80crv2

[Jerrod Miller]

How quick are you getting from heat to quench?  I think 1500 is definitely lower than I would ever use.  I think the 1550-1575 sounds better.  I'd quench, file test, temper twice a little low, file test, then final temper.  

[JackBarry]

I’m going straight from the forge to the quench tank right beside it.  Maybe 2 seconds tops but probably more like 1.5.  I’ll try the higher temp and the steps you suggest.  Thanks.

[Pieter-Paul Derks]

I have been using this steel quite a bit, and can get real nice performance out of it.

I go to 850c (1565f) on my thermocouple, I'm using a propane drum furnace.

 

If you can keep a steady temperature in your forge, I would do a 3 minute soak for a normal sized knife, this will improve performance a bit, and also solve your issue of the ricasso not hardening.

 

A kitchen timer is a essential tool for heat treating in my opinion, 3 minutes is a lot longer than you might expect holding a knife at temp.

 

[Garry Keown]

On 12/31/2021 at 4:33 AM, Pieter-Paul Derks said:

I have been using this steel quite a bit, and can get real nice performance out of it.

I go to 850c (1565f) on my thermocouple, I'm using a propane drum furnace.

 

If you can keep a steady temperature in your forge, I would do a 3 minute soak for a normal sized knife, this will improve performance a bit, and also solve your issue of the ricasso not hardening.

 

A kitchen timer is a essential tool for heat treating in my opinion, 3 minutes is a lot longer than you might expect holding a knife at temp.

 

Is this stock removal Pieter and do you thermal cycle prior to HT

[Joël Mercier]

On 12/30/2021 at 10:33 AM, Pieter-Paul Derks said:

kitchen timer

I use my cell phone's timer 

 

This isn't scientific, but I have soaked various steels(W2, 80crv2, 1095, 26c3, 1084) for several minutes and it has not visibly affected the grain size on any of these. For example, I do a 10 minutes hold on 26c3 and the grain is so small I can't see it. I've done 15 minutes on thicker W2.

 

Where I'm going is I believe that if you've got a mean to accurately control your temperature, a good soak will ensure the blade temperature is homogeneous throughout and doesn't visibly impact the grain size.  

 

Btw, I use 1575°f for 80crv2 as well, with great results.

[Alan Longmire]

27 minutes ago, Joël Mercier said:

if you've got a mean to accurately control your temperature

 

This is the key part of heat treating!  You can hold 1095 or W2 for several minutes IF you keep it at the exact austenization temperature.  If you go 100 degrees F too hot, which is way too easy to do in a forge, you will get grain growth. 

 

I've never played with 80CrV2, but 1565-1575 F looks about right by the charts, and with that chemistry a soak is a good idea, especially if you haven't been forging it. The chromium needs to be dispersed, and the vanadium will keep the grain small.  If Joel and Pieter-Paul are getting good results there, you can trust it's true!  

[Pieter-Paul Derks]

On 12/31/2021 at 8:12 PM, Garry Keown said:

Is this stock removal Pieter and do you thermal cycle prior to HT

 

 

I forge everything, but for stock removal I would use the same process.

 

I do a thorough normalise after forging so I can file and sometimes cold straighten a blade (not easy with the 80crv2)

I normalise three more times before hardening, making sure to also do the tang and ricasso area and quench in pre-heated oil.

[Garry Keown]

With thanks to those whose information I have used, for my own purposes I have collated the important to me information posted into one piece and will use it for when I have hard use knives to do from this steel. Stock removal for me at this stage.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by Garry Keown

[Gerhard Gerber]

I was very excited to get a piece of 80crv2, just one piece 1m long, 40mm wide and 3mm thick.
I'll save my questions till I've worked through this whole thread, but from the first page and this post I'm already worried about decarb

[Gerhard Gerber]

Do I need to normalize a blade if no forging is involved?
My 80crv2 is actually 4.5mm, stick tang and thin hollow grind

[Joël Mercier]

3 hours ago, Gerhard Gerber said:

Do I need to normalize a blade if no forging is involved?
My 80crv2 is actually 4.5mm, stick tang and thin hollow grind

It depends on who supplied the steel. It comes in various annealed states. If yours comes in coarse sphero, you should normalize.

 

https://knifesteelnerds.com/2022/06/23/how-to-heat-treat-80crv2/