# New addition to the shop floor, aka basement



## PhotonFanatic (Dec 11, 2012)

Capable of 2350 degrees F--more than enough to harden most steels.

Hard to believe I bought this just for flashlights. LOL

And with a bit of luck, I hope to see something like this, but on a flashlight:


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## m_kluch (Dec 11, 2012)

So you bought it to color your flashlights or are you making flashlights? You could make christmas ornaments in that thing


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## Th232 (Dec 11, 2012)

I just have to ask... what material is that in the second pic? Pattern welding a lot of different types of metal rod together is the only thing I can think of at the moment, and even that seems strange.


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## PhotonFanatic (Dec 11, 2012)

m_kluch said:


> So you bought it to color your flashlights or are you making flashlights? You could make christmas ornaments in that thing



Both--I make flashlights--click on the CPF Custom Builders link in my signature.

And while the furnace won't directly color the flashlight that I'm working on, once the carbon steel is hardened, then it can be hot blued, which does color the metal.


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## PhotonFanatic (Dec 11, 2012)

Th232 said:


> I just have to ask... what material is that in the second pic? Pattern welding a lot of different types of metal rod together is the only thing I can think of at the moment, and even that seems strange.




The material is carbon steel--with the obvious physical inclusion of round balls within the basic carbon steel. When machined the balls will appear to be of varying diameters, even though they are all the same diameter.


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## m_kluch (Dec 11, 2012)

wow you make some badass lights. I'll keep an eye out for your work maybe I'll have to own one of those someday


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## darkzero (Dec 11, 2012)

Awesome, congrats Fred! I just wish I had more time taking shop class to learn heat treating before my instructor retired. The guy who took over didn't offer it. Can't wait to see what you do with it!


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## Data (Dec 11, 2012)

That is so cool.


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## StrikerDown (Dec 11, 2012)

Very cool Fred! How big is it? (Looks like almost a pizza size Kiln)


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## Data (Dec 11, 2012)

StrikerDown said:


> Very cool Fred! How big is it? (Looks like almost a pizza size Kiln)



As per the second picture, clearly it makes pepperoni steel. Hmm, I'll take a large pie extra sauce extra cheese.


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## KuanR (Dec 11, 2012)

Can't wait to see what you "cook" up next, Fred!


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## Tiresius (Dec 12, 2012)

It's a high temp oven...I've been wanting to find something to heat a sword I have for quite some time. Made it about 7 years ago and it's been collecting dust--waiting for the final heat process.

So do you plan on turning your steel lights into part martensite and part pearlite?

Love the idea of heat-treating colors onto lights instead of traditional anodizing.


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## precisionworks (Dec 12, 2012)

Very nice Fred 

Hard to get an idea of the size - what are the interior dimensions? Excellent PID controller, Orton has been in business since forever & has a great rep in the industrial control area.

http://www.ortonceramic.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=3


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## PhotonFanatic (Dec 12, 2012)

The interior of the furnace is 21" x 21" x 13" tall. For some reason, I thought I had ordered something smaller. 


If anyone has something they would like heat treated, I'm willing to give it a try. It would help greatly if you knew exactly what you wanted done, and if you also were to send the piece encapsulated in foil and ready to go. E-mail me first to discuss what you need and the cost.

For Will and anyone wanting to learn heat treating, I suggest this free book--which you can find on the Net as a PDF file:

_*Metallurgy of Steel for Bladesmiths & Others*_
_*who Heat Treat and Forge Steel*_
John D. Verhoeven
Emeritus Professor
Iowa State University
March 2005

It's not an easy read, btw, but it was written by a pro.


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## gt40 (Dec 12, 2012)

Congrats on the addition. It is always cool to be able to follow the proper heat treating schedule, whether it is making yourself a tool and then perfectly harding an exotic alloy or for cerakote baking. There are so many uses for these things.


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## precisionworks (Dec 12, 2012)

PhotonFanatic said:


> ... It would help greatly if you knew exactly what you wanted done, and if you also were to send the piece encapsulated in foil and ready to go.



Brownell's sells Type 321 SS foil, 24"x24" for $22.

McMaster has lots of choices. If you have only one or two parts to do their SS foil bags are often the least costly approach.


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## StrikerDown (Dec 12, 2012)

Foil wrapped?

You mean it doesn't have argon?


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## Tiresius (Dec 12, 2012)

Have you found a way to coat the carbon steel to use for lights that will prevent rust caused by simple touch? Steel is never forgiving to moisture unless it's stainless.

My small o-ring cutter is milled from a piece of 1090 carbon steel and heat-treated. I can only imagine that your lights will be far tougher than traditional anodized aluminum.


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## precisionworks (Dec 12, 2012)

StrikerDown said:


> Foil wrapped?
> 
> You mean it doesn't have argon?


Paragon has an optional Argon injection kit.

Fred, are you gonna try heat coloring titanium?


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## PhotonFanatic (Dec 14, 2012)

precisionworks said:


> Paragon has an optional Argon injection kit.
> 
> Fred, are you gonna try heat coloring titanium?



As far as minimizing oxidation, besides, foil, some knifemakers use a product called Turco, which I intend to test out soon. It can either be sprayed on (a thin coating is suggested by the maker) or the piece can be dipped and then drained well.

As for heat coloring Ti, a lot of knife makers like to flame color their pieces and some have told me that 1) they believe the resulting layer of oxidation is tougher than that obtained from solution anodizing (I doubt that--I can't see how TiO2 with a thickness of 300 nanometers can ever be very durable), and 2) getting exact colors out of a furnace seems to be a challenge. At least with solution anodizing, you can vary the voltage by tenths of a volt--pretty precise, imo.


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## PEU (Dec 17, 2012)

Congrats on the oven Fred, you purchased one, I just finished making one for myself








Pablo


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## PhotonFanatic (Dec 17, 2012)

Very nice, Pablo. I only wish I had the know-how, and the talent, to do that. On the other hand, I didn't spend hours making one--just lots of money.


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## PEU (Dec 17, 2012)

I'm more into knives lately, mostly due to a severe slowdown of our local economy, I have too much time available  

Now I wonder how one makes that beautiful damascus pattern you shown in the first post, I traced it to http://rietveldknives.com/Fixed Blades.htm but the guy does not offer bulk material.

You plan to make sintered damascus?


Pablo


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## PhotonFanatic (Dec 17, 2012)

If I knew how to make sintered Damascus, and had the right equipment, I might be tempted. I have not heard the term before, so I'll be doing some research.

Got any links that I should know about?

Sorry to hear about the economic conditions--they are getting pretty bad here, too.


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## PEU (Dec 17, 2012)

I have a local friend with a gas forge that is perfecting the procedure, in my simple and inexpert words its something like this: 

you create a capsule in any steel, 1010 will do, inside the capsule you add strips/balls/rods of medium carbon steel and then you fill the voids with powdered iron, mixed with powdered carbon and nickel, close the capsule and heat to orange, with a press you flatten the capsule and after a couple of reheats to orange you mill out the capsule and pray for the innards had become a single billet. Some put all the innards inside high temp SS foil before putting into the capsule, so you don't have to mill the steel capsule afterwards.

If you add stainless to the mix, things become a lot harder, because if you want the damascus to become a billet, the stainless that is in contact with the high carbon steel needs to be 100% oxigen free or it will oxidize and not stick, you basically end with a big frustration 

Regarding links, knife forums have lots of info. Damascus is not as easy as it appears to be, but is not rocket science either.


Pablo


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## PhotonFanatic (Dec 17, 2012)

Thanks--I've also been reading about sintering on Wikipedia. Seems as though some serious equipment would be needed--and I have no desire to add to my collection. :shakehead


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## PEU (Dec 17, 2012)

We are not talking the same machinery thats needed for sintering carbide or tool steel, here a gas forge and metallurgy know how its enough, a 50 ton hydraulic press would help too 


Pablo


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## Tiresius (Dec 18, 2012)

PEU said:


> We are not talking the same machinery thats needed for sintering carbide or tool steel, here a gas forge and metallurgy know how its enough, a 50 ton hydraulic press would help too
> 
> 
> Pablo



Indeed that hydraulic press helps a ton  Saves you lots of muscles for lifting, eating, measuring and all that other good stuff  Does the different metals composed in that blade contribute to different hardness and sharpness retention throughout the edge?


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## PEU (Dec 18, 2012)

going offtopic in 3..2..1...

I don't think thats relevant, a knife with that beautiful blade its almost a sure thing will never cut anything, its a collectors piece 


Pablo


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## PhotonFanatic (Dec 18, 2012)

PEU said:


> We are not talking the same machinery thats needed for sintering carbide or tool steel, here a gas forge and metallurgy know how its enough, a 50 ton hydraulic press would help too
> 
> 
> Pablo



That's the kind of equipment i meant--it would be hard work getting a 50-ton press into my basement, and, yes, I realize a 50 ton press does not weigh 50 tons.


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## wquiles (Dec 18, 2012)

Fred/Pablo, kudos on the new equipment


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## precisionworks (Dec 19, 2012)

PhotonFanatic said:


> ... it would be hard work getting a 50-ton press into my basement ...


It's actually one of the easiest machines to move around because it is delivered broken down. On top of that the less you spend the more broken down you get, like this HF 50 ton - not a weld in sight so every part is bolt on. Grab a cold drink, sit back & watch the game, have the lady of the house carry the small parts down stairs


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## PhotonFanatic (Dec 19, 2012)

Great idea, Barry, especially letting the little woman carry it downstairs.

Now, a forge in my basement still might be problematic, unless there's a way to avoid the heat, fumes, carbon monoxide, etc.


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