Donald Babcock Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I tried heat treating a knife last night using a MAPP torch. Quenchant was warm penut oil. I was able to get the blade up to a bright red (with all the lights off in the room), the edge was just barely magnetic. I couldn't get it any hotter then that though. Put the blade in the peanut oil, got a bit of smoke from the oil but not much. Tested the blade with a file and minimal bite, but not anywhere close to being hard enough. It seems that the torch just will not get hot enough for what I need. I did some searching online and noticed some plans on a few sites for a coffee can forge. I might try this, but I need to know where I can get some of the fiber blanket material. The plans suggest getting the 1 inch thick 6# material, and some people were using the 8# material. Does anyone know of a good source for the fiber blanket at a reasonable price with out needing to buy a huge amount of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Norris Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Look in your yellow pages under "Boilers". A few calls and you should be able to locate some, you might even get it for free. The size you need to make a coffee can forge is just waste to these guys. Be forwarned, they work in a different industry, with different names for things, and may look at you strange when you say "Inswool", or "ceramic wool." Just keep at it and eventually communication will be acheived! ~Bruce~ “All work is empty save when there is love, for work is love made visible.” Kahlil Gibran "It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them." - Alfred Adler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Vaught Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 If you're not completely non-magnetic, then you're probably not completely austenitic (is that a word?). Anywho, I've seen others use the map gas in a coffee can forge successfully. You can get refractory supplies from Ellis. http://home.comcast.net/~eellis2/EllisCust...s-mainpage.html G'luck, JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake cleland Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 i just build a small furnace with stacked (not cemented together) soft firebrick to keep the heat when i'm heat treating with a torch. i use propane with a 1 3/4" burner, and it's fine for anything up to 12", and i can do 15" at a push. Jake Cleland - Skye Knives www.knifemaker.co.uk "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe." Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIXFOOTER Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Look for Ceramic supplies in your area, I didn't find one in a quick search but there are several in Lewiston. Some of them carry the soft brick. If that doesn't work, Baily is in NY and do have what you need. http://www.baileypottery.com/kilns/kilnmaterials.htm Also Ellis has the castable refractory and blanket but no bricks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyconthrous Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Using just a MAPP gas torch alone won't quite do it. Even with an OA torch, it's tuff to get an even heat on a blade. It can be done, but it takes pratice. I worked with a 1 brick forge fro years. A fire brick with a 1" hole down the middle and 1 on the side. You can stack fire bricks together like jake does, or builting a small forge is very easy. Local boiler or ceramic supplies or your best beat for the blanket. You'll want a few fire bricks to help close up the front. Check out Zoellers Forge web site for more info. That's where I got the info to build my feron tank forge. I added the small Hypreburner last year and man does it make a differance. Good luck building your forge. Just rember, non magentic and hold an even heat (soild color over the blade) then quench. Not sure which style of blade your making so I won't go into quenching. Cliff A warped mind is a wonderful thing to abuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Murch Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Are you using one of the hardware store Bernzomatic types ? Get one more of these so you're using two. Set them up across from each other so the flames meet. Leave the torches stationary and move the blade back and forth. Also you could do a selective hardening with this by heating only the edge. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Babcock Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 Are you using one of the hardware store Bernzomatic types ? Get one more of these so you're using two. Set them up across from each other so the flames meet. Leave the torches stationary and move the blade back and forth. Also you could do a selective hardening with this by heating only the edge. That is a good idea Ty. I have another torch, but never thought of that. I'll give it a try tonight and post the results. The knife I making is a prototype cable knife for myself at work. I am a communication tech and we deal with cable alot. The issued cable knives are junk. Uncomfortable in the hand and the "blade" wont hold an edge worth a damn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPeacock Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 The cheapest source of Insulation I found was ebay. I think it was about $40 for enough of it to line 3 smaller forges. I forget exact price and square footages. Its worth checking out though. good luck Have you ever thought about the life of steel? It's interesting to think that you can control the fate of a piece of metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Babcock Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 Well, I checked and I have the MAPP canister but not another torch for it. I'll have to get a second torch and give this a try. I'll keep everyone posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragoncutlery Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 if you cant find a local source i have some laying around i could part with Brandon Sawisch bladesmith eagles may soar but weasels don't get sucked in to jet engines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Babcock Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 if you cant find a local source i have some laying around i could part with PM sent. I found a 2.7 pound coffee can that is 6" across by 7" deep. Having a brain cramp on the inside surface area formula, so can anyone help me out to figure how much fiber blanket I would need to cover the inside of this can? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Murch Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Circumference = diameter x 3.14 For one inch of wool, 6x3.14 is the length of the strip which would be 7" wide. wool often comes in 24" wide rolls so you could get this out of just a 7" long piece of wool. Each layer of 1" wool is going to decrease the internal diameter by 2" so adjust your formula for additional layers of wool. What happened to the double torch idea, dude! . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Murch Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 (edited) So essentially if you want one or two layers of 1" wool, just go ahead and order a 2' sq of it. It will be plenty enough and there's no doubt you'll find a use for the extra. Edited January 24, 2009 by Ty Murch . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Babcock Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 Circumference = diameter x 3.14 For one inch of wool, 6x3.14 is the length of the strip which would be 7" wide. wool often comes in 24" wide rolls so you could get this out of just a 7" long piece of wool. Each layer of 1" wool is going to decrease the internal diameter by 2" so adjust your formula for additional layers of wool. What happened to the double torch idea, dude! Still gonna try it. I have to get another torch for the mapp. I've got some old propane torches, but they only work on the propane canisters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Murch Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 yeah 2' sq of 1" will be plenty of wool . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Babcock Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 thanks ty. The torch head that I have is one that my wife got from Delphi Glass. It has an air regulator on it and an ignitor button. Sits higher then most normal torches, so I want to get another one ordered so that the two flames are the same height. Just got to get around to placing the order later on tonight once I am on the dial up. I don't buy things on wifi (not very safe). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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