New first oven

[floridafred]

I've just taken delivery on my Sugar Creek oven and I'm building the work bench that will be it's home. I'm hopeful I can get some direction from those experienced in the use of an oven.

I've read that steel can be overheated or heated too long and would prefer to avoid any problems. I'll be treating 01 and 1084

Some question I have are:

1. Should the oven be preheated
2. What position should the blades be in. Flat on the floor of the oven, edge up, down? They supply a soft brick for slotting. ??
3. How to determine timing.
4. Temps, how critical

Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated. Maybe even your total recipe for heat treating your way. Thanks group.


The first thing I noticed about the Sugar Creek is the small temp guage. I called them and asked about a digital pyrometer. They researched it and said they will begin carrying one for $95.00. I ordered it sight unseen.

[Don Cowles]

Fred, heat treating is both a science and an art. Before you do a single blade, invest the time in learning a good bit about it. One of the books that was the most helpful to me is "Heat Treatment, Selection, and Application of Tool Steels" by Bill Bryson.

[floridafred]

Don:
I've heard of the book and actually almost bought it a while back. Did you find it to contain practical information easily applied or is it more on the order of a thesis in metalurgy. Does it apply to knives or heat treating in general. I'll probably bite the bullet and buy it anyway but I just hate learning curves.

[floridafred]

Don:
Just bought it at Amazon. Thanks:cool:

[floridafred]

Well, I've got my bench built for my heat treat oven and a book on the way about heat treating. Thanks to Dons suggestion. (one problem is I almost never read directions)

I would still like to hear from some who have experience with ovens on how they use them. How is the blade positioned; do you preheat the oven; timing; etc.

I figured I'd plug it in today and at least make sure it works. I let it get up to about 1500 degrees and shut it down.

I've got a couple of nice blades profiled and ready for heat treat but I don't want to just jump in and maybe ruin my blades.

I've got some 3/4 x1/8 and 1 x 1/8 o1 coming to make some quick "scalpels" and neck knives. Not much grinding work on them so I'll experiment with them before doing my larger knives.

Maybe someone can get me started.

[floridafred]

Well, there've been no tutorials to get my heat treating started but maybe that is a good thing. The book suggested by Don arrived from Amazon today. I've read the entire book. Can't say I know everything about heat treating but I've got enough to get started.

Don, that is one excellant book. Clear and to the point. I didn't realize there was so much I didn't know. It gave me a whole new perspective on how to get started. Slowly.

"Heat Treatment, Selection, and Application of Tool Steels, by Bill Bryson. Highly recommended