How hot does metal have to be before it goes "pssst" when ya dunk it in water?

Ironwolf

The Knife Poet
I'm wondering if my body's temp gauge is malfunctioning...
When I grind blades to mod the handle shape,or other bits of metal,
I grind with bare hands to as to know when the metal is getting hot.
When it gets uncomfortably warm,I give it a few seconds dunk in a bucket of water beside me.
It just dawned on me yesterday that when I dunk metal,
it goes "psst" as it hits the water,and little bubbles come of it til it's cool...
How hot is that, and how comes my skin ain't melting?
(yes,I am doing the Owwweee Dance until it hits water,
but still...am I a freak of nature,or are there others like me?)
 
LOL , no your just a freak.....


JK , IDK but its pretty hot. your gona have to get it up to about 300 deg F to harm the temper. I doubt its that hot , if it was your skin would be smoking too.
 
Yeah,I know it's nowhere near hot 'nuff to distemper the steel,
but was just kinda curious just how hot metal has to be to hiss when hitting water.
(my ex always cringed when I'd reach in and grab the pot or pan or anything from the kitchen oven,barehanded...)
 
Nerves get progressively damaged by exposure to hot or cold temps. People raised in the arctic can tolerate their hands being in ice water much more than average. Also people that wash dishes in extremely hot water loose sensitivity over a period of years.

My mother would claim that her coffee was cold when it was almost boiling hot.

ernie
 
Interesting query.

Off the top of my head, I'd say that the knife would be around 212 degrees because that's the temp that water boils at. When you dip a hot blade into the water, that hissing sound is a small bit of water boiling or vaporizing. Sound right? Seems logical.

I'm probably wrong.
 
I wonder if the tip is getting hotter than the portion you have your fingers on... I too hear this now and then.

Charlie
 
The very rare time I re-profile a blade,I do it with a very,very slow rpm electric water hone I have,
and the steel barely gets warm.
When I want to re-shape a handle,I use an oscillating belt/spindle sander.
This is the hide-away blade I was working on when I realized it was hissing as I dunked it,
and my fingers are usually within an inch or 2 of where it contacts the belt.
(in this case,my fingers were on one side of the tang,the belt on the other : within an inch)
DSCN0172.jpg
 
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Off the top of my head, I'd say that the knife would be around 212 degrees because that's the temp that water boils at.

That's what I was thinking too. In any case as long as your edge or tip doesn't turn blue I wouldn't worry about it too much. If hardened steel does turn blue, you're kinda shucks-outta-luck. You can sand off the color but the steel is still softened somewhat and won't keep an edge properly. Don't ask me how I know this :(
 
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