Annealing a large file-urgent!

[Hatchet]

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to anneal a large nicholson file. I've tried just about everything, but nothing works.
Has anyone used kitty litter? How much would you need for good results?

A detailed answer would be great!

Thanks,

Hatchet.

 

[ex-member Raikey]

i just leave mine in the bbq under the charcoal all night,

seems to cool down slow enough to cut and fil bevels in,..

vermiculite is supposedly the stuff of choice but ive never needed it..

what colour are u getting the file before you leave it?

 

[Ex Member - Sidney Bounty]

I just leave mine in the campfire and pick it out in the morning never a problem so far...

 

[Hatchet]

I usually get it to a dark red color, Raikey.

 

[nic.]

Get it to a temperature that a magnet won't stick to it; doesn't need to be any hotter. Then let it cool as slowly as you can.

 

[Hatchet]

Nic: I know how to anneal it theoretically, I just don't know what sort of insulation to use, and how much of it to use.

 

[Everything Mac]

Step one, build a fire.

Step two, light the fire

Step three, stick file in fire.

Step four, brew a cuppa on the fire

Step five, stick a couple of logs on the fire

Step six, walk away and return in the morning.



Dull red isn't hot enough in my opinion, leaving it in the centre of a decent fire will probably bring it up to a good orange heat which will anneal it fine.
A naturally burning fire will also spread the heat quite evenly over the file as well. Unless you've been quenching the file to cool it down I don't see why you've been having trouble.

Cheers

 

[Fat ferret]

I just shove it in the wood burner and hoak it out when fires gone out, works a treat.

 

[Dogoak]

I just shove it in the wood burner and hoak it out when fires gone out, works a treat.

Same here.

 

[DaveBromley]

What makes you say it isnt annealed?

If it really hast annealed then it may be that it is A1 steel that air hardens the problem with files as knives is that they are invariably made from different materials that react completely differently to different temps.

If it is W2 which is what most files are made from then you should heat until a bright cherry (glacier cherry) red and then let cool as slowly as possible they way i used to do it was build a really good bed of embers place knife in and cover with embers then agitate them with a blow poker until hottest they can be. build the fire up over the blade and get in hammock, wake up next day find file, revive fire and have a brew.

I stopped using files as it is difficult to get decent results without knowing the steel as the temps differ quite dramatically for the right level of hardness.

I now use O1 tool steel and havent had an issue yet (touch wood) and get much more even temper from the steel even with moderate setup

Dave

 

[Hatchet]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I'm going to light a fire, and let it burn down to coals. Then I'll put the file in and make a huge fire on top, then let it burn down on it's own.

If this doesn't work then I'm going to chuck the stupid file in the bin and buy some pre-annealed carbon steel from goodness-knows-where.

 

[DaveBromley]

Get some O1 Tools steel from Cromwells, its described as ground flat stock and can be ordered in different thicknesses and widths

Dave

 

[Whittler Kev]

Step one, build a fire.

Step two, light the fire

Step three, stick file in fire.

Step four, brew a cuppa on the fire

Step five, stick a couple of logs on the fire

Step six, walk away and return in the morning.



Dull red isn't hot enough in my opinion, leaving it in the centre of a decent fire will probably bring it up to a good orange heat which will anneal it fine.
A naturally burning fire will also spread the heat quite evenly over the file as well. Unless you've been quenching the file to cool it down I don't see why you've been having trouble.

Cheers

Works for me too