W2 no Hamon

Freds Edge

Freds Edge

Well-Known Member
Heat treated a W2 blade , it was clayed with Brownell's anti scale , I have done this before with good results. This time no hamon , the earlier blades were smaller ,thinner folder blades (.100) This was a larger Bowie at .200 so now I'm starting over after annealing with a thicker clay body.
 
Are you sure the blade hardened at all? Normally more clay is going to push the hamon closer to the edge. Also what temp are you using?
 
John , I went to 1450 and held for 10 min and quench , the blade was hard . I'm wondering if I may of hardened the blade when I normalized prior to heat treat , I took it to 1550 and then let it air cool.
 
Freds Edge said:
John , I went to 1450 and held for 10 min and quench , the blade was hard . I'm wondering if I may of hardened the blade when I normalized prior to heat treat , I took it to 1550 and then let it air cool.
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Very strange...what oil do you use?
 
It didn't air harden, I'm sure of that. It has to either be something with the anti scale compound or the oil you quenched it in.......if you're sure the blade was hardened. Which I don't doubt what you say.
 
The quench oil is from Wolverine Oil & Supply Co in Detroit (A-1 Quench 100), its a fast quench oil that I have used with good success.
 
Second try good success , I went with a thicker mix of furnace cement and anti scale clay, it gave me a nice smooth material that that was easy to control the thickness .
 
I have some W-2 and personally I get wacky results with it too . Just like what Matt was getting. I don't really have the time to be playing around outside the norm and praying for it to respond correctly . I found that the W-2 that I had would harden down close to the thinnest point and was getting like 45RC at the thickest points .. I guess that's like a differentially hardened blade that you didn't even have to try and do. But I have moved on from that steel.
 
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