52100 heat treat question-thermal cycling

[jwesthurl]

I use a jeweler's burnout oven to heat treat since I use mainly 10xx steels when I'm doing it myself. Well, I have a bar of 52100 and I was wondering if it would be pointless to try to HT myself because I don't think my oven will get much over 1550F. My understanding is that 52100 needs to get to 1650 to get the carbon into solution in the first heat.
Do I have any options that don't end with "inferior knife"?

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[Natlek]

Search on internet for book Knife Talk I and Knife Talk II from Ed Fowlers , You will not regret

 

[Bill Burke]

never heat mine over 1550 except when forging

 

[jwesthurl]

never heat mine over 1550 except when forging

Bill, would you mind sharing what temps you normalize at before quench?

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[BluntCut MetalWorks]

1. ss foil wrap your blades.
2. 1550F 30 minutes -> fast air cool to black or plate quench. Do this step 3 times (use same foil wrap).
* in my estimation 80-90% spheroidized cementite are dissolved and carbon is well distributed. Aust grain is right about 1500F in thermal cycle
edit to add: remaining undissolved fe3c are substantially smaller, which excellent for grain pinning - unintended benefit
3. 1480F 5 minutes -> cool to black.
4. harden.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Breaking down the spheroidite and getting a good solution of carbon is both temperature and time driven. As Bill showed, you could do it with three longer soaks at 1550.

 

[jwesthurl]

1. ss foil wrap your blades.
2. 1550F 30 minutes -> fast air cool to black or plate quench. Do this step 3 times (use same foil wrap).
* in my estimation 80-90% spheroidized cementite are dissolved and carbon is well distributed. Aust grain is right about 1500F in thermal cycle
edit to add: remaining undissolved fe3c are substantially smaller, which excellent for grain pinning - unintended benefit
3. 1480F 5 minutes -> cool to black.
4. harden.

Breaking down the spheroidite and getting a good solution of carbon is both temperature and time driven. As Bill showed, you could do it with three longer soaks at 1550.

Thank you guys, this is very helpful.

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