Anealing stainless steel?

[Ph34r]

Hi,

was just wondering if anybody had any experience with annealing stainless - and if so, how it's done. I plan to anneal the steal to soften, so i am able to cut it with a hacksaw.

Thanks,
Ph34r

 

[launditch1]

You will need to heat it with a blowtorch or something similar.When i do it i just heat it until its starting to glow a dull red colour then i either let it cool or quench it in water.Dont try and saw it when its still hot or you will lose the temper on the sawblade and strip the teeth.

I have also cut stainless sheet without annealing, how thick is it?

 

[Ph34r]

its about 2 to 3 mm thick

 

[Matt.S]

If you've got a cold chisel you could probably score it, then bend back and forth to snap it off. Of course this would only work with a truncating cut...

 

[Rob_Beek]

What ya makin?

 

[Ph34r]

I'm making a small full tang knife. I know it does not hold its edge as well as tool steel, but have got a tool steel knife on the go atm as well, i just wanted to compare the two.

 

[Matt.S]

Is it a high-carbon stainless?

 

[jdlenton]

I'm not sure you can!!!! i have had this discussion with a friend of mine ( who is a very very talented knife maker and professional engineer) on a number of occasions, to be honest I'm still a little in the Dark and I'm a trained metal smith!!!!! I believe that annealing techniques vary dependant on what the material is. I also believe once stock removal is complete the heat treat to harden and temper the blade is also variable dependant on material. As one who teaches metal work i would advise you make 01 knives and master the techniques for forging / stock removing and heat treating them. Leave the stainless for when you have much more skill and equipment

 

[alecf]

You will need to heat it with a blowtorch or something similar.When i do it i just heat it until its starting to glow a dull red colour then i either let it cool or quench it in water.Dont try and saw it when its still hot or you will lose the temper on the sawblade and strip the teeth.

I have also cut stainless sheet without annealing, how thick is it?

If you quench it in water thats going to have a hardening effect, not annealing...

 

[CAL]

Annealing the stainless will soften it and heating and quenching in water will get some hardness and strength back but not all of it. Stainless develops its hardness and tensile properties primarily from cold deformation. Annealing removes this and you can't harden and temper the steel (in the tradition sense) to regain them - the chemistry and structure isn't right to do it. At least thats how it works for large scale manufacturing. I would think people with hands on experience may have a few ways to get around this.

The grade of stainless greatly affects how hard you can go. For example, I used to be involved with making 420 (used for scalpels) and that is much harder when annealed than something like 304.

Apologies if any of that sounded like I was trying to teach you to suck eggs but I though it might help. Also, bear in mind that my knowledge comes from large scale steelmaking and rolling / forging - not hands on experience of making knives so non of this may apply.

 

[FGYT]

you really need to know what the stailess is there are a lot of types

many of the knfe ones are air hardening ie you heat to the correct temp and just let it cool in air which is fast enough to harden


heat treatment stainless <<Googley Woogley

304 is an austenitic stainless so wont harden by HT only by working etc


ATB

Duncan

 

[Locky]

Have you tried www.britishblades.com
Wealth of knife making info.

 

[kaosblacksmiths]

the best way of cutting stainless is an angle grinder with a slit disk in it
but if you want to aneal it heat to cherry red and leave it to cool
hope this helps