Thread: Looking for the best heat treatment for O1

Maybe thermal paints could be used to check for temperature, just an idea.

What does thermal paints mean?

Originally Posted by gregg71

What does thermal paints means?

These are used to check temperatures on metal pieces, used in experimental heat transfer studies. Different colors correspond to different temperatures.

http://www.thermalpaint.com/

I see, thanks!

Originally Posted by ferroburak

Maybe thermal paints could be used to check for temperature, just an idea.

I'm not sure the paints will be accurate enough. The range on the multi change paint is quite wide and the single change paints have odd set points that may not be good for heat treating steels. Even so, it looks like an inexpensive option but the price is unknown to me. I know some smiths who use clay pyrometric cones from the potter's shop to determine temperature.

Since the temperature already correlates directly to the temperature of the steel, isn't thermal paint a bit redundant?
It's O1 we're talking about here, which is very easy and forgiving in heat treatment.

I am just learning all this myself but this part of your post left me wondering exactly what is going on at this moment.

"" I use 1 l canola oil for quenching. I'm not sure that an appropriate period of time inside the steel. I tried 5-10s and 30s periods. I tried to reach 400F before the air cool to room temperature. How can I monitor this process? ""

Everything else sounds perfect. I did have a thought about how long you leave your blade at 1500 degrees. It was the only other piece of the puzzle you left out. In other words are you sure your blade is reaching that temp ?


""" When I use HT-foil should I deep into the oil with foil or not? Because of the short time. And during the tempering process? """
I would forget using the foil until you are successful with everything else. You have to grind more anyway and you can protect the tang with other methods later.

Originally Posted by 10Pups

Everything else sounds perfect. I did have a thought about how long you leave your blade at 1500 degrees. It was the only other piece of the puzzle you left out. In other words are you sure your blade is reaching that temp ?

Around 15 minutes. Yes I am sure.

Originally Posted by 10Pups

""" When I use HT-foil should I deep into the oil with foil or not? Because of the short time. And during the tempering process? """
I would forget using the foil until you are successful with everything else. You have to grind more anyway and you can protect the tang with other methods later.

OK, thanks!

Just another thought.... Maybe try a different steel supplier ? Other than that I am out of suggestions. Like Bruno says, O1 is very forgiving and many treat with less control than you have over the process.

Unfortunately, I can not really sorted out between the steel supplier in Hungary. Your comments on the basis of more and more I think the problem may still sharpening technique. But any other razor I honed has never been problem like this.