Main Discussion Area > At the Forge
All you metal guys out there.
Stringman:
So maybe the last quench is unnecessary?!? I'm sure not trying to recreate the wheel, but I'm just concerned that the first softening process was leaving the metal too soft. I'm sensing t hat this is a fine line of brittle vs tough edge that needs to be a personal decision.
DC:
The first heating is supposed to get it nice and soft, like a nice massage. Quenching seizes it all up, like a charlie horse. The 400 degree soak just relaxes it a bit. 400 is just right, 500 is a bit softer etc.
Blaflair2:
After u harden it in the gorge u need to bake it in an oven at 400 or so for two hrs about. It was too hard and brittle. Ur looking for 55-60 on the Rockwell scale for hardness. Looks sweet though.
stickbender:
I have read in one of the knife making books, about multiple temperings to give the metal a memory to align the molecules better. Don't know if that would work in your case, or not. But definitely too hard will cause your result. Unless you can bond, or forge a softer, steel, or iron to a thin very high carbon piece, you need to bring the temper down, other wise it will give you the results you got. The super high priced Japanese kitchen knives are made from a hard core, and softer, multiple layers of iron, or steel. The hard core is tempered to 65-67 RC. You can get an edge that will literally shave you, and so sharp you can slice a tomato top off, and then invert the tomato, and without holding the tomato, you can slice a very thin slice of tomato off, and keep repeating the move, without having to hold on to the tomato. :o It is the utmost in super scary sharp. 8) The Swedish Mora knives are made with a thin very hard, high carbon piece of steel sandwiched between two softer pieces of steel. They can flex, and not snap. They make the ultimate survival knife. It can take a lot of punishment, and still take a razor edge, and be used for prying, and hacking, etc.
Wayne
caveman2533:
I am not a forger but I once made a big bowie from a farriers rasp. I heated it to straw and left it cool for the last temper. don't quench at all for tempering.
steve
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