How do YOU clean your blades before heat treat?

F

F. Allin Kahrl

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Aug 20, 2004
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Getting ready to heat treat my first complete blade. I'm curious what you guys use to clean yours before doing it. I've got some time invested here and I'd like to get it right. I've tried mineral spirits and denatured alcohol on other parts and wasn't terribly impressed.

So, do you use acetone? Acid? Something else? Any advice is appreciated.
 
Hot soapy water and Dawn dish detergent. Squeeky-clean. Acetone leaves a light residue of whatever was on the blade to begin with and won't totally clean it. Its fine for a lot of things, but if you want to get something totally clean, then there is no finer than the Universal Solvent: H2 O ;)
 
I've used either soap and water, acetone or nothing at all. I know one maker who uses any spray cleaner that has ammonia in it.
 
Cleaning blades BEFORE heat treating?! Huh? It's just going to get scaley and oily anyway unless you guys are refering to stainless steels in which case nevermind me.
 
Well it really depends on what you are doing. If you want to use some kind of clay coat, like satanite then you need a really clean surface. Otherwise I'm not sure there is really much of a point. I'm sure I have washed some of my blades before heat treat but it was probably more compulsive behaviour rather than preparation for heat treat. I imagine if you are using an anti-scale compound (I've been meaning to try one of those) a clean surface may be adviseable as well.
 
Just a little aside about acetone and other shop solvents. I've often heard makers say "Well, I put a little acetone on a paper towel and wiped the blade off and the acetone left a residue." The acetone or other solvent gets blamed and the paper product gets ignored. The residue is material such as emollients and other chemicals being leeched out by the solvent. Wipe with clean rags.

No QUALITY solvent should leave a residue. (Notwithstanding, of course, the stuff it won't dissolve in the first place, like Jeff mentioned. Acetone's a pretty good solvent for most synthetic oils, however.) If you want it clean, wash with soap and water and water rinse, rinse with acetone, hang to dry. Be careful of a lot of soaps, too, they contain surfactants to make them drain and dry without spots. These are a residue left on the surface after rinsing with water.
 
Cleaning blades BEFORE heat treating?! Huh? It's just going to get scaley and oily anyway unless you guys are refering to stainless steels in which case nevermind me.

Me too!
 
AwP said:
Cleaning blades BEFORE heat treating?! Huh? It's just going to get scaley and oily anyway unless you guys are refering to stainless steels in which case nevermind me.
Click to expand...

Bill Bryson recommends getting parts super-clean before heat treat. I think it's got to do with making sure the part heats and cools as evenly as possible, and keeping the composition of the scale consistent. I'm using A2, will be foil-wrapping and air-quenching, so it won't get oily.

I've talked with Bill a few times. He's a nice guy and obviously knows his stuff. It's probably nitpicky, but like I said, I want my blade to come out nice.

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. They're much appreciated.
 
I think Peter, Sweany and some others said it best. Fire and that's it. I use high carbons and 440C. I grind my edges with 220 grit and take off all the corners/edges and let the fire do the rest. Fire can clean the side of a mountain (and one wall of my shop... :rolleyes: ) , it works well enough for my blades, too. :D
 
Those aren't the big words, Michael! I save those for when I'm pi*sed, if you haven't noticed! Really, it all comes from having read a lot my whole life; very honestly, it all comes very natural, a mixture of downhome and 25-center's. :D

Roger, rubbing alcohol has to be very clean since it's intended for body application. It'll take awhile longer to dry because of the 30% water, but it'll dry without residue. Good choice. One can usually find 91% Isopropyl alcohol, too, in the pharmacy, which will evaporate a little faster and not leave a water film at the end.

Trivia: 70% isopropyl alcohol is chosen for disinfecting because if the alcohol concentration is any higher it denatures the protein "skin" of the bug, won't penetrate, and thus won't kill the bacteria. How's that for useless information? :)
 
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