Newbie heat treat questions

Kev

Well-Known Member
I guess I have a couple questions about heat treat procedure. More specifically about foil wrap.
First, before quenching do you need to unwrap the knife? Or can you just quench the whole thing, foil packet and all?
Second, can you reuse the foil bag? I will generally plate quench (at least for the time being), and the bags can be carefully disassembled, and are generally not harmed in the process.
Thanks in advance.
 
You leave the blade in the foil to quench. The steel is at nearly 2000 degrees. You don't want to be fooling with that trying to unwrap it. The foil is very stiff to begin with, and after it's been in the oven it's baked pretty hard. You have to cut the foil to get the blade out, It feels like sheet metal after heat treat. There's no reusing it.

You can get foil pouches, but most people buy a roll of foil and create their own "pouch" as they wrap the blade and fold the edges to seal it.
 
I only use the foil for the stainless blades but for them I make my pouches longer than needed and get to use them 3 times before discarding them. All are plate quenched. HC blades are done in a close ended 4x2 box steel tube without foil and oil quenched.
 
I only use the foil for the stainless blades but for them I make my pouches longer than needed and get to use them 3 times before discarding them. All are plate quenched. HC blades are done in a close ended 4x2 box steel tube without foil and oil quenched.

What is the function of steel tube? I have the ability to do that and if it makes for a better knife I will. Do you have any pictures maybe?
 
What is the function of steel tube? I have the ability to do that and if it makes for a better knife I will. Do you have any pictures maybe?
The steel tube (called a muffler tube by some)keeps the direct flame from the blade and reduces the scale to almost zero.
 
The steel tube (called a muffler tube by some)keeps the direct flame from the blade and reduces the scale to almost zero.
I don’t have a forge, just an oven. Do you think it would still work? Or just take longer to heat up?
 
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