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I Forge Iron

water Quinched Steel


BM454

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good luck,  there is plenty of information already posted about simple carbon steels, like 1045 to 1070 or a W series for your best bet.  If you really want advise? Dont use water, read more learn more and learn more.   Not sure what else you are asking about?

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What you are looking for is not existing to my knowledge!  There are air quenched and oil quenched steels that make good blades!  Many steels are water quenched in large hunks... for anvils or hammers.  This does NOT work well for the thin cross sections of most blades!  Steels with very low amounts of carbon can be hardened a little by quenching in water or even super quench... they still make marginal quality cutting edges!  Railroad spikes and mild steels are examples.  

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Scot there is a heat treat app for I phone and android it's a great tool. If your just starting out 1084 is a great steel. You  can quench it in canola oil successfully. As far as  water quench w1 w2. But I will say do your home work before beginning with w series steels as they are not as easy to work at first.American bladesmith. Society has all kinds of info that will help.make sparks!

 

scott gallagher

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I reckon that's true Thomas and I've heard that some damascus swords were quenched in boy's urine.  Still... it seems doubtful to me that BM454 would be up to the tasks of making either type of steel used in those examples!  I did not realize that W steels were water "quinchable".  I have certainly "quinched" my share of steel in water... but NOT while making high quality blades or other very sharp cutting tools.  

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Except those quench designations are based on 1" sq cross sections---is your blade edge 1" thick?  For knife thicknesses it often slides them one category up and if you start having problems with cracking or warping it's good to remember this!

BigFootNampa, actually the quenching in a boy's urine comes from Divers Arts written by Theophilus. a German Monk, around 1120 A.D. He also mentions using the urine of a goat fed ferns for 3 days and gives instructions on how to go about getting it.  For a  number of odd quenchants there is a Renaissance list republished in "Sources for the History of the Science of Steel" C.S.Smith all claimed to make your steel harder and whiter!  (Radish juice and worm water anyone?)

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And you haven't had to go and learn the hard way Steve?! Lol your at least as hardheaded as I am and it took me a few years to get "learn from others mistakes" thing down. Not the mention keeping my mouth shut and listen to the "old men" tho I still check for BS in the privacy of my own shop. When in doubt always ask the steel!

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

 (Radish juice and worm water anyone?) Add some Rum and that sounds like a sailors drink.

Except those quench designations are based on 1" sq cross sections---is your blade edge 1" thick?  For knife thicknesses it often slides them one category up and if you start having problems with cracking or warping it's good to remember this!

BigFootNampa, actually the quenching in a boy's urine comes from Divers Arts written by Theophilus. a German Monk, around 1120 A.D. He also mentions using the urine of a goat fed ferns for 3 days and gives instructions on how to go about getting it.  For a  number of odd quenchants there is a Renaissance list republished in "Sources for the History of the Science of Steel" C.S.Smith all claimed to make your steel harder and whiter!  (Radish juice and worm water anyone?)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Blood is rather a weak brine and acts like it save for the extra mess and having to use it before it clots; urine too and while easier to collect and store it does have a most amusing smell when you quench a hot blade into stale urine.

BTW I don't recall virgins being specified in all the historical blood quenching legends 

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