Feeling accomplished

Doug Lester

Well-Known Member
It's a small thing but I just got over a hurdle that has been bugging me for a while. This visually seeing when a piece of steel changes appearance as the steel austinizes. I've been looking for that "shaddow" that passes across the steel as it warms up as I heat treat going "ya, right" all the times that I missed it. Now that I've seen it, that's the only way I can discribe it. There is a faint shaddow in the orange, as I see the color, that fades away and goes bright. I confirmed it with a magnet. A section of the blade that was bright was non-magnetic and a section that still had that dull shadow to it was magnetic. One of the people who introduced me to this said that once you see it it will be easy to spot. He was right. So, if anyone else out there is still trying to spot this effect, just keep at it.

Doug
 
You will now find yourself doing your heat-treating on moonless nights....

Decalescence is a lovely thing.


'A sudden slowing in the rate of temperature increase in a metal being heated, caused by endothermic structural changes and resulting in a darkening of the metal.'
 
Well, it wasn't a moonless night but it was at dusk with heavy overcast and rain. Maybe that's why I finally saw it. I wanted to hoop n holler but I think I kind'a worry the neighbors as it is.:steve:

Doug
 
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