Looking for some pointers.

Hey all.
I'm sure that this subject is both asked about and, discussed a lot here. I usually work with 5160 and D2 tool steel. Lately I have tried working with 1095 and it hasn't gone well. I am using an older Paragon K.M.-14D heat treating oven and went with the recommended 1450 degrees to harden the steel. I have tried corn oil, canola oil and motor oil. I can't get this stuff to harden. I have even tried water and still nothing. Any pointers would be extremely helpful as the last piece I tried was just ruined.
Thanks.
Kelly Eaton
 
1. Verify your oven temperature. Are you sure you're getting up to the temp you think you are? If you are....bump your temp up to 1475 and try that.

2. Forget about motor oil and corn oil completely. Canola *might* work....some...probably not what I'd use for 1095. Water is harsh but should harden it if your getting it hot enough.

3. Check for decarb. Grind or file down to new bright clean steel and check hardness.

4. Verify steel type. Are you sure its 1095?
 
I would bump the temp up to 1475F. Canola should work, but I would pre-heat to 120 or 130F.

If you're using water, it really needs to be a brine solution (add salt), so that the vapor jacket from the steam doesn't insulate the blade from cooling fast enough.

Normally, I soak my 1095 at temp (1475) for around 5 to 10 minutes, and I try to move from oven to quench in less than 2 seconds so that the temp of the blade doesn't drop below critical before it hits the quench.
 
1. Verify your oven temperature. Are you sure you're getting up to the temp you think you are? If you are....bump your temp up to 1475 and try that.

2. Forget about motor oil and corn oil completely. Canola *might* work....some...probably not what I'd use for 1095. Water is harsh but should harden it if your getting it hot enough.

3. Check for decarb. Grind or file down to new bright clean steel and check hardness.

4. Verify steel type. Are you sure its 1095?
Hey
Thanks for the advice I will definitely try all of these.
 
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