Hello all, I am hoping someone can advise me on this.
I am working on a blade made of 0-1 tool steel, and need a process for heat-treating it at home.
Any thoughts or advice greatly appreciated, thanks!
Heat-treating
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Heat-treating
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- Bill DeShivs
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O1 is easy to heat treat. Place it on a firebrick or other heat reflective material. Charcoal in a grill will work. Heat with a propane torch until the steel glows red (1450-1475 degrees). Immediately quench in vegetable oil, transmission fluid, or oil. This will create a lot of smoke! After quenching, test the steel with a good file. The file should slide off the blade, rather than cutting it. If not, repeat the first step. Polish the decarburization (black stuff) off the blade, down to bright steel, and temper at 500 defrees in a toaster oven for 20- 30 min. Let air cool.
Done, except for final polish.
Bill
Done, except for final polish.
Bill
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After the quench but before the temper it will be brittle as glass [that's why you temper it]. Handle it VERY CAREFULLY until it's tempered
Some toaster ovens "hunt" for the heat setting and will get too hot before settling down. Pre-heat 10-15 minutes first
[I temper a little less hot 425-475 but that's why they make Fords and Chevies or Winchesters and Remingtons or Coke and Pepsi ]
Some toaster ovens "hunt" for the heat setting and will get too hot before settling down. Pre-heat 10-15 minutes first
[I temper a little less hot 425-475 but that's why they make Fords and Chevies or Winchesters and Remingtons or Coke and Pepsi ]
Bill & Al,
Did you ever try the magnet method of reading the steel while you're heat treating it? I tried this a couple of times, and found that I didn't have enough hands to do it easily, and wasn't happy with the results. Do you find yourselves going by color/by eye in favor of other methods?
Tom
Did you ever try the magnet method of reading the steel while you're heat treating it? I tried this a couple of times, and found that I didn't have enough hands to do it easily, and wasn't happy with the results. Do you find yourselves going by color/by eye in favor of other methods?
Tom
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Thanks again for all these useful tips everyone.
This is turning into a real interesting project. I will definitely need at least 2 torches, as the blade is 18" long.
I will have to do the tempering in a full-size oven... or maybe a BBQ if that is possible.
Thanks again guys, I'll let you know how it turns out.
Dave
This is turning into a real interesting project. I will definitely need at least 2 torches, as the blade is 18" long.
I will have to do the tempering in a full-size oven... or maybe a BBQ if that is possible.
Thanks again guys, I'll let you know how it turns out.
Dave
If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.