Tempering 6150

[Ron Hicks]

I have tempered this blade at 400 deg. for 1 hour 3 times

It was forge from a Big Truck spring and from what I have read about

6150 sounds just like 6150.

 

I have made a few knives from 5160 that I bought and it is very different

harder to forge

it anealed softer

the hardened steel was a gray blue ( the veg. oil was heated to 150 deg.the same as with the 5160)

it shows a temper line

I did notice after tempering there was hardly a staw color very light.

 

 

It is very hard after tempering - i checked the oven temp. and was on the money.

Any one know what temp. to temper 6150 ?

Should I just bump the temp 25 deg. and check for a color?

 

Ron

Edited June 12, 2006 by Ron Hicks

[kb0fhp]

I think the question you need to ask first is how hard do you want to make it?

 

5160 and 6150 are two entirely different animals, with different alloy contents and carbon content.

 

A good reference is "Heat Treaters Guide" by ASM...

 

Scott

[Tim Crocker]

6150 is definately harder to move under the hammer than 5160. Temper for 6150 for me has worked great at 375-400. If what you have is truck spring and moves easier than 5160 I would suppose that it is not 6150. I am not aware of 6150 being used for truck spring.

[B. Norris]

Secondhand information so, take it with a grain of salt, but, I have heard that 6150 was used for leaf springs on heavy equipment (think dumptrucks, etc.) and on all Studebaker vechicles.

[Ron Hicks]

6150 is definately harder to move under the hammer than 5160. Temper for 6150 for me has worked great at 375-400. If what you have is truck spring and moves easier than 5160 I would suppose that it is not 6150. I am not aware of 6150 being used for truck spring.

 

Tim so after you tempered was it really hard - a 120 grt belt wont hardly touch this stuff and I tempered at 400 deg. for 1 hour 3 times. in an oven that I checked the temp dead on 400 deg.

"If what you have is truck spring and moves easier than 5160 I would suppose that it is not 6150. "

Thats A BIG NEGATIVE it is harder to forge than 5160. Did you read my first post ?

 

This is a big bowie blade and trying to bring it to the edge. I guess I could leave it the way it is but I may die from old age before I get it shapened.

 

Have you the book The Wonder of Knife Making by Wayne Goddard

I think page 26 he talks a bit about 6150

sounds the same to me.

 

It really doesnt matter to me what it is I just dont want to screw up the temper

any ideas????????

Ron

Edited June 13, 2006 by Ron Hicks

[kb0fhp]

If they are about the same carbon content, and it quenches out hard, then a temper of 400-450F several times for 1 hour should be about right. You can always try a lower temperature - say 350F - if it is too hard, then you can go up in temperature without any issues.....

 

Scott

[Tim Crocker]

I probably just read it wrong Ron, too much overtime this weekend. I heat treated a forged blade made of 6150, quenched it in oil and tempered twice at 375 for an hour each time. It Rc tested at 58. The vanadium makes a difference when trying to do anything after heat treat.

 

I've noticed with 6150 that when I forge it, it moves slow. I run it a little hot and it moves ok. It has a very distinct cut-off point as it cools below forging temp. It just stops moving.

 

I decided to try a polish on one of the blades that I made with it. It got pulled from my hand and went tip first into the cement and did almost nothing to the tip. I was very surprised. It's not necessarily an ideal steel but a very tough steel that holds a decent edge. From what I'm told there is only one manufacturer for it in the U.S. right now.

 

I have no claims of expertise with it, but I've been using it for a couple of years now and like it for tough user-blades.

 

I don't know if that helps much Ron, I'd say just look for the distinct cut off point while forging. I can send you a bar of known 6150 to compare and spark test if need be.

[DGiesbrecht]

Hey all:

 

I know that I'm kind of late to the party here but I can confirm that 6150 is used for the front leaf springs in a Kenworth highway tractors. I was given one of these by a mechanic friend who works at a Kenworth dealer. The spring was replaced under warranty but I can't tell you which model of Kenworth tractor it came from. As I was not certain of the material I sent a sample to a metallurgy lab who reported to me that it was in fact AISI 6150. As there is a considerable amount of material in one of these springs it was more than worth the cost of the chemical analysis.