Annealing help

[David Grizzel]

Ok guys I have a major road block to get through .... I have finally been able

To get a stainless billet welded up .... and I’m trying to prep for heat treat on one ugly blade... but I cannot get the holes drilled 

 

after I forged the billet I left it in the forge to cool over night hopeful that it would help me out ... but it really didn’t .... the holes I could not drill.... it was still pretty hard to profile but I managed to get it done .... I have no heat treating oven ... just my forge.... I have collected a bucket of ashes ... the main question being ....can one of y’all tell me a simple way I can anneal... will the ashes slow the cooling rate enough? It’s 410 stainless with 80crv2 ... is hold time important ? Any advice and help is appreciated . Completely in over my head ... I’ve looked at several YouTube videos and post that I could find. 

[Jerrod Miller]

You don't want to do the typical anneal, that requires controls you don't have.  What you want to do is a "process anneal" or "sub-critical anneal".  Basically a really hot temper.  Heat to about 1250-1300 for as long as you feel you can accurately hold it.  Several minutes should help a lot, but if you had a controlled oven I would recommend an hour.  The key is to not heat it so much that you get phase transformation.  Good luck!