01 tool steel question regarding warpage

R

Ray-Ray

Member
I fired my 01 steel knife, it didn't reach the optimal temperature; it got red but not evenly.
I oil quenched and tempered it hoping for the best. After thinking about it, I decided that I should
start the process again and achieve the proper temperature on the second try. I reheated it,and it too failed to reach
the necessary temperature; this time, I didn't quench it and allowed it to remain in the oven to simply air cool.
The knife is now warped. Can this metal be straightened and reheated for the third time or is it past the point of redemption? :sad:
 
You should be able to straighten and try again, but first you need to do something with your oven so that it works this time.
 
Thanks, I built a new oven, so this time the temperature will be fine. How exaqctly would you
go about straightening it? Can you get it hot and simply bend it back into shape by twisting
it in the opposite direction?
 
Yes, but if it is soft, you can cold straighten, and you also have between 5 and 8 or so minutes to hand straighten when it comes out of quench if warped. If that fails, you can go ahead and temper one cycle or even more, then C clamp it a little over straight to a bar of thick steel, or angle iron, and do another temper cycle and water quench. That will usually lock it straight. Repeat if necessary until you're satisfied. Sometimes you have to use a small wedge between the blade and the bar to get it a little over straight. A penny or piece of thin scrap. Cycle your tempers in one hour runs, quenching in water. A stress reducing cycle of an hour to an hour and a half at 1200° to 1250° before hardening will reduce warp, and a vertical, point down quench also helps. Heating over 1475° for the hardening quench will increase the chance of warp. If you have no decarb protection, you can count on having some, so be sure when file checking you check below the decarb layer.
 
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I suggest the stress relief at 1250 as well, followed by grain refinement cycles.

01 is very predictable if you follow the heat cycles needed.
 
If the 01 blade was of precision ground stock, was made by stock removal, and never taken beyond 1475°, grain refinement should not be necessary. It has already been done. According to Robert Cella, " Mete' ". Scrap that I have tested concur with this.
 
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