AEB-L HT with simple equip help?

J

Jerka Backbeat

Joined
Aug 20, 2013
Messages
5
Hi!

I'm new to this and would really appreciate some advice on heat treating AEB-L.
I have a furnace built from fire brick driven by a propane torch. I have no way
of measuring the temperature of the steel. I also have no way to cryo the steel
other than maybe emptying a co2-fire extinguisher on it:)

What would be the best way of heat treating this (I'm making knives) to get
the best possible result with my simple equipment?

Hope you can help me!
Thanks // John
 
I'm no knife maker (yet!), but from what I have learned, AEB-L is a steel that is truly made or broken by it's HT. This can be true of any steel, but especially this one (along with the Sandvik steels). It is not very forgiving to loose temperature control and really does need cryogenic treatment to perform at its peak. For best results right now, you could send your blades out for professional heat treat. If you get a thermocouple for your current furnace, you could do well enough with steels like CPM-154, 1084, or O1. I recommend a good tempering oven and digital furnace regardless, though.
 
First of all, welcome to the forums. This post really should be moved to the shoptalk subforum (read the stickies there for any basic knife making question). Also I suggest that you fill out your profile information so people can better answer your question. Now for answering your question you will be much more satisfied trying to heat threat a basic carbon steel like Aldo's 1084 and if you want to use AEB-L you should have it done professionally. Also 1084 is far cheaper so if your first design fails your not out of near as much money or you can buy more steel.
 
I'm aware that I would do better with different types of steel, but I have some AEB-L lying around and I would like to use it. I would also like to do the HT myself. I don't need it to be superb so the question remain; with my simple equipment, what is the best way of heat treating (considering the circumstances)?
 
Have to agree with the above. AEB-L is an excellent steel if HT with accuracy. Accuracy is key IMO and one of the things that irretate me because I lack the equipment myself.

Only steels I would recommend that can be heat treated with simple equipment are 1055 or 1075 to an extent. Look into Kevin Cashen and his website. He has some good reading about steel.
 
The easiest way to HT stainless with your equipment is to put it in the mail, and send it someplace like Peter's. In a week or two, it will come back to you in the mail, and be and excellent performer.
 
Willie71 said:
The easiest way to HT stainless with your equipment is to put it in the mail, and send it someplace like Peter's. In a week or two, it will come back to you in the mail, and be and excellent performer.
Click to expand...

+1 Stainless metal is more complex in the HT process.
 
Since you want to ht with equipment you have...

Heat it until light (sort of translucent) yellow, hold at that approx. temperature for 5 to 8 minutes, quench in room temp canola oil. If a file skid, ready for temper. sub-zero with dry-ice if avail, otherwise put it in a 400F toaster oven for 2 hrs, do this twice. Knowing pretty much that you'll over heat your blade however lemondnade tastes good when thirsty :p

A few months back (before I bought an evenheat oven), I made a straight razor via method above. It's still my main shaver today... heheh more fun using it than a DE razor. I reckon, all the experts out there hate this kind of post, since they might have to undo & refrain newb ppl from doing it wrong. Sometime having fun now more important than doing right - yeah like sending it out for ht ;)
 
I get all my stainless blades heat treated. However, you did say with what you have. Yes why not give it a go as bluntcut said. Frank
 
I don't know how many stainless blades bluntcut has made, but you CAN NOT HT stainless steel like AEB-L in an open forge.(Maybe that is how he got the handle :) )

AEB-L has to be preheated to 1650 to equalize, then heated to 1950F and held for 15 minutes. The quench can be any quench oil. -95F sub-zero treatment is highly recommended.

If you put a stainless blade in an open forge for 15 minutes at 1950F you won't have anything worth sharpening. Stainless steels need to be enclosed in a sealed stainless foil packet before HT in a controlled programmable oven.

Wanting to use the equipment you have on hand is admirable, but if you can't do it, you can't do it. Send it to any one of the several places that do it commercially.


Let me back up and say Welcome to Bladeforums. You will do yourself and us a big favor by filling out your profile with all the info - age, location, hobbies and interests, occupation, etc. If your profile was filled out, you might even have had an offer to do it from someone who has the equipment .... but they don't know where you are or anything about you, because you didn't fill out your profile ;)
 
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