Question: Ed

[Burke]

Thanks for showing the nice bowie Bill. Do you have any tips for managing a water quench?

cdent, Well just when I thought that I was beginning to get the hang of quenching in water the next four blades in a row cracked using the exact same process (I thought). It turned out that I had been rinsing off etchant in the same water that I quench in and that causes problems. What seems to work the best for me is to austenitize at 1425 f. for ten minutes and then go quickly into clean 170 degree water. hold until the blade stops screaming. the time that the blade screams depends on size and thickness. pull the blade from the water (it will still be to hot to handle with bare hands) let it finish cooling and then go right into the temper. I still lose a blade now and then but I am willing to take the loses.

[cdent]

Thanks, Bill

Take care, Craig

[cwp]

Bill, it is interesting that the etchant changed the quench that much. Makes me wonder about hard water and how much it would change the results. After all, it is just mineral salts in the water.

--Carl

[Woodchuck Forge]

1425F is the Temp I used at my previous house. i will try it here also as a first point. I found out from a friend of mine that the altitude, barometric pressure etc. can effect what the Hamon will do.

Chuck

[Harry Mathews]

Wade I haven't tried any other steels in the hydrochloric acid yet. I have one I am working on that is 1084. When I get the chance I'll try it. Might be a while. We are kind of swamped. I guess I could stick a D2 blade in to see what happens. That might be interesting because D2 shows a pattern when hardned and polished above 400 grit anyway. Most people don't like it for some reason, but love it in a more simple carbon steel.

[Burke]

Carl, I was baffeled also the idea came out of a conversation with Don Fogg. So the next knife I did everything the same but used clean hot water out of the tap and viola no cracks. I have well water and it contains only small amount of minerals. I had it tested when I installed my hot tub and was told that my water was pure enough that I didn't need to treat it for minerals when filling the spa.

[cwp]

I am on well water also, but ours is hard, that is what made me think of it, could be an interesting point on why some people get great results with water and others have a heck of a time.

--Carl

[Wade Holloway]

Originally Posted by cwp

I am on well water also, but ours is hard, that is what made me think of it, could be an interesting point on why some people get great results with water and others have a heck of a time.

--Carl

Why not just buy a couple of gallons of Distilled Water and compare the results with the hard water?

[cwp]

I am thinking that would be worthwhile experiment. Need to forge out a couple of blades and see what happens.

--Carl

[Martin Brandt]

Just thought I'd throw in my two cent warning. HI ED and Bill and anyone else. Haven't been over here for a while. I use muriatic acid a lot, only on swimming pools, so pool supply businesses are good place to get it. Anyway the warning: Muriatic acid fumes so have good ventilation, and be advised a small amount, as in couple of ounces left open in a shop can give a nice light rust brown to ALL polished steel in the shop. I left a small juice glass with about an inch of acid in it, open overnight in a communal shop years ago after cleaning rust off some pipe threads on some iron pipe. The next morning a dozen planes, ten to fifteen handsaws, the tabldsaw table, everything unplated steel had a very nice ( if you are browning muzzleloaders) even browning rust. I was not looked on with favor, and wore out a lot of steel wool cleaning up my Oops.