it on charpy or izod (things that you can make pretty easily). I'm interested! Hah.
Click to expand...
I’m wanting to heat treat some samples and have Larrin test them, but currently my time is limited!! His tests were done on a 400 degree temper with that austenizing range! Supposedly the 1000 degree temper should reduce the retained austenite. But further testing would need to be done!
 
rodriguezryan14 said:
I also tried a pre quench and the low temper for some grain refinement, more testing needs to be done. The blades came out really brittle. I soaked at 1700 for 20 minutes pre quenched, then back into the oven and soaked at 1925 for 30 minutes, quench, cryo and triple tempered at 400. Blades were really brittle with that heat treat. One hit with a hammer snapped them in half! The 1000 degree temper has taken over 30 two handed hits with a hammer and refused to break! Talk about impressive!! Lol
Click to expand...
Oh ok. Ya don't do the preheat step. It's not necessary and that is where issues are occuring IMO.

Stock thickness?
 
_Dan_ said:
Oh ok. Ya don't do the preheat step. It's not necessary and that is where issues are occuring IMO.

Stock thickness?
Click to expand...
I’ve never done a pre heat. These tests were done on .20 thick knives. According to Nathan Carothers, pre heating shouldn’t do anything, other than possibly hurting the blades due to my ovens exposed coils! Sporadic heating from what I understand!!
 
rodriguezryan14 said:
When i did this, I ramped the oven back up to 1925, then placed the blade in, and started my soak
Click to expand...

rodriguezryan14 said:
I’m wanting to heat treat some samples and have Larrin test them, but currently my time is limited!! His tests were done on a 400 degree temper with that austenizing range! Supposedly the 1000 degree temper should reduce the retained austenite. But further testing would need to be done!
Click to expand...
Check your messages. Yea I agree with all of that.
 
Can you redo your test on material .125" or less?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top