ILoveSteel Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 Good afternoon all- A little victory of mine to share, as this group understands and appreciates these things (I'd share with my wife, but it's all Greek to her): I successfully heat-treated a center punch! This punch was inherited from my Grandfather, one of many tools that I could not do any of this hobby without him. This punch had lost its tip definition after light use, very flattened out, requiring a re-grind on my belt sander to a tip once again. On my Mr. Volcano forge, once up to operating temps, I had the punch on the forge for about 8 minutes at a orange/yellow heat. The punch went into the Fusion 10 quench oil immediately, gave it about 30 seconds in the oil, moving it around. After a couple of minutes on a cooling rack, I wiped the excess oil off of it and placed it into my repurposed kitchen toaster over for 2 hours at 425° for a temper. Well...I just used the punch to do 20 punches on mild steel...and I have zero deformation on the tip!! It definitely wasn't like that before! I do not know the exact type of steel that this punch is made from, but assuming a tool steel is a very safe bet. It did harden, and testing proved it. My relative time spent in all things blacksmithing isnt even a drop compared to many of you on this forum, but I know that you'd understand what I'm sharing here and that you may remember the little "wins" like this. Sharing pics of the punch, my harbor freight belt sander, my tempering oven, the steel that was punched, and the custom oil quench tank I fabbed up with Fusion 10 oil in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveSteel Posted June 22 Author Share Posted June 22 Need to correct my post, but can't edit original: I did 40 punches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitewill1412 Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 Nice. I haven't gotten into any hardening or tempering or anything like that yet. Still a lot to learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 The window to edit a post is very short, maybe 1/2 hour but don't count on it. That is WAY too hot to harden. At high orange to yellow there's a chance the steel will shatter in the quench and a way better chance it will form micro fractures. Next time just bring it to non-magnetic and let it soak for a few minutes. Use an iron magnet to check, NOT one of the robber ones! I have a magnetic extending pickup tool I use. It collapses to pocket size and fits a breast pocket nicely. It's also REALLY handy for picking up things I drop. I have the same model Black and Decker toaster oven in my shop! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveSteel Posted June 22 Author Share Posted June 22 Frosty! Thank you! Noted for future reference. You're one name I've seen on more posts and boards than I can count, I know you know your stuff, you have my gratitude to have your input on one of my posts. Frosty-meant to mention I have a telescoping magnet too, I have used before to ascertain critical temperature. Even came in handy when tongs didn't have a good grip on a small piece of O1 being used as a heat-treat trial-piece. Glad to hear you have the same oven! My wife didn't want it anymore due to getting an air fryer, so I said I will gladly take that for shop use! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 Oh lighten up. Arthritis in my thumbs really limits my time at the anvil so I don't spend much anymore. I haven't been on another forum let alone board since Iforgeiron came on the scene. I do answer questions on our club site but its seriously local. There are lots of people who know more than I do, I'm just good at describing and explaining things. Show your gratitude by passing what you learn of the craft to others and we're square. I'm just a guy been around a while and like to talk. Know any good jokes? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveSteel Posted June 22 Author Share Posted June 22 I will pay it forward. Jokes...I love them! Backstory relevant, back in 2020, When almost everything in my home state of Michigan was shut down due to Covid, I had just started a brand new job. And on day three of said new job, everything was locked down. I shared a daily dad joke on Facebook until Michigan opened back up as a coping mechanism. It was a seven days a week for several months run. Some I thought were hilarious: ------- Mandatory temperature screening will be required for fans attending the Foreigner reunion concert. If you’re hot blooded, they’ll check it and see! ------ A slice of apple pie is $2.50 in Jamaica and $3.00 in the Bahamas. These are the pie rates of the Caribbean. ------ I went to Home Depot and walked past the stud finders... The noise was unbearable! ----- As i suspected, someone has been adding soil to my garden. The plot thickens. ----- When I die, I want to go peacefully in my sleep, like my Grandfather. Not screaming like the passengers in his car. ----- I tried to take a picture in the shower, but it was too blurry. I guess you could say that I have selfie steam issues. ----- I could keep going but don't want to overload Hope you like some of those Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 No good jokes eh? Less is more when you're spreading jokes you tell your children. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveSteel Posted June 22 Author Share Posted June 22 Well, the not-appropriate jokes I don't do with new acquaintances or heavily moderated forums, thinking this website was intended to be family friendly. If I knew you well, as a friend, and we're at a bar, that's a different venue. What do you find funny? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lary Posted June 23 Share Posted June 23 ILoveSteel: if you haven't already, look up the recipe for superquench. It will give you a way to sort of harden mild steel. I've had a lot of fun making cheap chisels and punches with it. Frosty: Is the arthritis in your thumb the large joint near the wrist? I have this in my left/tong hand. I stopped consuming processed foods including drinking. It's mostly the added sugar that's been the problem. The joint pain hasn't completely gone away, but it doesn't stop me from blacksmithing for several hours at a time either. Edit: Its Osteoarthritis by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted June 23 Share Posted June 23 I get gout in my thumb when i eat beef jerky. Breakthroughs are great. That moment when you achieve something and it all falls into place is a great feeling. That something can be anything you are doing as well. In the idea of video games and D&D, you leveled up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveSteel Posted June 23 Author Share Posted June 23 Thanks Billy! You get it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted June 23 Share Posted June 23 22 hours ago, ILoveSteel said: Mandatory temperature screening Do not allow your temperature to be taken as you enter a store! Again, it is a scam. They are erasing your memory.. I went in for milk, bread, and eggs and I came home with wine, Ice cream, and a bag of Snickers. Be warned. I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s. Semper Paratus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 23 Share Posted June 23 Steel Lover guy: If a person needs a definition of what the audience considers funny they should be sparing with the jokes. Spontaneity is good, surprise is a must, etc. I love puns which don't exist without the previous two conditions. We're poking foolishness at each other on the forum all the time, some is personal between close (internet forum) friends, some just general joking around. Friendly family friendly banter is a pretty constant thing though we do shoot PMs when it'd violate site rules. If you want to tell me something off color or violates forum rules, say the company website for a product or device a person is interested in. PM what you wish to say. Just click on the person's avatar and click on the envelope icon. Heck, I got an off color joke from one of the site admins yesterday afternoon. Once again. Just relax and let the forum absorb you. (so to speak it's not like the "Blob") It takes everybody time to figure out the forum and ease into the group, some quick, some slow and only rarely not. Randy's post just showed up while I was headed for the submit button! Deb and I screened a LOT of temperature yesterday evening waiting for the fire to burn down so we could roast hot dogs. She bought one of those light fire pit thingies for our shake down camping trip Father's day weekend. It's set up in the yard now and we like it a lot more than taking a chance with orange to red fire danger conditions. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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