Heat Treating for Oil Hardening Steels

I've decided to start heat treating blades again. This is mainly to help hobbist makers who don't have the equipment to do it themselves. If you're doing large batches you're better off sending them to Peters, Bos, etc. but if you're just doing a few blades I may be able to save you a few bucks. I will be doing oil hardening steels only and nothing over 12" total length. Pricing will be $10 per blade + $10 return shipping. For example, 3 blades will be a total of $40. Mixed batches are fine and do NOT cost extra. The only payment I will accept is cash. As far as turnaround, anything recieved by Noon on Saturday will be back in the mail on the following Monday. I will only use USPS for return shipping.
Your blades will be done one at a time in a computer controlled electric furnace and will be quenched in a commercial quenchant with the proper quench speed for your specific steel type. In short, I will treat your blades exactly like I treat my own. I also have a hardness tester to insure hardness within 1 point on the Rockwell C scale.
If you decide to send some blades, here is the best way to handle it.
1. Mark each blade with its steel type and target hardness.
2. Write me a note including your name, address, Tel.#, & email. You can also add any special instructions if you have them.
3. Put the note and the cash in a seperate envelope. The envelope helps me keep things from getting things mixed up.
4. Put the envelope in the package with the blades.
5. Send the package to;

Darrin Sanders
564 Paulk Rd.
Jonesville, LA 71343
 
Darrin,
I was so hoping you were going to include some of the more exotic steels, you know like CPM 154, or any other that requires a real, (nothing wrong with "cold" treatment, but for CPM steels, Cryo requires LN) CRYO Treatment. I have a few that I'd love to get to work on, but having to have number of them to do is a REAL pain! I guess I should say that its more that it's not a part of the plan, at least not right now! The ability to Cryo CPM steels is the only thing holding me back, but Dewars are so expensive, only to use it on an occasional basis, is not where I need to invest my $$$$'s! And the thought of having someone I know that I trust that would be willing to do it for a nominal fee never approached my mind! Of course that would ONLY add to the list of knives that I want to make...OK...err,....good talk, got to go, Darrin, I'm sure you'll will have more work than you will prolly want at times, but a great way to scare up a few bucks that could be aimed toward shop equipment! Ya know,I kinda had the idea to do something kinda similar, KNOWING how hard it is to get a really good Hamon, I considered offering that as a service, the only thing that I had problems with,( in my mind), was the inability to guarantee, well, anything, telling a customer that a Hamon has a mind of their own would sound like an incredibly good excuse! Never quite understood that, until after I attempted my 1st one, I mean I had heard how bad it was, but had no clue! Until, that is, I emailed Don Hanson III, practically begging for help, I guess he felt sorry for me, because he gave me several tips that really helped me get my very first one! Ugly as it was, it was still a dark line, with almost zero movement. I could only imagine getting a bad hamon or nothing at all, due to the actions of someone else! I don't know like them, mixing up their steels maybe? Or maybe mis-marking them, honest mistakes happen all the time, BUT after investing 5 to 8 hours of my time, due to that kind of error would not make me feel very good, especially with me sitting there with no way to prove it!

I wish you all the luck in the world my friend, I have no doubt you will do a jam up job and make every one very happy with the outcome! Freshen up your quench oil, you are going to need it! Oh and speaking of quench oil, what are you using? Where you getting it? and how much does it cost? I aint' asking too much am I? Thanks Bro`,Rex
 
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