O.K. I give!

Kevin R. Cashen

Super Moderator
I believe that there is a real need for internet outlets where folks can go to get useful information in a friendly and constructive environment. For some time I have felt that Knifedogs deserves our support in being one of those places, but my self-imposed restrictions on participating has been a real hindrance in my helping in that effort. Now that my spring show season is winding down and I may have time to help more with accommodating some of your requests I am resuming some writing but need a coherent baseline to work from. Thus I will now be happy to answer any questions in the heat treating spotlight threads that you folks continue to request in order to make them better by the most efficient means. So long as those threads continue to be desired and requested by the participants of this forum I will help out in any way I can. But we need plenty of other threads that include as many peoples input as possible, so let’s all come together here at Knifedogs and to make something good and very much needed on the internet!:thumbup1: As a mod you have my commitment to promoting the most sound and fact based information exchange in a constructive and welcoming environment.
 
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Sorry I missed out on chatting with you at Blade Kevin. Each time I went by you were busy with others. As I had no pressing need and kept saying "I'll catch him next time around" I ended up missing out completely, LOL.

Welcome back, so to speak :35:

-Josh
 
THANK GOD!!!!
I wish I was the first to say WELCOME BACK!! I know when we met in person at Batsons, I kinda freaked you out just a little....for a second, just cuz I'm a real live goof ball FREAKY looking guy! Besides, how else can I use my big ugly body? Comedy relief is all I got!

Since your back, I've got a question for ya, not exactley about Hting, more about a kiln design/type, could a kiln be built on a vertical forge design with 2 tubes, with the outer tube big enough to accomadate some insulation and room for the burner to heat the inner tube that would be evenly heated. I don't know if I heard or read about this somewhere else, or if my jacked up brain thought of this being a possibility. Bob Warner knows how to do the gas stuff that I can't remember the name of the parts, I keep coming up with regulator, but that isn't right, this part controls the gas flow to maintain temp. The main thing is, do you think this type of design would work as a kiln with the use of a pyrometer. Keep in mind this is for someone with limited resources in what might be a fairly remote area. Thanks Bud! And WELCOME BACK!! Rex
 
Kudos to you Kevin! Wish somebody would come to that conclusion on that "other forum"....there is so much bull and misinformation flying around over there... it's nothing more than a "look at me" party.
 
THANK GOD!!!!
Since your back, I've got a question for ya, not exactley about Hting, more about a kiln design/type, could a kiln be built on a vertical forge design with 2 tubes, with the outer tube big enough to accomadate some insulation and room for the burner to heat the inner tube that would be evenly heated. I don't know if I heard or read about this somewhere else, or if my jacked up brain thought of this being a possibility.

Kevin the professor has built something much like this for his swords and posted about it recently. I think he just uses a heavy pipe
as the inner baffle. He seems very happy with the results.
 
Glad to see you here Kevin. I'm sure I'll have more questions but the main thing on my mind right now is the best procedure and temps for grain reduction. Thanks for freely sharing your knowledge and everything else you do to advance the craft of knifemaking.
 
I'm looking forward to learning by these threads, but I doubt I will have much input. My Dad always told me "Son better to be silent and thought the fool than speak and remove all doubt" I consider myself a beginner/novice so my input will be limited. I have a feeling there are a few more like me who are going to read but not post a lot. Please don’t think lack of posts is lack of interest.
 
THANK GOD!!!!
I wish I was the first to say WELCOME BACK!! I know when we met in person at Batsons, I kinda freaked you out just a little....for a second, just cuz I'm a real live goof ball FREAKY looking guy! Besides, how else can I use my big ugly body? Comedy relief is all I got!

Since your back, I've got a question for ya, not exactley about Hting, more about a kiln design/type, could a kiln be built on a vertical forge design with 2 tubes, with the outer tube big enough to accomadate some insulation and room for the burner to heat the inner tube that would be evenly heated. I don't know if I heard or read about this somewhere else, or if my jacked up brain thought of this being a possibility. Bob Warner knows how to do the gas stuff that I can't remember the name of the parts, I keep coming up with regulator, but that isn't right, this part controls the gas flow to maintain temp. The main thing is, do you think this type of design would work as a kiln with the use of a pyrometer. Keep in mind this is for someone with limited resources in what might be a fairly remote area. Thanks Bud! And WELCOME BACK!! Rex

Rex my input is limited because I don't have too much experience with such a setup, except that it basically sounds like my salt bath set up without the salts, just an empty tube. The idea with most of these types of setups is to even out the intense heat source of a gas forge, but I personally have found, and experienced, that if you design the forge to be dialed way down the lower heat will even out quite well in the burn chamber and the you can capitalize on the benefit of the atmosphere of the forge to keep the work scale free. The tube often incorporates things like charcoal being added to overcome the problem of open static air surrounding the blade.
 
Brad, I dissagree and think you would be surprised at how much I could learn from your input. Everybody has some little trick they have picked up that other may not have thought of. And even if you don't turn my, or anybody elses, world upside down with a revelation, hands down the single most valualbe source of my learning has been answering questions and chatting with others. When you are asked to explain your thoughts in words to other people it forces your brain to process and look at it in different ways, my greatest leaps forward in understanding many concepts have came from trying to convey them to others. With every one of the requested heat treatment threads I learn as much in writing them as anybody reading them.
 
Thanks Kevin,
I'm helping out a newby that works in a remote location, he's had great success using O-1, but he got the Hamon bug, and he has been bitten HARD! So I suggested 1084, then others suggested W-2, which I tried to warn him about how difficult it is and that it is a Hyperectoid steel (did i learn that right?), which has to a specific Ht , that a kiln was needed. He still wants to give it a try, so I'm trying to come up with a way for him to build a kiln.

Thanks Bro`, I'm so glad YOU ARE BACK!!! We all really missed you! And anyone that doesn't know , because Kevin is so giving of his knowledge, modest and not wanting to promote his work for personal reasons, this guy is a Master Smith! I know a lot of people didn't know that, I didn't until I went to his awesome web site! Check it out, just google him. His work is amazing!!!!
Rex
 
Rex, I don't know if you've mentioned it to you friend but a hypoeutectic steel would produce a stronger hamon due to the production of more ferrite in the pearletic section of the blade. It will give more contrast in the etching. I would have steered him to something like 1070, even something like 9260 will do well with hamons/quench lines. The problem with 9260 is that it seems like only Admiral Steel carries it and only in two sizes. He could also look at 1060 or 1065, though he would probably have to do water or brine quenching on either of those and possibly still end up with a certain degree of slack quenching. What I'd do is give him a piece of something like one of those, if I had it-which I do, and have him clay quench for a hamon and let him compare it with creating a hamon with W2 with the equipment that he has.

Doug
 
Kevin, I am glad to see you back. I have always treasured your information on heat treating and facts about steel. Though we have never met, I think of you as a good friend. I am a newbie and won't be able to do much more than ask questions.
 
Ya know Doug,
I probably should have mentioned that, I knew that, but I don't have experience with it so I don't really offer advice about stuff that I think will work, I prefer to share actual knowledge, I'm more comfortable that way! I did pick up some,...I think either 1080 or 1075 from Aldo at Blade I can't remember crap! I just want to try the interupted water to oil quench, I read about on here, to see what I can come up with, matter of fact, I have an order for an...errr, I'll call it a Japanese influenced knife, that I am going to do just that. If I can figure out how to get from the water to the oil quick enough. I still haven't gotten my vertical quench tank working, it has leaked with everything I've put in it! It held water with barely a trickle, I fixed that spot and put my HIGH DOLLAR QUENCH OIL in it, lost about 2 gallons!!! Couldn't move fast enough to get it back in the bucket! Thanks Bro! Rex
 
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