Hey guys,

 I just started heat treating my first knife today.

 Got it quenched, put it in the oven at 400 for an hour. Once done, took in out and shoved it a pail of water (as stormcrow told me to do), put it back in the oven again. Once done I took it out again and shoved it in the pail of water. About this time the oven needed to be used for some thing else besides "baking" knives. Sooo.... a couple hours later, a few dozen cinnamon rolls and a couple loaves of banana bread later, I get the oven again.

 But, the knife has been sitting on the counter for a couple hours. Does this effect the tempering process? Should I just continue as if there was no halt in the tempering process? Or has this couple hours of sitting in the process ruined my chances? Should I just stop now?

 Thanks guys, I would greatly appreciate prompt responses, as I don't have much time tonight.

 Thanks bunches guys!

 1776

I'm not a bladesmith guy but you have to plan farther ahead, ASAP shouldn't apply to heat treatment. Next time make sure nobody's going to need the oven before hardening. OR save up a few bucks and buy a garage sale toaster oven and oven thermometer. I do my tempering in the shop toaster oven. Handy thing in the shop toaster ovens, a cold day often makes a boy want a hot lunch. 

Frosty The Lucky.

1 minute ago, Frosty said:

I'm not a bladesmith guy but you have to plan farther ahead, ASAP shouldn't apply to heat treatment. Next time make sure nobody's going to need the oven before hardening. OR save up a few bucks and buy a garage sale toaster oven and oven thermometer. I do my tempering in the shop toaster oven. Handy thing in the shop toaster ovens, a cold day often makes a boy want a hot lunch. 

Frosty The Lucky.

I agree with you. I should have planned this one ahead. It was a case of bad communication I guess.

 And yeah, I've been looking for a used toaster oven, just can't find one. When I do though, I will dance for joy. Tempering in the oven is getting old.

I see the things at almost every garage, yard, rummage, etc. sale usually around $5.00 on a counter offer. They may ASK $10.00 but counter at $5.00 unless it's a really nice one.

I wouldn't sweat letting your blade sit till the oven's free, you have two cycles on it now. Frosty the non-bladesmith guy say so. Fr what that's worth. 

Frosty The Lucky.

2 minutes ago, Frosty said:

I wouldn't sweat letting your blade sit till the oven's free, you have two cycles on it now. Frosty the non-bladesmith guy say so. Fr what that's worth. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Thats kinda what I was thinking... but I really don't want to mess this one up. First blade, and I want it to turn out the best it can.

I would think specifics would count in the question, like what steel and what does it call for in the heat treat. I don't know much but I know specifics count. And if Stormcrow was guiding you on what he had more experience with I would ask him. 

Hope it works out. And yeah, 2 tempering cycles already? Doubt bad bad things would happen. Haven't heard the dunking in water thing after the tempering cycle tho. I'll have to re read what I've read. 

7 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

Hope it works out. And yeah, 2 tempering cycles already? Doubt bad bad things would happen. Haven't heard the dunking in water thing after the tempering cycle tho. I'll have to re read what I've read. 

I had heard something about dunking it in water... but couldn't remember where I saw it. Then Stormcrow told me to do it. So I did it. Made more sense anyways.

9 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

 And if Stormcrow was guiding you on what he had more experience with I would ask him.

Yeah, I'll get in touch with him.

Nobody wants to mess up any project let alone a first but life is that thing that screws up our plans and desires.

The water is to stop the tempering process, the steel's well below critical temp so it can't harden it, it's not a quench. What makes the steel softer in the temper, or anneal is slow cooling allowing the crystalline structure from assuming the lowest energy state. Basically the carbon comes out of "solution" (someone who knows the correct terms will correct this one for sure)  The carbon being locked into the iron molecules and interstices is sort of like glue making it harder for the molecules to slip past each other under force.

That's the gist sort of.

Frosty The Lucky.

Tempering  the *first* time ASAP after quenching is critically important!  The other times are more "grace notes" and note there is not some magic number; it's a process of diminishing returns, 3 is usually referenced as it gets most of it done and more starts getting no visible returns for the extra work.

After it has come up to tempering temperature you can slow cool or quench in water.  Not much difference in results.

Got it. I did temper right after I quenched my blade, two times actually. I think I've got the idea now. Stormcrow gave me some pointers. He is awesome.

 Thanks a ton guys, I'm going to put my blade in the oven for one last temper. Than I'll wrap the handle, and than sharpen it. I'll make a thread for it, and post pictures when I'm done.

 Once again, thanks a tons guys. I couldn't do what I'm doing with out you guys on iforgeiron!