VToku2 Heat treat and tempering chart?

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milkbaby

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I've been thinking of trying stock removal with pre-laminated VToku2 san mai, the stuff that's clad with soft stainless and nickel sheet in-between that and the carbon core to stop carbon migration. The recommendations from the two places I've seen it are that Bill Burke says soak at 1350F for 30 minutes then raise to 1500F and soak no more than 10 minutes then quench in oil. It has about 1% carbon, 0.4% chromium, and 0 to 0.5% manganese so it makes sense to soak a little at 1500F, but is the 1350F soak something to do with the san mai or is there an advantage soaking longer below austenitizing temp?

Also, anybody seen a chart with suggested tempering temps for desired hardness? Or suggestions from experience?

This is probably over my equipment's capabilities since I currently use a two brick forge for HT, but I thought it might be fun to make something for myself. I might be able to swing using a kiln at work but not sure how deep it is and whether it can accommodate the knife I want to try making.
 
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I thought that V-Toku 2 also had a fair dose of tungsten and a tiny bit of vanadium? Kind of like Blue #2 or the German 1.2442/2419//2519 type steels but with a pinch of vanadium.
 
I bought some at blade. I'm going to use my blue #2 heat treatment, but they gave me an instruction sheet that is the same info you got from Bill Burke. Says to temper at 120C or 248F for HRC 65. I'll send you a picture of the sheet if you want. Just pm or email me.
 
I posted this yesterday, but for some reason it didn't show up until today???

Tokufu ans hitachi both need close tolerances and HT to get what you paid for. A HT oven is pretty much a requirement for top results. It can be done in a well regulated forge with fair results, but a 2BF is pretty primitive for HT. I do not use the long soak at 1350.
 
milkbaby said:
I've been thinking of trying stock removal with pre-laminated VToku2 san mai, the stuff that's clad with soft stainless and nickel sheet in-between that and the carbon core to stop carbon migration. The recommendations from the two places I've seen it are that Bill Burke says soak at 1350F for 30 minutes then raise to 1500F and soak no more than 10 minutes then quench in oil. It has about 1% carbon, 0.4% chromium, and 0 to 0.5% manganese so it makes sense to soak a little at 1500F, but is the 1350F soak something to do with the san mai or is there an advantage soaking longer below austenitizing temp?

Also, anybody seen a chart with suggested tempering temps for desired hardness? Or suggestions from experience?

This is probably over my equipment's capabilities since I currently use a two brick forge for HT, but I thought it might be fun to make something for myself. I might be able to swing using a kiln at work but not sure how deep it is and whether it can accommodate the knife I want to try making.
Click to expand...

Bladegallery is the North American distributor for Takafu Steel who makes VTOKU2. Here is a link to the heat treating info.
http://bladegallery.com/shopexd.asp?id=94446
Jim A.
 
jdm61 said:
I thought that V-Toku 2 also had a fair dose of tungsten and a tiny bit of vanadium? Kind of like Blue #2 or the German 1.2442/2419//2519 type steels but with a pinch of vanadium.
Click to expand...

My bad, you're right. I was looking at the knife steel composition app and mistook V2 for VToku2 which isn't the same.


Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Tokufu ans hitachi both need close tolerances and HT to get what you paid for. A HT oven is pretty much a requirement for top results. It can be done in a well regulated forge with fair results, but a 2BF is pretty primitive for HT. I do not use the long soak at 1350.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I keep thinking that I'll just make something for myself and leave performace on the table, but since I have access to a scientific kiln at work now, might as well get full bang for my buck. Do you know what the long lower temp soak does?
 
milkbaby said:
My bad, you're right. I was looking at the knife steel composition app and mistook V2 for VToku2 which isn't the same.
Thanks, I keep thinking that I'll just make something for myself and leave performace on the table, but since I have access to a scientific kiln at work now, might as well get full bang for my buck. Do you know what the long lower temp soak does?
Click to expand...
i belong to the "get the furnace hot, then get the blade in and out in shortest time" school of thought. don't know the thickness you are using. I think it should behave similar to 1.2519. for 1/16" material, heat furnace to 1475*F, knife straight in no preheat, 7-8 minutes at 1475*F then oil quench. 350*F should give you Rc63-64
 
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