I do my heat treatment using this app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/heat-treaters-guide-companion/id702178173 and my wifes pottery kiln. It allows me to set temps, hold times, cycles, ramps, and cool downs. My only battle is with it only allowing 16 programs, and my wifes pottery uses a LOT of them 😉 so I have to do the program each time.
It has the capability of holding a 26" blad if I go corner to corner but not sure if this would cause any warpage due it not being supported and not vertical or horizontal.
The pottery kiln may cost a bit more, but hers is the extra thick one with better insulation. Also has the advantage that if I can ever get 27 blades put together at one time, I could do them all!
For those that dont have this access, I know the local potters guild will rent kiln time...
Bob Bryenton
Solar Storm Group Ltd.
Phone: (780) 953-0016
Email: [email protected]
https://www.solarstorm.ca
“The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible" -- Arthur C. Clarke
Hello Wendell,
I have never found the one oven arrangement that does everything without some sort of concern, but some are better than others. Vertical is good, in that you have gravity working for you when you hang the blades, but there are always temperature gradients with things being a tad hotter at the top than the bottom. Horizontal “sort” of gets around the thermocline issue but then introduces proximity to the elements. You are doing well with the rack; a blade should never lay flat on anything during any part of any het treatment operation. I personally prefer to always set the blades in the rack spine down, come to thing of it, I do just about anything with the blade spine down in a horizontal heat treatment.
Given the equipment, I would do what you are doing in the photo, except spine down, as mentioned. The only concern would be proximity of the tip to the heating elements, but if you got a good 2” space it should be all right.
Thanks, spine down makes a lot sense now that you mention it. I was thinking of making some sort of hanging rack for it. My thought is the tang can touch the base to stabilize, and rest the tip spine in a slot so that its just past vertical. My only concern would be being able to grab it by the tang for quenching. Maybe someday I will just bite the bullet and get a kiln for my blades, but because I have access to this, its lower on my priority list of 125,455 other items I want...
Bob Bryenton
Solar Storm Group Ltd.
Phone: (780) 953-0016
Email: [email protected]
https://www.solarstorm.ca
“The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible" -- Arthur C. Clarke
