Shane Wink
Well-Known Member
I am about to start freehanding my first katana and I have been researching and purchasing several books and dvd's on the subject and see that quenching in oil the tip tends to drop then rise back up some. I am told and have read about adding a little more sori/curvature to the blade before the heat treat to prevent a negative sori/curvature. The I read and am told that if I used a brine quench the sori will be natural but then Howard Clark mentions that in steel with a Manganese content .35 or greater there is a 50% chance of getting pinged on the quench when made but a competent smith. This has led me to a couple questions
If I chose the oil quench I will use the parks 50 that I currently use in a vertical quench tank, 4' long. Will this cause any issues with the blade vs a horizontal tank?
Don Fogg Suggested quenching the 1075 katana for 3 seconds in 100* water then quench into the Parks 50. Its hard to not listen to him on this but He is the only one I have read this from. Is this a viable quench? Any negitive side effects?
If the blade did not ping in the first 3 second and all the stress risers had been rounded i can see where this would harden the thin edge and allow the spine to cool slower in the oil. The claim was the natural sori/curvature, more visible harmon and less chance of a ping than with straight water. I understand the last one lol
A thoughts on how to proceed with this?
The katana will be modeled off the one made in Wally Hayes dvd However I am thinking of making the Habaki/ricasso, tsuba/guard, seppa/spacer the nakago/tang instead of a single integrated piece. Making some 1080/15n20 pws this weekend to use for the fittings.
thanks
Shane
If I chose the oil quench I will use the parks 50 that I currently use in a vertical quench tank, 4' long. Will this cause any issues with the blade vs a horizontal tank?
Don Fogg Suggested quenching the 1075 katana for 3 seconds in 100* water then quench into the Parks 50. Its hard to not listen to him on this but He is the only one I have read this from. Is this a viable quench? Any negitive side effects?
If the blade did not ping in the first 3 second and all the stress risers had been rounded i can see where this would harden the thin edge and allow the spine to cool slower in the oil. The claim was the natural sori/curvature, more visible harmon and less chance of a ping than with straight water. I understand the last one lol
A thoughts on how to proceed with this?
The katana will be modeled off the one made in Wally Hayes dvd However I am thinking of making the Habaki/ricasso, tsuba/guard, seppa/spacer the nakago/tang instead of a single integrated piece. Making some 1080/15n20 pws this weekend to use for the fittings.
thanks
Shane