I've made my first san mai blade out of wrought iron with a 1084 core. Are there any tricks to heat treating?
My plan is to heat treat as I do 1084, normalize then refine grain with lowering heats, then 1500 and quench. I have Parks 50 and an 11 second oil. Would one be better? Would the wrought iron benefit from using an anti-scale compound?
Here's a couple pictures of the blade.
What will be the heat source?
Karl B. Andersen
Journeyman Smith
I use my forge with a tube that I have a thermocouple in.
OK - practice only bringing up the bottom 1/2 of the blade to quenching temp. If you get the entire blade austenized you may get a catastrophe where the stainless is thickest. You may split the core as a result of the extreme movement differential between the SS and the tool steel.
Karl B. Andersen
Journeyman Smith
Karl, it is not stainless san mai, but wrought iron. Gene I would heat treat it like 1084, just be careful you do not overheat it, as what Karl stated can happen. But I do not think you will have any problems. Go for the 11 second oil to minimize thermal shock. Sounds like a good plan to me.
Brion
Brion Tomberlin
Anvil Top Custom Knives
ABS Mastersmith
Thanks, Brion.
Same rules apply.
Karl B. Andersen
Journeyman Smith
Thanks Karl & Brion. I plan to get this heat treated in the next night or two. Hopefully it goes well.
