How to Make a Custom Knife Blade : Custom Knives: Quenching the Blade

[v2jay100]

what kind of oil r u using?

[cocote39]

I love your work it's wicked how you can make knifes!!!!

[attackoftherandom]

@TheGhostRider90 dfogg forum is what its called. its a great place for bladesmiths and don fogg is awesome himself. ill post link.

[attackoftherandom]

@TheGhostRider90 are you on dfogg forum?

[Bouregard3]

Maybe its not the best idea to use a plastic bucket under a hot metal oven...

[attackoftherandom]

looks a little hot tho. maybe just the camera.

[3antaralhatab]

use liquid nitrogen next time, the best quench possibly lol

[TheFrigginAwesome]

wow... I've never seen water, that's on fire.

[thereaper1520]

what kind of oil should i use

[kavdeman]

whats your carbon compound your quenching in???/

[krustypunk3]

like the proper workshop

[Blaineeer]

thanks alot to the fuckin jew who put this text in the middle of the screen..

[TheMagnumGuitar]

in what does he put it water or oil?

[AppleAssassin]

@TheMagnumGuitar Well water doesn't go on fucking fire does it moron.

[TheMagnumGuitar]

@AppleAssassin

hey men SHUT UP

if i had a stupid question does that mean you can be rude

bitch!

[AppleAssassin]

@TheMagnumGuitar Yes it does...Because it means you will remember and learn because the memory of me being rude with be a reminder of your stupidity

[TheMagnumGuitar]

@AppleAssassin

OKAY

thank you

ASSHOLE

remember that

[jtphantom]

you know... youd not have as great a chance of warping if you quench and leave it be... sloshing the blade around and breaking that vapor barrier in that manner is usually what causes that slight bend in stock reduction blades.... if you must break wobble the blade about do so after the initial fire goes out on hte oils... then its cool enough to not warp..

if forging a blade remember your normalizings and annealings before hardening.

[lunkprab]

If I dont have that kind of oven, so I just heat it with ordinary stove, will its gonna work? Or how long I should wait?

[coolkid696]

this is really really really really good

[ArtistBlade1972]

Considering all martensite transformation occurs between 900 and 450 degrees I would say the blade is quite hard at that temperature stupid...And your act of moving the blade from side to side is probably the cause of your warping. If you are gonna move it, move it straight up and down.

[wolpack1116]

@ArtistBlade1972 The martinsite transformation varies from steel to steel. Some don't start until 400 deg. F and finish below 0 deg. F.

[ArtistBlade1972]

@wolpack1116 He is using 5160.....

[wolpack1116]

@ArtistBlade1972 ...which means the martinsite transformation starts about 475 F and finishes about 300 F, leaving about 50% left to change at the temperatures he is talking about, plenty soft enough to correct minor warpage. At least get your information correct before you start calling people names.

[ArtistBlade1972]

@wolpack1116 I concede you are correct concerning the MS temperature of 5160, however it is the practicality of the process he describes I see as stupid. Have you personally straightened a blade by hand half way through the quench process? I'm quite sure it would be very much too hard to bend by hand. Unless it's super-thin stock of course. My information is based on practical experience..

[wolpack1116]

@ArtistBlade1972 No, when my blades warp, hand pressure won't fix a 70 degree twist.:P. Many makers recommend this method, so it must work a little. I know of one maker that does it on his rapier blades, but there is a leverage issue there. Shorter blades would be tougher, but maybe some makers quench next to a vice or something, so "hand" pressure is used vaguely. 1/8" thick and >= 6" long can be bent by hand if not fully hardened. 1/4" steel needs some help, even annealed.

[ArtistBlade1972]

@wolpack1116 Agreed. I can see the rapier with a slight warp being corrected by hand pressure, but not if it has a slight twist. Honestly, I can't even see being able to get a short 1/8" blade straight with hand pressure even if you can bend it. Bending it in such a manner usually induces counter bends where force is applied. The only way I can straighten one is on my anvil :) I usually edge quench anyway.

[ArtistBlade1972]

@wolpack1116 What effect do you suppose that has on martensite formation? Removing from the quenchant in the middle of transformation it seems likely you would get some bainite formation as well...A sort of mar-quenching perhaps...

[wolpack1116]

@ArtistBlade1972 A backyard marquench is the goal. If removed at ~400 F, the blade will continue to cool, just more slowly, so the martensite change continues until the temperature change stops. Holding at >=Ms will give bainite, but it could take 1/2 hr to days, depending on steel. Undoing twists is very difficult even with a vice and wrench. Straightening seems possible, but not easy.

[wolpack1116]

@ArtistBlade1972 I'd be very interested if you could get bainite in O1 or 52100 steel. O1 needs 4 hours at ~400 F for bainite finish (Bf). I'd have to look up 52100.  Full lower bainite can be HRc 60 in each, but must be formed at or just above Ms.

[ArtistBlade1972]

@wolpack1116 You could do it in a conventional oven probably, but a real heat treating oven with precise ramp and hold programable controls would give far more consistent results...

[wolpack1116]

@ArtistBlade1972 Its industrially done in molten salt pots, since going from the the forge (~1500 F) to a 475 F oven would cool so slowly as to form things other than bainite. You basically need to quench to the hold temp. Oil could work i guess, but I know no one willing to put a red hot blade into 400 F oil. Interupted quenching could work, but the control and repeatability would be low I think.

[ArtistBlade1972]

@wolpack1116 Maybe a melted tin quench :)

[rsjesus0189]

im guessing hes using a soft fire brick.

the set up looks like a one brick forge.

1 fire brick with holes driled into the side and powered by a coleman torch with an extention hose

[michelorions]

I too was wondering about the forge. It looks like a great little setup. Whats the block made of and did you line it with anything?

[dawolfdawg]

what is yer forge made of? it looks pretty simple.

[JTD19881369]

if you drop at a 90 degree angle it will not warp.. warping happens with diagonal plunge because one side is cooling just that small bit faster than the other.

[MrTomatoMan]

Just one question: Judging from the colour of your knife blank, aren't you quenching at far too high a temperature? At least if you are using "normal" steel (not stainless of other funny steels).

[taekwondoworld]

i;ll give 5 buck to show a vid of u touching it

[mark22300]

i use gas to quench my blade cuz im cool like that lol jk

[bigman5055]

@mark22300 u think ur cooler than me with ur sun shades and ur gas quench lol

[widgeonslayer]

Oops that comment was supposed to be on a game, duh!.

[widgeonslayer]

hah hah da moron

[Lyconthros]

The big problem with the warping is moving the blade around when you plunge quench. Moving the blade up and down without any side or circular movement is best. Moving your blade side to side or circular like he does will warp the blade. For the blade he's doing he should edge quench and do a soft draw back

[widgeonslayer]

Properly Normalizing the steel will help considerably as well.

[Pierre8907]

used hydraulic oil is good, the more carbon in the oil the harder it will be when its cooled.

[wolpack1116]

There is not enough time for carbon to migrate from the oil to the blade.

[BladefulArt]

Nearly all blades usually have some warping after quenching, so its quiet normal. Hes not using only water as a quench, since water doesn't flare up like it did in the vid.

Anyway, nice vid and good info. Also nice forge setup. I never seen gloves that go to the elbow before, did you get them from a welding shop or where?

[lordofgonzo]

What did you quench the blade in?

[KillieMonkees]

i think he said oil but i wouldnt try it.......

listen to it again or "google it" i dont wanna b the cause of ur death if im wrong XD.............

[OTEP1234567891011]

no, people do use oil

[Sbafokkio]

the blade warps because you're dropping the temperature too fast. If you are using ONLY water that's not the best way to quench a blade because it cools too quickly. Try using motor oil (vegetable oil works too but it gets rancid)the only drawback of oil is that it flames up and stinks up the place and when you temper the blade in the oven it smokes a lot. you want to bring the oil 100 160 F above is too warm and does not cool down enough. O1 tool steel is best if quenched with oil

[PenguinJesus]

NICE!