Forge temp?

[heartlandbowyer]

Pretty new to knife making and was wondering how you guys know what your forge temp is for the quench process? Do they make an after market temp sensor/ thermometer that can handle the temp or do you just soak at a demagnetized state for a while before the quench?

Eventually I'd like to have a heat treat oven but until then I have to make due with what I have.

Thanks
Cory

[gudspelr]

Hi, Cory-

Some people use a PID and thermocouple (basically a really hi temp thermometer system) to tell how hot the forge is. I never went that route and used a magnet before I built my molten salt pot setup.

I have a cylindrical horizontal forge with a door on each end that can lift up on a hinge if I need to. I put a thin fire brick over the cut in opening and propped the door open a few inches. With it that way, I could take my blade with tongs and slide it in and out of the crack of the slightly open door. Doing it this way, I could leave the tip out of the main flame and therefore not overheat it. That was my main problem when I'd stick it point first into the forge... Using a magnet, I could check for magnetism as I slid it back and forth, letting it heat up as even as I could do so.

I know others use a pipe that is closed on one end in the forge. The blade can be put into the pipe and it's now out of the way of the flames inside the forge, allowing it to heat up hopefully without overheating the tip.

If you need to "soak" the blade at temp, just keep checking it with the magnet and try not get it over heated.


Jeremy

[hickstick]

x2 gudspelr.   I've just checked critical temp with a magnet.  never got around to making a hightemp salt pot, but many blade smiths use them.

the reason I got into knife smithing in the first place was an aftermath of Y2K....(anyone remember the Mojam hatchet bow contest???)      

anywho, I wanted to know I could make useful weaponry and tools, in the dirt, with no power...so thats how I learned.  (learned from the Neotribal Metalsmiths and Tim Lively).  you don't need fancy to make something nice :  

campfire forge
 

 

hot cut leaf spring and blank started
 

finished product: