Why only quench the edge and not the whole axe headed? If you did quench and temper the head in the oven would t it make the whole axe head tough and not just the edge. I'm just getting into blacksmithing so I'm just thinking
Good question. I don't think there is a single answer and depends on the combination of steel your using and how you temper. I've noticed many blacksmiths use a combination of steels for their axe - mild steel for their axe head and then forge weld a small piece of high carbon steel on the front to form the blade edge. They end up with a flexible malleable steel body that is less brittle and forgiving and a very sharp hardened edge that stays sharp longer (the best of both worlds). For those designs, it's not even possible to harden the mild steel head given it's low carbon content. Alternatively, for my axe, I happened to use 5160 spring steel throughout, and spring steel has a higher carbon content that can be hardened. So, I decided to harden just the edge portion where needed ensuring the body remained flexible and malleable. Hope this helps
+ppotty1 - Thanks my friend - after all the work - I'm a bit afraid to do more and screw it up :-) I guess I'll work on the handle for now and then decide - I can't imagine what you felt like when making the Katana......
What I mean is Rick, if you dip the axe head in ferric chloride or even vinegar the spring steel will etch darker than the mild and show the contrast on the weld lines in can look really nice its only a shallow surface etch and you can remove it with some 600 grit in no time if you dont like it, Give it a go it might surprise you.
I use vegetable or peanut oil to quench my blades. I don't use water as water typically creates cracks in the steel. Thanks for checking it out Julio and happy holidays!
I use vegetable or peanut oil to quench my blades. I don't use water as water typically creates cracks in the steel. Thanks for checking it out Julio and happy holidays!
Rick Rabjohn which one more be harder, that is water or oil?? In my country all most blacksmith will use water to queching, come visit my land, java paradise island
While I don't know much about your local practice, all I can share is what I know - different steels have different quench mediums. For example, 5160, 1084 or 1095 high carbon steels are oil quench steels. If water is used to quench, cracks in the steel will occur. A2 and D2 steels are air-hardened steels where you simply let the steel air cool. For W1 or W2 tool steels you can use either water or oil to harden. So, which quench to use depends on the type of steel to achieve maximum hardness. I hope that helps
I just came across your video, awesome job with the axe head, very beautiful piece, my question is have you ever heard of or have you ever heat treated the cutting edge of a lawn mower blade to make them last longer and stay sharper longer, I really want to try doing this but I've never heat treated anything,or forged anything I'm very interested in the whole process of forging and heat treating, guess I watch too much Forged in 🔥 episodes, LOL. Thanks Tommy.
It's called Tempering. Quenching makes a lot of stress and hardness, making the steel brittle. When you temper it, it slightly softens it so it isn't too brittle
Thanks Nani - if your heat treating steel that requires an oil quench, than using motor oil is a viable option; however, I've tried to stay away from motor oil as I worry about the effect the fumes & smoke can have on my health. As a result, I use cooking oils like vegetable or peanut oil. Hope that helps...Booyah!
Can you help me? My hatchet’s edge rolls and it looks soft. It’s an old hatchet but I still want to use it. I tried to put it in big fire till was orange and quench the whole head in a can filled with vegetable oil... I let it there for many minutes till I could touch the head but it did not pass the file test. I could easily see scratches made by the file along the edge. In any case I put the whole head in the oven at 400F for 1 hour. Should I do again the whole process? What went wrong? Can I just quench the edge and avoid the tempering inside the oven? Thanks
I find the file tests can be misleading and drives many of us to unnecessary second or third quenches. As long as you heated the hatchet's edge to a non-magnetic state (easily tested with a magnet) and oil quenched, your edge should be very hard and brittle. Yes, always good to temper in the oven to prevent the edge from breaking. This does assume the steel in your hatchet's edge is made of a high carbon steel (e.g., 5160 spring steel, 1075, 1084, etc..). If it's made of simple mild steel, it obviously will never harden. You can just focus on the edge itself, but I would still temper in the oven. Hope that helps..Booyah!
Thank you for your clear explanation... To be sincere I did not check with the magnet and I based only on the color. It was my first time quenching something and I was a little nervous. I think I will retry with a magnet near me this time and only for an inch above the edge. Then oven as you suggested! 🤞The problem is that I have no idea of the steel used in it. It might be mild steel...
Thanks TD, I used mild steel for the outside wrap. For the blade edge that is sandwiched between and forge welded to the mild steel, I used 5160 spring steel (but you can use any high carbon steel for the edge - 1095. 1084, W2, 80CRV2, etc..)
that was beautiful to watch especially the finished product.
+stew zebra Big Thanks Stew - working to shoot the final video on the axe, finished handle, and how it chops...stay tuned :)
Nice job Rick
Why only quench the edge and not the whole axe headed? If you did quench and temper the head in the oven would t it make the whole axe head tough and not just the edge. I'm just getting into blacksmithing so I'm just thinking
Good question. I don't think there is a single answer and depends on the combination of steel your using and how you temper. I've noticed many blacksmiths use a combination of steels for their axe - mild steel for their axe head and then forge weld a small piece of high carbon steel on the front to form the blade edge. They end up with a flexible malleable steel body that is less brittle and forgiving and a very sharp hardened edge that stays sharp longer (the best of both worlds). For those designs, it's not even possible to harden the mild steel head given it's low carbon content. Alternatively, for my axe, I happened to use 5160 spring steel throughout, and spring steel has a higher carbon content that can be hardened. So, I decided to harden just the edge portion where needed ensuring the body remained flexible and malleable. Hope this helps
Came out good good Rick well done mate, are you going to have a go at etching to see the contrasts in the steels ?
+ppotty1 - Thanks my friend - after all the work - I'm a bit afraid to do more and screw it up :-) I guess I'll work on the handle for now and then decide - I can't imagine what you felt like when making the Katana......
What I mean is Rick, if you dip the axe head in ferric chloride or even vinegar the spring steel will etch darker than the mild and show the contrast on the weld lines in can look really nice its only a shallow surface etch and you can remove it with some 600 grit in no time if you dont like it, Give it a go it might surprise you.
+ppotty1 - Ahhhh - I was thinking you meant etching a dragon into the side of the axe like you did - I'm not that good .... OK I'll give it a try....
After the oven treatment for when the edge got straw colored... once it got straw color do you quench it again... or let it air cool
Thanks Windsor - I let it air cool.
@@RickRabjohn Its hardening does not drop after cooling in air?
Hello thanks for inpirated video, do you put in onto water after proses minute 4:16?
I use vegetable or peanut oil to quench my blades. I don't use water as water typically creates cracks in the steel. Thanks for checking it out Julio and happy holidays!
I use vegetable or peanut oil to quench my blades. I don't use water as water typically creates cracks in the steel. Thanks for checking it out Julio and happy holidays!
Rick Rabjohn which one more be harder, that is water or oil?? In my country all most blacksmith will use water to queching, come visit my land, java paradise island
While I don't know much about your local practice, all I can share is what I know - different steels have different quench mediums. For example, 5160, 1084 or 1095 high carbon steels are oil quench steels. If water is used to quench, cracks in the steel will occur. A2 and D2 steels are air-hardened steels where you simply let the steel air cool. For W1 or W2 tool steels you can use either water or oil to harden. So, which quench to use depends on the type of steel to achieve maximum hardness. I hope that helps
Rick Rabjohn thanks, in my countri alot smith use leaf spring and bearing is that hight carbon or not?
I just came across your video, awesome job with the axe head, very beautiful piece, my question is have you ever heard of or have you ever heat treated the cutting edge of a lawn mower blade to make them last longer and stay sharper longer, I really want to try doing this but I've never heat treated anything,or forged anything I'm very interested in the whole process of forging and heat treating, guess I watch too much Forged in 🔥 episodes, LOL. Thanks Tommy.
I hear ya that show is crack ! Good luck mowing
How did you know the edge was brittle ? How did putting it in oven after quenching make not brittle. Great video thanks.
It's called Tempering. Quenching makes a lot of stress and hardness, making the steel brittle. When you temper it, it slightly softens it so it isn't too brittle
@@harvesterbladeco i think when tempered it again it's hardness decrease for this reason it's brittleness decrease
@@forfun8560 That's what I said. Glass is super hard, but super brittle as a result. It's all about the balance of hardness for your task.
@@harvesterbladeco Instead of reheating to reduce its brittleness, I prefer to balance by heating as much as the first time.
Can I use bike engine oil for quenching? ?
Thanks Nani - if your heat treating steel that requires an oil quench, than using motor oil is a viable option; however, I've tried to stay away from motor oil as I worry about the effect the fumes & smoke can have on my health. As a result, I use cooking oils like vegetable or peanut oil. Hope that helps...Booyah!
Wht sort of engine oil do you used?
Synchromesh oil
I use cooking oil - canola
What is the name of the solution in which the knife is placed after heating? Is it vegetables oil or engine oil or water only?
Veg oil. Booyah!
Can you help me? My hatchet’s edge rolls and it looks soft. It’s an old hatchet but I still want to use it. I tried to put it in big fire till was orange and quench the whole head in a can filled with vegetable oil... I let it there for many minutes till I could touch the head but it did not pass the file test. I could easily see scratches made by the file along the edge. In any case I put the whole head in the oven at 400F for 1 hour. Should I do again the whole process? What went wrong? Can I just quench the edge and avoid the tempering inside the oven? Thanks
I find the file tests can be misleading and drives many of us to unnecessary second or third quenches. As long as you heated the hatchet's edge to a non-magnetic state (easily tested with a magnet) and oil quenched, your edge should be very hard and brittle. Yes, always good to temper in the oven to prevent the edge from breaking. This does assume the steel in your hatchet's edge is made of a high carbon steel (e.g., 5160 spring steel, 1075, 1084, etc..). If it's made of simple mild steel, it obviously will never harden. You can just focus on the edge itself, but I would still temper in the oven. Hope that helps..Booyah!
Thank you for your clear explanation... To be sincere I did not check with the magnet and I based only on the color. It was my first time quenching something and I was a little nervous. I think I will retry with a magnet near me this time and only for an inch above the edge. Then oven as you suggested! 🤞The problem is that I have no idea of the steel used in it. It might be mild steel...
@@MarcoJetti can explain me what's magnet check?
What type of oil is this
What happened if we don't put that again for 90 minutes?
Wow nice work
+Project of the day Thank you !! How's your Wood Kiln coming? Can't wait to see it....
Have unfortunately not had time to do anything with my kiln. But I have a little vacation in two weeks, and the idea is to build on it then.
It's sad when work gets in the way of fun :))
What is the name of oil.. Can you please help me to tell about this....
Vegtable or canola oils are fine to use with oil quence steels. Hope that helps.
Very nice work! Btw What steel grade/formula did you start with?beauty.
Thanks TD, I used mild steel for the outside wrap. For the blade edge that is sandwiched between and forge welded to the mild steel, I used 5160 spring steel (but you can use any high carbon steel for the edge - 1095. 1084, W2, 80CRV2, etc..)
Outstanding Work!
@@RickRabjohn
That's a tidy job. Nice size, did you make more or was this a one off?
It was my first Viking axe, and if work didn't get in the way, I would love to make more. Hopefully someday. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Oh work I remember that - Damn oil industry downturn layoffs....
what is that oil
I use Vegetable or Peanut oil - Booyah!
Rick Rabjohn tng u sir
Good
Thank you!
My uncle uses sand to slowly cool them down , just sticks it in sand