heat treating 1084 carbon steel.

[Kevin Smith]

Here's the victim.


The pot the knife is on is my quench pot, I have it set at about 120-125 degrees.
stay tuned.

[Kevin Smith]

The propane forge is fired.

[Kevin Smith]

I also turned the oven on to 400 degrees.

[Kevin Smith]

I do 3 normalize cycles, bringing the blank to red and letting it cool to black before I do another.

[Kevin Smith]

After the three cycles I place a stainless tube in the forge.

[Kevin Smith]

Waiting till a magnet won't stick.

[Kevin Smith]

Off to temper two times at 400 degrees for 1 hour each, let it cool between cycles.

[Kevin Smith]

Is anybody out there? Lol!

[WildMatt84]

Whoa exactly do the normalizing cycles do to the metal? And why the pipe?

[Kevin Smith]

Whoa exactly do the normalizing cycles do to the metal? And why the pipe?

normalizing changes the grain of the steel, the reason I use the pipe is because it keeps the flame off the knife and prevents hot spots and it keeps the temp consistent.

[txtimetravler]

Thanks for showing us the process of your art.
Can you keep posting pics as this knife develops?

[ultralite09]

Thanks for showing us the process of your art.
Can you keep posting pics as this knife develops?

X2

[Kevin Smith]

Thanks for showing us the process of your art.
Can you keep posting pics as this knife develops?

yes sir, I'll be cleaning it up and putting handles on tomorrow.

[Nailhead]

Im in! Love watching things come together.

Kevin - did you grind and drill this blank from plain knife steel, or did you buy it as is prior to heat treat?

[Kevin Smith]

Im in! Love watching things come together.

Kevin - did you grind and drill this blank from plain knife steel, or did you buy it as is prior to heat treat?

I buy bar stock steel, grind the shape and finish.

after the first temper.