[TheForge] Heat Treating 5160 was Welding 5160

Tue Aug 26 21:51:00 2003

Dave:  I use oil vs water for less risk of cracking and distortion.  This
risk is especially high in thin sections.  Also, the character of the
martensite formed in an oil quench is different than that formed in the more
drastic water quench.  The quench medium plays a large part in reducing the
internal temperature over time and affects martensite formation.  The best
explanation I have seen on this issue is founs in Bain's "Alloying Elements
in Steel."

Grant
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Brown" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2003 2:48 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Heat Treating 5160 was Welding 5160

> At 00:28 08/26/03 -0700, you wrote:
> >Interested parties:  Transformation time from pearlite and ferrite to
> >austenite is a function of the mass of the piece, rather than its
alloying,
> >assuming critical temp is reached.   <snip>
> >I have not been able to get even very thin w-1 knife blades to fully
harden
> >in five minutes at critical, as measured by pyrometer, using oil quench.
>
> Just out of curiosity ... Why would you quench W-1, a steel designed for
> water hardening, in oil?  I would think that would contribute
significantly
> to your not reaching full hardness when you quench it.  Why not just
quench
> in water?
>
> <snipped a ton of other stuff not needed for this question>
>
> Dave Brown
>
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