Hardness Testing

Ernie Swanson

SASSY PINK LUUNCHBOX KNIFE MAKER
I am going to be be heat treating a couple 1084 blades and maybe a 1095 soon and was wondering if there is anyone that could test the hardness for me?

Also would it be better to cut out a knife profile and grind steps into the blade?

that way it could be tested in a few different spots, or can flat ground blades be tested without hurting them or the finish?
 
Just heat treat some of the cut off pieces when you heat treat your knife. The sides need to be flat to get a good test. I think you would be taking a chance on breaking the diamond on a ground blade. There will be a dimple left from the diamond. I can check them for you just send me some of the scrap pieces. If you send both mark each one so we can keep track.

Craig
 
Ernie
I would use "scraps" of steel for the testing. I would also take notes of each piece like time/temps etc.
I would also test the steel straight from the quench and a piece after you draw it back. This will give you an idea which part of the process may or may not be getting the results you desire.

What you will be testing is your procedure. Once you have that dialed in you should get the same results each time.

Good luck.
 
Just heat treat some of the cut off pieces when you heat treat your knife. The sides need to be flat to get a good test. I think you would be taking a chance on breaking the diamond on a ground blade. There will be a dimple left from the diamond. I can check them for you just send me some of the scrap pieces. If you send both mark each one so we can keep track.

Craig
Pm sent Craig!!

Thanks for the offer,
So if I use some small scrap pieces should I grind to different thicknesses?
 
I just went through a little deal on some small pieces. I have a small Ames portable tester. I had a small folder blade that didn't get hard enough. I had never had a problem before doing full sized blades. So, I set some small pieces close to the door of my oven. I did a piece of 1095/15N20 damascus, a piece of 1095 and a piece of 5160. I let it get up to 1500, waited 10 minutes and quenched. All the pieces were still pretty soft. I redid the test setting them farther in and closer to the thermocouple, went to 1500f and waited 10 minutes. Harder, but not hard enough. Repeated waiting 30 minutes at 1500f and all was good. Several things were going on. Close to the door, there are no elements in the door and farther from the thermocouple, but, even by thermocouple they were setting right on the firebrick floor. It takes time to heat up the insulating bricks and the small pieces had less area to gather heat, plus the were losing heat to the bricks. Bigger pieces up on a rack had more hot air contact, plus were not affected by the slower warming bricks. Just something I just learned about small stuff. I will now always give the oven more time to warm completely and equally before I quench.
 
I just went through a little deal on some small pieces. I have a small Ames portable tester. I had a small folder blade that didn't get hard enough. I had never had a problem before doing full sized blades. So, I set some small pieces close to the door of my oven. I did a piece of 1095/15N20 damascus, a piece of 1095 and a piece of 5160. I let it get up to 1500, waited 10 minutes and quenched. All the pieces were still pretty soft. I redid the test setting them farther in and closer to the thermocouple, went to 1500f and waited 10 minutes. Harder, but not hard enough. Repeated waiting 30 minutes at 1500f and all was good. Several things were going on. Close to the door, there are no elements in the door and farther from the thermocouple, but, even by thermocouple they were setting right on the firebrick floor. It takes time to heat up the insulating bricks and the small pieces had less area to gather heat, plus the were losing heat to the bricks. Bigger pieces up on a rack had more hot air contact, plus were not affected by the slower warming bricks. Just something I just learned about small stuff. I will now always give the oven more time to warm completely and equally before I quench.

Jeez! Good stuff to know!
- Thanks
 
I agree thanks for the tip on having stuff by the door!!

I am still learning about doing Heat treat. I am using a two brick forge with a bernzomatic torch. I will be quenching in canola oil. I have a bunch of different steels to try.
1084, 1095, 1080, and 5160
 
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