AEB-L Heat Treating for the first time

[CNCMAN]

I purchased some AEB-L here at USA Knife and just bought a Hot Shot oven (model 360-K). I plan on putting it in my freezer for the cold cycle. Just a few questions:

1. Can someone recommend a recipe for heat treating this material if I am going to use the freezer. It was suggested that the recipe will differ based upon who manufactured the AEB-L.

2. My hot shot oven has the Sentinel controller. How do I determine the appropriate ramp rate when moving from one temperature to another. What is a good starting point?

This is the recipe I found online from Gemeni:

Based on testing and published recommendations by Dr. Larrin Thomas (Knife Steel Nerds), the heat treatment recipe for AEB-L when using a standard home freezer for sub-zero cooling is as follows:

AEB-L Heat Treat Recipe (Home Freezer Sub-Zero)​

1. Austenitizing (Hardening):
   • Temperature: 1900°F (1038°C)
     (Note: When using a freezer instead of dry ice or liquid nitrogen, 1900°F is recommended to prevent excessive retained austenite).
   • Soak Time: 15 minutes (in stainless steel heat-treat foil).
2. Quench:
   • Plate quench between aluminum blocks immediately until room temperature / safe to handle.
3. Sub-Zero Treatment (Home Freezer):
   • Timing: Put the blade into the freezer immediately following the quench (do not delay or insert a pre-temper, as martensite transformation is an extension of the quench).
   • Duration: 60 minutes (or until the steel fully drops to the freezer's temperature).
4. Tempering:
   • Temperature: 300°F to 350°F (149°C to 177°C) depending on desired hardness.
   • Cycles: Two tempers for 2 hours each, cooling to room temperature in between cycles.

• Expected Hardness:* ~62.5–63 HRC.