Managed my first heat treat today! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! I had tried a few days ago to harden some spring I had straightened and didn't think I had any luck, I laid the bar I was working with on the floor of my shop and went on about my business.
Today I was working on a blade and my wife stopped me and asked me to hang a picture for her, as I was heading in the house I stepped on the bar by accident and it snapped right in two! I did a few more test hardens and realized it was working. I finished working the blade I had started shaping this morning and once I got it all lined out I fired up the forge, heated my quench oil (canola oil and peanut oil mix), heated the blade, crossed my fingers and then dipped just the edge with a tip to tang agitation. I left it in the oil about 5 mins and when I took it out a file skated right across the edge but the spine was still soft! Its tempering in the oven as I type this
I know i'm still a long way from any quality work but this was really exciting for me since it was my fist success.
For some specifics, the steel I was using was an old plow blade
I heated my oil by heating another large bar nearly yellow and plunging it in until I got the oil reading 165 with my infrared thermometer
If anyone has any tips on thing I could do differently I'd love to hear it, I've only been forging about 2 months so I'm still learning and it seems like the more I learn the more I realize I don't know!
Thanks to the ABS and its members for being such an amazing resource
If I could learn to make knives then I could have all the knives I wanted - Bill Moran
Hello Dustin and congratulations on a successful heat treat. Being plowsteel it was probably 1075 or close to it, which will make a very serviceable knife. Temper at 400 for two cycles of two hours each cycle. The peanut and canola oil mix should work just fine as you found out. My oil is usually at 120 degrees for quenching and I would probably shoot for a temperature of 100 to 140 on my oil. Sounds like you are getting the basics and well on your way. I look forward to seeing some of your work and if you come by Little Rock for the Arkansas show stop by and say hello.
Brion
Brion Tomberlin
Anvil Top Custom Knives
ABS Mastersmith
Congrats! It feels like alchemy does it not? Welcome to the fun! I don't think it ever gets boring. Be safe!!!
Congratulations Dustin.
I bet Dustin will be at the Arkansas Show before the doors are open. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />
You know me too well Lin! Thanks for everyones support, Brion I look forward to stopping by and meeting you.
If I could learn to make knives then I could have all the knives I wanted - Bill Moran
