Recent content by Warren Krywko

I agree with the recommendations for AEB-L and also for subzero. I would think retained austentite is your issue. When I do stainless, I only use two steels, AEB-L and S35VN. AEB-L for a fine edge at Rc62, and S35VN at Rc60 for edge holding.

i ad 0.010 to 0.015" to the desired final thickness of the edge before heat treat. This is the amount I remove cleaning up the decarb (0.003" per side in the kiln, might be a bit more in a forge) and in the finishing process.

You must be excited with this one!!!

Wallace, looking much better! I think you are doing great. I think you should abandon the grits above 220 on the grinder, and do the sanding by hand. A shorter soak can help. I do a normalization, and thermal cycles to set the steel up. With Aldo's W2, a short soak for austentizing is all...

I've made this mistake a few times, "where did I put that file guide? Oh well, I'll just touch this up quickly...." What I do if it can't reprofiled a bit is to finish it out, and give it to someone as a "tester." Get feedback on balance, weight, geometry, handle comfort, etc. you will learn a...

keep the pictures you have of the blade, and compare them to what the blade looks like sanded to good steel. Once you do it a few times, you can tell right away when you have it where it needs to be. To me it looks like the effect when a windex streak clears when washing a window. Not the best...

Wallace, glad you didn't take my comments as mean spirited. John answered all of your questions, so nothing more to add from me. :biggrin:

if scientists are selective in their results, or interpretation, it isn't science by definition.

yes, you can go back to 120 grit by hand, and sand to clean steel. Going up in grits on decarb is a waste of time, as it just seems to feel like it smears. Even 220g doesn't remove it very well. If there are any grinding scratches left on the steel, there is likely decarb on it. The decarb can...

Something I have been wondering about is the ETA carbides that form in cryo, but not sub-zero. IIRC, they are only there after cryo, and once tempered they dissolve. Is this true? At a structural level, what improvement would cryo result in over sib-zero, as long as Mf is reached by -110f? It...

You didn't sand through all the decarb first. That is the whitish looking film on the steel. Go back to 120g, and sand until you are on clean steel, then progress in the grits. You won't need to go to 3000g on the first few. Go to 1000g to 1500g, at most. Going finer is going to bring out more...

I quench thin W2 just like thicker, except shorten the initial quench to about 2 seconds, interrupt for 3, then back in for a few seconds. I would think you would have no issues with clamping at that point. I tend to straighten by hand at that point rather than using clamps. It takes less than a...

I go into the dry ice first, then two 400f tempers for 2h each. Make sure the blade is straight while it is still air cooling. I find it nearly impossible to straighten at 400f overclamped in a temper cycle. I know some recommend full cryo, but I've also heard that any eta carbides formed in...

No, you didn't miss anything. I just didn't want you to think I was questioning your heat treat process, or knowledge on the steels you are using. Warren

My comments weren't aimed at you :biggrin:. I know you take this seriously. It's just a reminder that often gets missed in these threads that the "best" steel, heat treated sub optimally won't perform as well as simple steels heat treated well. 15n20 mono steel blades taught me that!