Tips on heat treating W2

[Geoff Keyes 695]

But I was unable to perform the necessary necromantic passes to resurrect the thread.

 

I've got two W2 pieces that I want to HT this week, and I remember from the previous piece that the temps and technique was a bit different from my normal 1084 HT. Can someone help me, please,

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Geoff

[Howard Clark 6]

temper it hotter, otherwise about the same.

[Beau Erwin 2]

Same as what I do.

[Dan Hurtado 1]

Disclaimer ***I'm a newbie and have never worked with W-2 before***

But, I did recently go to a hammer-in hosted by an ABS Master Smith and took meticulous notes. Here was his HT recipe for W-2:

 

Forge: 1400 – 1900, do not forge below 1400

 

Normalize: 1600, air cool in still air to room temp

 

Grain Refinement:

1) 1475 – air cool in still air to below 900

2) 1450 - air cool in still air to below 900

3) 1425 - air cool in still air to below 900

 

Harden: 1425 – 1475, soak 8 to 10 minutes, quench in Parks 50 or Haughton Fast Quench (DO NOT HEAT OVER 1475)

 

Temper: 425 – 450, 1 hour x2 for RC 58-59 or RC 59-60

 

Like I said, I can't say from personal experience that this is correct. But I watched him produce a spectacular hamon using those steps.

[Don Hanson 6]

Dan, those are good numbers and I bet I know where they came from

 

One thing though, I get higher RC hardness at those temper temps. 425f and I'm at 62-63. 450f 60-61. The W2 I've been using is very tough at these high numbers and cuts like crazy.

 

I also like to do one more heat cycle at 1300f, or just below critical.

 

The soak time works great and is necessary in an electric oven, but not so well in a forge. I do 2 minutes +/- in the forge with equally good results.

Edited April 28, 2011 by Don Hanson

[Dick Sexstone 30]

Don,

why the difference in time between the electric oven and the forge do you think? I'm assuming the forge has more heat mass and so can keep up with the heat lost to the steel

 

faster than the electric one? I have only experienced doing it in the forge..... Interesting observation... thanks for the tip

 

Dick

[Don Hanson 6]

Don,

why the difference in time between the electric oven and the forge do you think? I'm assuming the forge has more heat mass and so can keep up with the heat lost to the steel

 

faster than the electric one? I have only experienced doing it in the forge..... Interesting observation... thanks for the tip

 

Dick

I always figured it was because the forge heats the steel quicker. When I use electric and short soak, the blade will not harden, or the hamon is very close to the edge. Takes 8-10 minutes soak (after blade is at temp)in my electric to get it done. I get same or usually better results with 2 minutes in the forge. I can only get my forge down to around 1550f, and I like to quench W2 at 1450f, so a longer soak in my forge wont work.

[Dick Sexstone 30]

Don,

Ah that makes since... thanks

 

Dick