Heat treating axe with wet rag

[natkova]

I went to blacksmith today and saw how he heat treat his tools.
First when draw out axe he than grind it, After that he heat it in fire to cherry red and then he cool it in bucket off water. After that he use heat again than after quenching he put axe again in fire and than chase right color for the blade.
You will see better in this video.

[Frank Turley]

Natkova, Thanks for sending this.

 

Several things. The initial quench required a quick dunk after being in the water a bit. This diffuses the chill. If he held it still without the dunk, he might have gotten a contraction crack at the water line. Sometimes, a smith will get enough "reserve heat" to chase tempering colors without reheating. This smith did require some reheating. The wet, cotton rag swab is shown in an old book that I have* that explains its use as stopping the chased color if it is running too fast in one area of the blade. You can put a hold on the color in one place and allow the rest of the chasing color to "catch up to it."

 

I'm open to feedback and/or corrections on my observations.

 

*"he 20th Century Toolsmith and Steel Worker"

[natkova]

Iam amatuer, i spend some times learning from this smith, he don't need help yet he is older than 70 years. And still don't need help.  I just can watch. I can touch things but i can't work.  He said :" You will learn better if you do it yourself (build forge than quench forge etc).

[Ric Furrer]

Thank you for posting this and tell your blacksmith friend we appreciate it as well.

 

Frank...I would agree.

 

I like to brighten up the blade a bit with a brick or the belt sander after the quench (when doing this...I prefer my salt pots and gas forge though) to better judge color in temper.

 

Ric

[Rick Marchand]

For those smiths who use the reserved heat of the body to chase a temper back into the edge, you probably should still go back for a second temper. During he initial temper, you are converting any RA(retained austenite) into new martensite.... new, UNTEMPERED martensite. In small enough percentages but it is still there.