Electric Skillet to HT????

C Craft

C Craft

Well-Known Member
It runs in my head that I heard somebody say many threads ago on some forum of using an electric skillet to heat treat!

Sounds plausible to me! It just so happens there is just such a beast lurking in my cabinet that hasn't been used in years.
As I remember this was once an expensive electric skillet. It is shaped more of a rectangle that a skillets shape. The long and short of it is this skillet got a handle broke off in an overturned moving truck years ago at the time I was getting out of the Army, and has never been used since.

If I remember correctly it has capabilities of 550*. It also has a lid to maintain the heat flow and I was thinking of drilling a hole in the lid just big enough to let one of those thermometers with the probe rest against the bottom to constantly read the temp while HT.

So does all this sound like it might work or am I just :bud: on this idea????

Would you just let the blades rest on the bottom or would it be a good idea to rack them in slots cut into firebrick?

Anyone got thoughts on this idea? :duh:

Edited to correct my terminology:

OK, I got my terminology all screwed up. I am talking about tempering. I will be HT with my propane forge. I was trying to type this thread this morning and watch my Grandson, so let my mind wander off of what I was trying to say! I would rather be messed up on what I said than letting him get into something he shouldn't have!
 
Last edited:
it would probably work but a toaster oven would be better. The problem is getting a consistent, accurate temp with either a skillet or a toaster oven.
 
It might work for tempering, but I doubt it will get hot enough for heat treating. HT calls for temperatures in the 1500 to 2000 F range. I could look up each steel's HT temp but I think that is a pretty good range off the top of my head.
 
If you elevated the knife off of the bottom on a grate or something similar, it may work for tempering. A toaster oven with a brick in it, or even a household oven with a tray of sand would be better for tempering most likely.

As was mentioned, this won't work for hardening. Not anywhere near hot enough.

--nathan
 
OK, so I fell like a dummy! ooops I went back and added a correction to the original post. I meant tempering and not HT. The edit feature won't let me correct the title.

I know it won't be ideal but I think for now it might just work at least till I can put together the money to do something else. You see I have the skillet already.
The skillet has its own thermostatically controlled plug and I will monitor with a separate thermometer thru the lid!

You see this will my first forged blade in the new forge. Up to this point all of my knives have all been done by reduction. So I guess I can still be allowed an oops on the terminology!

The steel I am going to be forgeing is Admirals 1075/1080 here is there chart on it:
http://www.admiralsteel.com/reference/heattrt.html
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top