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Ed Caffrey's Workshop Talk to Ed Caffrey ... The Montana Bladesmith! Tips, tricks and more from an ABS Mastersmith. |
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#1
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spots in a 5160 blade post heat-treat?
Hey guys- I have been playing around with my heat-treating trying to get this high-carbon stuff figured out. I have a camp style blade that I forged out of 5160 (at the hammer-in no less ). I ground it to 120, cleaned it with Acetone and applied furnace cement. I did that for three quenches. The first two went great. The third one went the same as the first two, except that after I took it out of the oil, it had a ton of spots in the hardened edge area. It looked just like alligator skin. You could feel them with a fingernail as well. After tempering for 3-two hour cycles at 350, I finish ground it (flat to the spine and then feathered a convex into it)...and it took a good edge and passed the brass rod test.... But I'm wondering what the heck are the spots?!?!?!? I'm taking it to Bill's tomorrow so he and Tom and I can break it....but I'm still curious. Thanks, Nick |
#2
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Nick.... Slight overheating on the hardening temp. Depending on how much it got overheated, those were either surface carbides, or elemental segregation. If the blade passed the brass rod, it's a very good bet that the overheating was only minor, and everything will still be serviceable. Take some pics of the grain when you bust it.............I'd like to see how it looks. |
#3
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Well, Bill and I chopped a wedge out of a piece of firewood with it, and Tom said it still shaved. Then since Tom was so anxious to break it we took it to the vise I barely got it to bend to 90 by hand, so we flipped it around in the vise and bent it back to straight and down to 90 on the other side with a cheater pipe, then back to straight, and down past 90 on the other side...where it broke. I went back out and whacked on the firewood with the lower section just for kicks. That sure was a learning experience! It's exciting to know that I can do better. Thanks, Nick |
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blade, knife |
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wcmesa |
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