Hey everyone, I hate for my first post to be asking for help, but...can anyone in/near Calgary heat treat a knife for me? It's worth beer. I know about Knifemaker.ca but would rather not wait for Canada Post to deliver my knife there and back. I had meant for my first post to be my first finished knife (a Camp of 01 steel along the lines of an ESEE-6) but I can't seem to get enough heat from my firebrick forge/propane torch. I'll keep working on that but thought I'd throw out the question since I'd really like to complete my first knife! Anyway, here's a bad phone pic (that's not a flaw near the point, just a trick of the light. Really.):
Looks like I'm outta luck there, so Ièm going to try combining two ancient crafts -- since I am brewing beer this morning, I will use the propane flame that boils my beer to try to heat my knife to temp. Wish me luck! Pictures to follow.
I know about Rob as per the OP. Just wish I had been on the ball and sent it to him before I left on holidays, I would have had it back by now! Anyway, tried heat treating using my brewing burner but I donèt think I got it quite hot enough...though it was cherry red, once I had quenched it a file would still bite so I may have to try again, either improving my forge or finding a hotter heat source. Ièll keep you all posted.
if the blade is black that is a decarburized layer and should be removed prior to the file test as it is soft by nature.
Try using a magnet when you heat the blade, rather than relying on colour. Once the blade reaches non-magnetic, you know it's at the right temperature. Then you can look at the colour. For O1, you want to keep it in the heat at that temp/colour for a minute or so before quenching.
Thanks, guys, I cleaned it up and tested it and it's still clearly not hardened. Back to the drawing board. Just need more heat to my fire brick forge, and I'll definitely use the magnet test to see that the 01 has reached the proper temperature and hold it there for at least a minute.
Recommended Working Sequence For O1 Forging: Start forging at 1800 to 1950 °F (980 to 1065 °C). Do not forge below 1550 °F (845 °C) Normalizing: Heat to 1600 °F (870 °C). cool from temperature in still air. Annealing: Heat to 1400 to 1450 °F (760 to 790 °C). Use lower temperature for small sections and higher temperature for large sections. Cool at a maximum rate of 40 °F (22 °C) per hour. The maximum rate is not critical after cooling to below 1000 °F (540 °C). Typical annealed hardness, 183 to 212 HB Stress Relieving (optional): Heat to 1200 to 1250 °F (620 to 650 °C) Cool in air Hardening: Austenitize at 1450 to 1500 °F (790 to 815 °C) for 10 to 30 min, then quench in oil. Quenched hardness, 63 to 65 HRC Tempering: Temper at 350 to 500 °F (175 to 260 °C) I hold temperature for 15 minutes on a 1/4" thick blade and so far it has worked well.
I agree with that. Unfortunately, when you're using a torch, holding a constant temp for that long is very difficult. I used a small torch and a pile of firebricks when I started. I found that keeping O1 at critical for a minute or so made for a decent blade.
Key word forge, glossed over that. Now what about wrapping with a 1/4" thick layer of Kaowool? Might help stabilize and even out the forge heat.
That's why 01, as good as it is, isn't a great steel for a maker without a HT oven. Even in a good forge, the soak can be difficult, if not impossible, to get right.
Well I finally got the heat treat sorted. Borrowed my neighbour's Tiger torch to power up my firebrick forge. Got and held the steel to demagnetized temp, then quenched in canola oil. A file now skates over the surface of the blade and I've cleaned it up and added the scales. It's not cosmetically perfect but I'm happy with is as a first effort. At 11.5" and over 14 ounces, it's a hefty piece and should make a great camp knife. Today I started with some 1/8" x 1" 01 to make a little skinner for my niece who just started hunting last year. I also see why you guys build light-boxes. The contrast in brightness and colour, and keeping odd reflections out of the shot is nearly impossible! So here's the knife; I'll also post in the First Knife thread.
Hey thats a fine first knife Swivel .....I think hefty bush/camp knives are probably one of the most common first knives made. That's likely what category mine fell under and I still wear it everyday.
Thanks, Prevenge, I should also have mentioned after heat treat I tempered it in the lovely wife's oven at 400F for an hour.
Not to be that guy but your should temper twice and the typical heat treating schedule calls for twice at two hours each as a minimum. Knife looks real good for a first one and a little hint for the front of the bolster there is always a little epoxy that leaks out, this can be easily cleaned with alcohol and Q-tips. Even then there are times it appears afterwards like the last two I did and for that a little brass rod with a chisel tip will remove dried epoxy with a bit of effort.
Quick update: I've since made two more: a small hunter for my niece and carver for my nephew. Here's the collection before it was broken up. It was hard to let them go!
Yup, cocobolo on the Wharncliff. It finished out so nice, that knife is just a pleasure to hold. I filed in the jimping so that it could be held like a pencil for fine carving, with the index finger landing right on the jimping. The middle hunter/skinner is purple heartwood, which I thought was perfect for a girl's knife. Both kids were thrilled to receive them and my niece asked me to make a hunter for her boyfriend for Christmas. I have some lacewood in mind for that one. I love rooting through the scrap drawer at the local hardwood place!
