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hardening 52100


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Mike,

My info is from an old bulletin,* which lacks tempering temperatures.

Normalize 1,600 - 1,700F
Anneal 1,400 - 1,450F
Harden 1,500 - 1,550F in oil

In 1966, the typical percentage analysis of E 52100 was:

Carbon .95 - 1.10
Manganese .25 - .45
Silicon .20 - .35
Chromium 1.30 - 1.60

* "Heat Treatment and Properties of Iron and Steel", National Bureau of Standards Monograph 88, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1966.

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  • 1 month later...

Can anyone give me a procedure for hardening and tempering 52100 steel in the forge
Thanks

Mike Tanner


Hi Mike, here's Ed Fowler's phone number: ***-***-**** I got it off his web site and called him a few days ago to ask a question about 01 tool steel. He said he likes 52100, and talked with me about how to heat treat it but I don't remember what he said. Give him a call, he'll explain it. Lots of experts say he's the go-to guy for 52100, that he invented a new, more effective way to heat treat it.

I used a jig saw to cut some deer hook knives out of hardened 52100, and I'll tell you what: you want that stuff annealed before you cut it!

David

Phone number removed, due to permission lacking from owner
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Mike, what are you plannig to do with the 52100? I've just accuired some 1 1/4"dia stuff, 2ea 3' joints along with 3' of 410SS 1.5"dia, 3' of 4140 1.75"dia, and 3' of low carbon 2.5"dia. Just wondering what would be good to use the 52100 and 410SS on. Don't want to make trinkets for sure!! :lol: I was told the 52100 work hardens pretty fast.

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  • 4 weeks later...

52100, and W2 are two of my favorite knife making steels, except for pattern welding, and that's 1084/15n20. I was going to look up the numbers for you tonight. Depends also on if you're using a HT oven, or HT'ing with a Ox/Act torch (Ed's favorite method, and he's darned good at it!).

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