Heat treating stainless steel...

[PaulSanderson]

Hi guys,

Not sure if this is in the right section but I'm planning on heat treating some stainless steel for a new blade. I was wondering if it is exactly the same as heat treating O1?? Same temps etc?

Shaped me a lovely new blank, and although the steel was already much tougher than O1, I wonder if I messed up the temper during the cutting process so I just want to eliminate this chance by re-heat treating.

Any info would be great, cheers guys...

Pabs.

 

[Tadpole]

the answer is, yes depending on what kind of stainless it is, but it is difficult, and need proper equipment and temp control.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43375&page=2

 

[PaulSanderson]

cheers for the link tadpole...it seems all that time shaping and grinding has been a waste of time *doh*! it was my best one so far too...haha oh well, typical! I dont even know what type of SS it is so i guess im off to a losing start straight away.

cheers once again.

 

[ged]

cheers for the link tadpole...it seems all that time shaping and grinding has been a waste of time *doh*! it was my best one so far too...haha oh well, typical! I dont even know what type of SS it is so i guess im off to a losing start straight away.

If you don't know what type of stainless it is, then you're essentially stuffed. Where did you get it? Do you know that it's suitable for a knife blade? Steels used for table cutlery (typically 304) won't take a decent edge. There are dozens of really good stainless steels suitable for knife blades, and they can have remarkably different properties. Heat treating them is a job for porfessionals, you don't have the equipment at home. Think jars of liquid nitrogen for example.

 

[PaulSanderson]

cheers ged...i got hold of a few stainless steel shims used to shim/level 40 ton generators. when i had a play around with them they seemed so much harder than normal O1, but i have no clue what SS they are. It wasnt a complete waste of time as I practiced skills and found a shape that seems to feel really nice in the hand. i can just transfer this shape to an O1 blank...

 

[sasquatch]

You can always have a go and see what happens, that would be better than just abandoning it in my opinion...