As an aspiring knife maker, I value your videos greatly. You go into great detail, giving as much info as one could ask, but also provide info at a level that someone looking to get into the craft can follow. Very well done - thanks a million.
I've been watching videos for months now about knifemaking with utter fascination. I recently discovered some of your videos and you are legitimately my biggest inspiration for the craft. Thank you, sir!
You are so generous for taking the time to teach people how to make knives for themselves with detailed instructions. I appreciate your videos a ton and I will be sure to recommend your channel to all of my friends that are interested in knife-making/knives.
PERFECT video! Direct, to the point, and with no unnecessary blah blah blah. 1-even cherry red 2-test hardness 3-400 degrees for 2 hours. Done! Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge Ken :-)
There is a bit of a code to this: The "W" in "W1" stands for "water quenching".. The "O" in "O1" actually stands for "Oil Quenching"... The "A" in "A2" stands for "Air Quenching".... The "D" in "D2" means "Die Steel"... The "S" in "S7" means "Shock Resistant"... There are many more too, and a number of different systems used in different countries and industries.
2 years ago this was the first gough video I watched. It inspired me to make my own coffee can forge to treat some 01 steel. Now you are making the most beautiful knives on a milling machine and HT with your own oven. I LOVE THIS CHANNEL! Thank you so much for your videos.
Just planning to get into this and I must say.....I've looked at a lot of "forge" vids and yours is the clearest and simplest....And you're the ONLY one who recommended having a fire extinguisher handy!
I have learnt more about knife making from your channel than all the other YT videos combined, you have a natural way of simplifying and teaching the steps. So glad I stumbled upon your channel!! By the way, are you an Australian? Living in Canada now I guess? (sorry, not being nosey or anything, just picked up on the accent)
The bricks are quite delicate yes. I made the channels by cutting out a triangle shape with an old handsaw, then using some rough sandpaper (36 grit) attached to a wooden block that was the right shape. A little slow but it worked very well!
This exact process should work just fine for a number of steels including: O1, 5160, 1060 1070, 1080, 1084, and 1095. It won't work for stainless or high alloy steels. Be warned though that this is a fairly simple heat-treatment scheme and that you likely won't be getting the full performance out of most steels. It will be good enough for getting a first knife done though! After you're comfortable with the process it's worth the time to learn a bit more about steel and how to heat-treat it.
Nice, clear video on heat treating steel. I like the wine bucket idea, as I have to treat some small skinny tools and don't want to use a lot of oil- Perfect solution! Also that is about the greatest DIY small forge I've ever seen! ONYA!
Hey Patrick! Thanks for subscribing. I generally recommend O1, which is the steel I'm demonstrating in the video. Using this heat-treating process will not get you 'the best blade in the world', but you'll get a knife that's perfectly serviceable. The reason I recommend O1 is mainly because it's kind of hard to make a mistake with it. Most of the other 'cheap' steels (like 1084) require fast water/brine quenches which can cause cracking and warping if you don't do exactly the right things.
Thankfully someone knows that you can't harden basic steels in stuff like canola oil. Maaybe if it's thin enough. 52100 from ball bearings is also a slightly slower quench thanks to some chrome.
Glad it helped! It's not the be-all and end-all of heat-treatments, there are other methods that will get more out of the steel, but this is a very good way to get started.
The temperature where steel turns non-magnetic is called the 'eutectoid point', in some steels this point corresponds with the right temperature for heat-treatment (1084 and other spring steels for instance) but unfortunately that is not the case for O1. You have to go at least 50º hotter for O1, which is why I mainly talked about the color of the steel. Using a magnet can be helpful too! Just be aware that you have to got a bit hotter than the magnet says.
Hey Logan! What you're talking about is generally called edge-quenching. Quite a few makers do it, but I don't think it's the best way to achieve what you're after. When steel is soft (annealed) it's largely made up of a microstructure called pearlite. When it's hardened we change that to a microstructure called martensite. Martensite is much stronger than pearlite. Pearlite is very tough as it's ductile which means that it will bend and stay bent under loads that martensite would shrug off...
hi, just watched this,i will be pinching all your ideas and will make them my own,lol. i love your furnace, simple,and amazing.keep up the good, no, great work. and fyi, methril and stardust are now available in walmart,you just need to be with a qualified dwarf from isingard whose second cousin needs to be a leprechaun to be allowed to buy it, ( for the makers of fairyblades) hope this helps.
I just want to say thank you. Your videos inspired me to make knives of my own, and they are infinitely helpful. Keep being awesome, and please keep posting more stuff!
Thanks Dave! I actually made the hole the same diameter all the way through. Initially I had it smaller, but it seems to work better if you just make it the same the whole way as the flame swirls more nicely.
There should be a furnace supply or pottery supply place in your area that would have them. Ask for 'k23' bricks, or 'soft white refractory firebricks'. They are held together with refractory cement (you can get that at home depot). And then I bent a bit of scarp metal sheet to go around them and protect them as they're quite delicate.
Dude. What a great video. I have been wanting to learn how to temper O1 steel for 4 years. I make dies for swaging and reloading ammunition. Have used Grade 8 bolts because I thought heat treating was too complicated. Now I can use the proper steel and make far better quality tools. THANK YOU
Hey mate! The case for the firebricks was made from some scrap sheet steel. It was basically cut to size with a cutting disk in an angle grinder, then bent using a cheap sheet bender (you can use lots of stuff to bend thing sheet, have a look around the net for that part). The sheet was then drilled and pop-riveted together once the bricks were put in the case.
Absolutely fantastic, I am so glad I found you by way of Trollsky. I am happy you took the time to show people how to set up a cost effective forge and how to use it, along with the cooling. This gives me much more hope to be able to set up my own now.
Awesome! Glad I could help! It's worth noting too that you can substitute other heat sources. A charcoal BBQ works well for instance. (with lump charcoal)
5 years later and your videos are still passing on wisdom! Thanks a ton for the effort and information, I'm watching this just before I attempt my very first heat treat on some scrap.
Lol, the scrap was for practice to get the procedure down, make sure my beer can quench tank would hold up. Fast forward, successfully treated my first two knives,3/16 thick 2 1/2 wide aisi 01 steel. (Says the sticker on the wrapper) A heavy tanto chopper 2 in wide, 4 inch blade and a faceted double inch dagger 1.5 inch wide and 4 inch blade. I did not sand them appropriately before treatment and am paid dearly for it. Hairline crack in my chopper took forever to hand sand out to 600 and I'm still chewing on the dagger when I get time.
Thanks, really easy to understand when explained properly, you would have made a good teacher. Your videos are the best I have seen and I think I've watched most of them on here. Keep making videos your a true knife making pro.
TH-cam is amazing place full of awesome people like yourself. People who helps others like me. Subscribed and liked your channel. Thank you for your work and videos!!!
Steel can only be hammered flat without cracking if it's relatively soft, and soft steel is not great for making a knife. It will work, but it won't hold an edge well. I recommend using O1 tool steel from a machinery supply place (suppliers: KBC tools, ENCO, Amazon!) and heat-treating as shown in the video.
Great stuff, as an apprentice 1961 with Harland & Wolff, Belfast, we did a lot of metal forging & annealing, in the 1st year training school, this brings back a lot of old memories, our tool shop was more in line, with Noah & the Ark, I think if they had you on the titanic it would never have gone down, you & tutors like are doing the world a fantastic wonderland service, thanks & cheers, thumbs up again
Very clear and well presented video. The only thing I would add is a magnet to test for critical temperature. When the steel is hot enough for quenching, a magnet will no longer stick to it. This is a lot easier than trying to judge the temperature by color, especially for a beginner, or if you are unable to work in a darkened area.
another great video mate I will say it again you are a craftsman I like the simplicity of the forge and will try this myself thanks again for your time and knowledge
It is yes, I'm not sure if the torch I have would put out enough heat to do it though! You'll also need to be careful to keep moving the torch around so you don't heat up any one area too much. I'd practice on some scrap steel first, but it should be achievable. You'll use less gas and get a more even heat using some sort of container (like a forge) to contain the heat. Look up 'paint can forge' for a possible alternative.
Firstly, tremendous video. Crystal clear. I built one and hardened my first knife successfully. File is now skating along without marks. About to temper. I had a funny thing happen though. I let the torch go for about 10 minutes to pre-heat the forge. Then did the knife. Took about 3-4 minutes to become non-magnetic. After quenching in peanut oil, I noticed that the whole trigger area the torch (which is identical to yours) was completely covered in ice!!! Have you ever seen this? Please keep up your amazing channel. Regards, D
Hey mate! The first would be caused by the gas expanding as it leaves the cylinder, which produces a temperature drop! I haven't seen that personally, but I usually only preheat for a few minutes!
Yes. I figured it out. I think that the flame went out at some point and then only the gas was coming out. Endothermic as hell causing the ice. Wont be pre-heating for so long in the future. Love your videos!
Interesting question, I honestly haven't had to deal with that yet. If it's just a little warped you might want to see if it's just ok as-is. If you want to straighten it then I would re-heat it as you said, straighten it out and then re-quench. When you quench again you might want to quench in HOT water instead of cold water. Warm water (like 80ºC, 176ºF) will quench slower and help stop your knife from warping or cracking.
The fact that you pass along the info passed to you is awesome! Wish there was someone local to take me in as an apprentice. Can you give info on how to hear treat Damascus steel?
Hope you found it helpful! Heat treating damascus is generally the same as heat-treating one or the other of the steels it's made from. For instance a lot of damascus is made from 1095 and 15N20, in this case you would heat-treat the steel pretty much the same as you would heat-treat 1095. I've never done that personally though so take my advice with a grain of salt!
I don't really have any opinions on damascus, I've never owned a knife that used it. However if you're after pure performance there's no real reason to use it. It's mainly used because it's pretty... It may perform as well as other steels, but I've never heard of any cases where it will perform better. (we're talking about modern damascus steel here, correctly called 'pattern welded' steel. Ancient damascus is different, and obviously out of the question as no-one makes it) Good questions!
Thank you for your efforts. We have been working on three knives and have just heat-treated the first two and I am heating up the oven right now to bake it. Great videos!!!
I used a torch for a blacksmithing project, making spurs, and I can say it's rather complicated and gives an uneven heat. The heat source is verry precise, so you only heat a small area at a time, and the other areas tend to cool off. If you move the torch around too much to get an even heat, the piece heat's extremely slowly, and usualy not hot enough. The forge realy helps.
thanks so much for this video man. i know this is a rather late comment, but with the pandemic, i have literally picked up knifemaking as a hobby. my first blade looks like an absolute turd, but you helped so much in this heat treat guide
Very interesting stuff. Part of the reason I am thinking about doing the "edge quenching" is because im not sure if my homebrew forge will get hot enough! It may be easier to just get the edge and grind (saber grind) nice and hot while leaving the spine unhardened. Thanks alot for the informative and prompt response. It helps alot!
pretty cool, i havnt seen the process demonstrated in quite this way before and it makes me think of ways i could improvise other manufacturing techniques using more common items
There are definitely lots of cool processes that you can improvise at home if you're willing to take your time! TH-cam is such a great resource for things like this!
Just wanted to add yet another thanks for a great video, I've been afraid of trying to heat treat myself, but this vid has given me the feeling that I can do it, so thanks!
No worries Justin! It won't give you the 'best heat treat ever', but it gives you an easy and clear place to get started! If you decide to make more knives down the road then it's a good idea to read more into what you can do to get better results.
To get the spiral flame in the forge the cavity in the bricks needs to be round, and the flame from the torch needs to be angle upward or downward and also to the rear, think of it like trying to roll a ball around a tube, which direction would you throw the ball in?
In an ideal world you would soak the O1 at red hot for 45 minutes or so, but the quick method shown in the video works quite well. You'll end up with a blade that's 58-60HRC. The whole process is fairly fast and easy. The other advantage to using O1 is that it's easy to get! You can order it off Amazon even if you're so inclined! It's also reasonably cheap, $25 will get you enough for 2 knives depending on the size. Best of luck mate! Let me know how you go!
The bigger the cavity in the bricks, the more heat output you need to heat-treat or forge. You could probably go a 1/2" wider or so, but the brick might start getting fragile. I cut the hole by cutting a triangular groove with a cheap handsaw, then sanding the brick with 36 grit sandpaper wrapped around a large dowel. Make sure to wear a respirator as the dust is very bad for you!
I agree with everybody else commenting in here; this is by far the best and clearest how-to. easily doable at home for anybody to do. One question tho, in order to make a good sturdy knife that can survive almost anything you throw at it, do you only need to heat treat (the factory steel) ONCE? and what about the handle? Doesn't it need to be cherry red hot in order to toughen it so it won't break easily? I hope you (or anybody with the knowledge) responds!
+RK 043 hey mate! Thanks, glad you like the video! Leaving the handle not heat treated will actually mate it tougher than otherwise , and with a small forge like this there is no other option anyway!
Gough Custom Thanks for the respond! Your how to with common tools video inspired me to start making my own knife! Alright so just use the little furnace for the blade only, got it! Thanks!
Hey Aaron, I have subscribed to your channel recently and must say that I think you ROCK man. So many helpful tips. Great of you to share info on knife manufacture and the like. Keep it up.
Could you do a video on finish sharpening after heat treat. I've been watching all of your videos multiple times and this is the only thing missing for a complete end to end view of the process. Thanks so much for your videos.
It depends on what steel you're talking about. The same process should work well for plain carbon 'spring' steels like 1085, 1095, 52100, etc... However this process will not work with mild steels, which are the ones you'd usually see at a hardware store.
I used a cheap handsaw from the dollar store to cut a triangular channel, then used a round block with sandpaper on it to sand the final shape. These type of bricks are *very* soft (you can scrape them with your fingernail) so it's not too hard to do. Just make sure you wear a good dust mask when cutting the brick, as the dust is very bad for you.
No worries! There definitely seems to be a lot of bad information floating around about heat-treating, so I figured I would make a video that tried to explain how to do it with all the complexities stripped away. Glad you liked it!
Thanks.. ☀️ Its so fun.. Just starting making a small knife, getting the tools, and startet to graunding yesterday.. Uhh very difficult, but I think I can learn.. Love your videos, and that you show, and not have looooong explor.☃ Regards from Sweden
Easiest heat treatment for O-1 I’ve seen. I’ve been holding on to a 3’ flatbar but now with this knowledge I’m gonna go for it! Have you ever tried O-1 on a long blade like a short sword.
@@GoughCustom A sword must be very tough and flexible. I'm just getting into knife making and wondering how far back you would temper a sword in 1084. Would you aim for mid 50's HRC?
Also make sure when you quench you don't move the knife from side-to-side. Only make slicing motions. Moving side to side will stress the blade and maybe cause warping again.
Glad you liked it! No idea what that translates to in german unfortunately. If you call up a place that builds/fixes furnaces or pottery kilns in germany they'd likely be able to tell you. Just ask them for 'soft white refractory brick'.
I actually used an old handsaw meant for wood to cut a triangular channel, then shaped the final channel with really coarse sandpaper attached to a wooden dowel. Just make sure you wear a respirator, that dust is really bad for you!
Finally. A low cost yet effective method to do this without sending each knife out for treatment or spending $$$ on a forge. THANK YOU. For this video, did you use MAP gas? What is the diameter of the hole at the back of forge? Same as the front?
Hey Brian! In the video I see the tank of fuel is blue, so I'm fairly sure it was propane. From memory the MAPP gas tanks are yellow I think. The hole at the back of the forge is the same size as the hole at the front. Glad the video was helpful mate!
Great to see another aussie making excellent knives nice work mate. Love your forge idea been stuck for awhile trying to decide and yours makes the most sense tha ks alot brother take care.
Some steels are technically 'water-quenching' steels (like W1 for instance). O1 is not a water quenching steel though and should only be quenched in oil. From what I've seen most people avoid water/brine for quenching any steel and will instead use a light quenching oil. I recommend starting with O1 because it can be quenched in cheap easy-to-get oil like vegetable oil.
The 'Resolute' uses 5/32" (4mm) stock. Anti-scale compound stops the steel from losing carbon at the surface. This carbon turns into 'scale' which has to be sanded off, and can also make the steel softer. It's no necessary to use it, but it's easy to use and cheap ($15 per bottle from Brownells, 1 bottle will last at least dozens of knives).
I agree with other commenters that this is the clearest instruction by far. Do you ever use a magnet to test for hardness, or is monitoring the color a better method? Thanks for the excellent instruction!
The two brick forge is actually a really great way to heat treat single blades. It is ironic, because though it is a "beginner's forge," it is much more efficient for heating a single blade than bigger forges. It is perfectly designed to heat a blade, and because of the design, I'm actually able to heat treat longer blades in the two-brick forge than I am in my larger, two-burner forge.
You could heat-treat it in that kiln yes, the best place to look for instructions is the manufacturer of the steel. Have a look at the 'crucible steels' website, as they make 440C and they publish a datasheet that has all the information showing you how to heat-treat it. Best of luck!
Hi Aaron, I absolutely love your knife design and tutorials. It has inspired me to try and make a knife myself, and what better to make than a tribute to the resolute?! You are making it look easy, but trying it myself gave me even more respect for the quality you are producing. I am ready for heat treating the knife, I have made it from O2 steel since that is what is available here in the Netherlands. Can you give me some tips on how to quench and temper? Does it matter what kind of vegetable oil I use? Thanks, Vincent
Hey Vincent! Sorry for the slow response mate! I am glad you are trying to make your own knife mate, it is a fun journey! I think you should be fine to quench and temper exactly as I did in the video. The kind of oil should not matter too much, but Canola is probably the best if you can get it! -Aaron
@@GoughCustom Hey Aaron, I really appreciate you getting back at me. I used a 40kw propane burner in open air, got it above non magnetic and quenched in peanut oil. The file seems to skip, I am going to use my lansky with the coarse stone to get a better feel how hard it is before finishing it. I am a bit more 'calibrated' with the lansky on my other knives.
This provided the most clear instruction on this process that I have ever seen. Thank you.
+Donald Stockton Excellent! Glad it was helpful Donald!
I totally agree with you. I watched a lot of heat treating tutorials but there was no video that contained as much information as this one.
Hi from İstanbul. I just want to know the tempering degree and duration of CK75 (1075) steel if you have any idea of course.
Iam from the phillipines were can i buy your knife..i am an avid fan of your sir...hoping to hear from u...
As an aspiring knife maker, I value your videos greatly. You go into great detail, giving as much info as one could ask, but also provide info at a level that someone looking to get into the craft can follow. Very well done - thanks a million.
thanks mate! glad the videos have been helpful!
I've been watching videos for months now about knifemaking with utter fascination. I recently discovered some of your videos and you are legitimately my biggest inspiration for the craft. Thank you, sir!
Good to hear mate! I'm glad the videos have been helpful!
i love the simplicity of your designs, function defining form, not form limiting function.
Thanks mate! I truly believe that knives are tools and are meant to be used, that view definitely influences my designs heavily.
You are so generous for taking the time to teach people how to make knives for themselves with detailed instructions. I appreciate your videos a ton and I will be sure to recommend your channel to all of my friends that are interested in knife-making/knives.
Thanks for the king words mate! I find it very gratifying to help people get started, hope the videos have been helpful!
PERFECT video! Direct, to the point, and with no unnecessary blah blah blah. 1-even cherry red 2-test hardness 3-400 degrees for 2 hours. Done! Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge
Ken :-)
+ken barker Thanks Ken! Glad you liked it!
There is a bit of a code to this:
The "W" in "W1" stands for "water quenching"..
The "O" in "O1" actually stands for "Oil Quenching"...
The "A" in "A2" stands for "Air Quenching"....
The "D" in "D2" means "Die Steel"...
The "S" in "S7" means "Shock Resistant"...
There are many more too, and a number of different systems used in different countries and industries.
OH, my god. Thank you for this info. I had no idea. I've learned 80 times more from your one video.
2 years ago this was the first gough video I watched. It inspired me to make my own coffee can forge to treat some 01 steel. Now you are making the most beautiful knives on a milling machine and HT with your own oven. I LOVE THIS CHANNEL! Thank you so much for your videos.
+Travis Cox Thanks very much for following along Travis!
Just planning to get into this and I must say.....I've looked at a lot of "forge" vids and yours is the clearest and simplest....And you're the ONLY one who recommended having a fire extinguisher handy!
+Mark Werner Nice! Thanks Mark! Hope the video was helpful!
Thanks mate! The positive feedback keeps me making more videos!
I have learnt more about knife making from your channel than all the other YT videos combined, you have a natural way of simplifying and teaching the steps. So glad I stumbled upon your channel!! By the way, are you an Australian? Living in Canada now I guess? (sorry, not being nosey or anything, just picked up on the accent)
castortroy365 Thanks man! Glad the videos have been helpful!
Your guess is right on! I moved to Canada in 2006.
The bricks are quite delicate yes. I made the channels by cutting out a triangle shape with an old handsaw, then using some rough sandpaper (36 grit) attached to a wooden block that was the right shape. A little slow but it worked very well!
This exact process should work just fine for a number of steels including: O1, 5160, 1060 1070, 1080, 1084, and 1095.
It won't work for stainless or high alloy steels.
Be warned though that this is a fairly simple heat-treatment scheme and that you likely won't be getting the full performance out of most steels. It will be good enough for getting a first knife done though! After you're comfortable with the process it's worth the time to learn a bit more about steel and how to heat-treat it.
And invest more in tools.
Nice, clear video on heat treating steel. I like the wine bucket idea, as I have to treat some small skinny tools and don't want to use a lot of oil- Perfect solution! Also that is about the greatest DIY small forge I've ever seen! ONYA!
+Jean pSmith Cheers mate!
Hey Patrick! Thanks for subscribing.
I generally recommend O1, which is the steel I'm demonstrating in the video. Using this heat-treating process will not get you 'the best blade in the world', but you'll get a knife that's perfectly serviceable.
The reason I recommend O1 is mainly because it's kind of hard to make a mistake with it. Most of the other 'cheap' steels (like 1084) require fast water/brine quenches which can cause cracking and warping if you don't do exactly the right things.
Thankfully someone knows that you can't harden basic steels in stuff like canola oil. Maaybe if it's thin enough. 52100 from ball bearings is also a slightly slower quench thanks to some chrome.
Glad it helped! It's not the be-all and end-all of heat-treatments, there are other methods that will get more out of the steel, but this is a very good way to get started.
The temperature where steel turns non-magnetic is called the 'eutectoid point', in some steels this point corresponds with the right temperature for heat-treatment (1084 and other spring steels for instance) but unfortunately that is not the case for O1. You have to go at least 50º hotter for O1, which is why I mainly talked about the color of the steel.
Using a magnet can be helpful too! Just be aware that you have to got a bit hotter than the magnet says.
Thanks! this is a very useful tip! thanks for being so cool! I love your channel!
Hey Logan!
What you're talking about is generally called edge-quenching. Quite a few makers do it, but I don't think it's the best way to achieve what you're after. When steel is soft (annealed) it's largely made up of a microstructure called pearlite. When it's hardened we change that to a microstructure called martensite. Martensite is much stronger than pearlite. Pearlite is very tough as it's ductile which means that it will bend and stay bent under loads that martensite would shrug off...
hi, just watched this,i will be pinching all your ideas and will make them my own,lol. i love your furnace, simple,and amazing.keep up the good, no, great work.
and fyi, methril and stardust are now available in walmart,you just need to be with a qualified dwarf from isingard whose second cousin needs to be a leprechaun to be allowed to buy it, ( for the makers of fairyblades) hope this helps.
I just want to say thank you. Your videos inspired me to make knives of my own, and they are infinitely helpful. Keep being awesome, and please keep posting more stuff!
Could you make a tutorial on building a forge?
It's on my to-do list, but it will be a while most likely!
@@GoughCustom so, do you have a video for it now ? sorry this is the first video i watched
If only all TH-cam tutorials were this comprehensive. 👏🏾👏🏾
would the process be the same for 1084 or 1095 high carbon steel ?
+J woo Yes, both of those steels can be heat-treated using this exact same method.
after watching a couple of your vids i built a jig and am starting to make a couple knifes, and man is it a lot of work, thanks james
Hey James! Yeah it can definitely be quite a lot of work, you'll get faster with more practice though!
Just hardened my 4th blade using this method. Thanks again Aaron for all that you share with the knife making community. You rock! =)
+Marcus Santer Nice work Marcus! Very glad the video has been helpful!
Thanks Dave! I actually made the hole the same diameter all the way through. Initially I had it smaller, but it seems to work better if you just make it the same the whole way as the flame swirls more nicely.
There should be a furnace supply or pottery supply place in your area that would have them. Ask for 'k23' bricks, or 'soft white refractory firebricks'.
They are held together with refractory cement (you can get that at home depot). And then I bent a bit of scarp metal sheet to go around them and protect them as they're quite delicate.
Dude. What a great video. I have been wanting to learn how to temper O1 steel for 4 years. I make dies for swaging and reloading ammunition. Have used Grade 8 bolts because I thought heat treating was too complicated. Now I can use the proper steel and make far better quality tools. THANK YOU
Glad to hear the video is helpful Dan!
Hey mate!
The case for the firebricks was made from some scrap sheet steel. It was basically cut to size with a cutting disk in an angle grinder, then bent using a cheap sheet bender (you can use lots of stuff to bend thing sheet, have a look around the net for that part).
The sheet was then drilled and pop-riveted together once the bricks were put in the case.
Absolutely fantastic, I am so glad I found you by way of Trollsky. I am happy you took the time to show people how to set up a cost effective forge and how to use it, along with the cooling. This gives me much more hope to be able to set up my own now.
Awesome! Glad I could help!
It's worth noting too that you can substitute other heat sources. A charcoal BBQ works well for instance. (with lump charcoal)
That was one of the most concise heat treating videos ive ever watched! Thank you for sharing!
Nice! The 2 brick forge really is a great idea, the guy who posted it on the net originally should be very proud of what he spawned!
5 years later and your videos are still passing on wisdom! Thanks a ton for the effort and information, I'm watching this just before I attempt my very first heat treat on some scrap.
Glad to hear mate! Best of luck! Make sure the steel you're using is a heat-treatable grade, not all steel can he hardened.
Lol, the scrap was for practice to get the procedure down, make sure my beer can quench tank would hold up.
Fast forward, successfully treated my first two knives,3/16 thick 2 1/2 wide aisi 01 steel. (Says the sticker on the wrapper)
A heavy tanto chopper 2 in wide, 4 inch blade and a faceted double inch dagger 1.5 inch wide and 4 inch blade.
I did not sand them appropriately before treatment and am paid dearly for it. Hairline crack in my chopper took forever to hand sand out to 600 and I'm still chewing on the dagger when I get time.
@@keithober5278 Good to hear! Sounds like you're making steady progress which is great! Best of luck!
I like how you devised a statistically sound random test. This is a very informative and systematic approach.
Thanks bud!
Thanks, really easy to understand when explained properly, you would have made a good teacher. Your videos are the best I have seen and I think I've watched most of them on here. Keep making videos your a true knife making pro.
GAN Thanks mate!
TH-cam is amazing place full of awesome people like yourself. People who helps others like me.
Subscribed and liked your channel. Thank you for your work and videos!!!
No worries mate! Thanks for the kind comment, I'm glad the videos have been helpful!
Steel can only be hammered flat without cracking if it's relatively soft, and soft steel is not great for making a knife. It will work, but it won't hold an edge well.
I recommend using O1 tool steel from a machinery supply place (suppliers: KBC tools, ENCO, Amazon!) and heat-treating as shown in the video.
Great stuff, as an apprentice 1961 with Harland & Wolff, Belfast, we did a lot of metal forging & annealing, in the 1st year training school, this brings back a lot of old memories, our tool shop was more in line, with Noah & the Ark, I think if they had you on the titanic it would never have gone down, you & tutors like are doing the world a fantastic wonderland service, thanks & cheers, thumbs up again
Cheers mate! I think it's important to teach people this stuff!
Great video and very helpful. Kudos for the fire extinguisher suggestion as well. Surprising how many people are unprepared for this event.
Thanks! Glad you liked the video!
Very clear and well presented video.
The only thing I would add is a magnet to test for critical temperature.
When the steel is hot enough for quenching, a magnet will no longer stick to it.
This is a lot easier than trying to judge the temperature by color, especially for a beginner, or if you are unable to work in a darkened area.
+James Beat agreed on the magnet, I prefer to go a little hotter than just non magnetic for O1 which is why I didn't initially include the magnet...
another great video mate I will say it again you are a craftsman I like the simplicity of the forge and will try this myself thanks again for your time and knowledge
No worries mate, thanks for watching!
It is yes, I'm not sure if the torch I have would put out enough heat to do it though! You'll also need to be careful to keep moving the torch around so you don't heat up any one area too much.
I'd practice on some scrap steel first, but it should be achievable. You'll use less gas and get a more even heat using some sort of container (like a forge) to contain the heat. Look up 'paint can forge' for a possible alternative.
Best explanation ever.
You should educate other people how to make tutorials.
Thanks mate! Very glad you liked it!
Firstly, tremendous video. Crystal clear. I built one and hardened my first knife successfully. File is now skating along without marks. About to temper. I had a funny thing happen though. I let the torch go for about 10 minutes to pre-heat the forge. Then did the knife. Took about 3-4 minutes to become non-magnetic. After quenching in peanut oil, I noticed that the whole trigger area the torch (which is identical to yours) was completely covered in ice!!! Have you ever seen this? Please keep up your amazing channel. Regards, D
Hey mate! The first would be caused by the gas expanding as it leaves the cylinder, which produces a temperature drop! I haven't seen that personally, but I usually only preheat for a few minutes!
Yes. I figured it out. I think that the flame went out at some point and then only the gas was coming out. Endothermic as hell causing the ice. Wont be pre-heating for so long in the future. Love your videos!
Crystal clear instructions without wasting a second. Thank you.
+mdirtydogg you're more than welcome mate! Glad the video was helpful!
Thanks mate! They can certainly be a lot of work, but I enjoy the process and the end result, definitely planning on making more!
Interesting question, I honestly haven't had to deal with that yet. If it's just a little warped you might want to see if it's just ok as-is. If you want to straighten it then I would re-heat it as you said, straighten it out and then re-quench.
When you quench again you might want to quench in HOT water instead of cold water. Warm water (like 80ºC, 176ºF) will quench slower and help stop your knife from warping or cracking.
The fact that you pass along the info passed to you is awesome! Wish there was someone local to take me in as an apprentice. Can you give info on how to hear treat Damascus steel?
Hope you found it helpful!
Heat treating damascus is generally the same as heat-treating one or the other of the steels it's made from. For instance a lot of damascus is made from 1095 and 15N20, in this case you would heat-treat the steel pretty much the same as you would heat-treat 1095. I've never done that personally though so take my advice with a grain of salt!
Thanks mate! Really glad you found it inspirational! I'll keep posting videos, don't worry!
I don't really have any opinions on damascus, I've never owned a knife that used it. However if you're after pure performance there's no real reason to use it. It's mainly used because it's pretty... It may perform as well as other steels, but I've never heard of any cases where it will perform better.
(we're talking about modern damascus steel here, correctly called 'pattern welded' steel. Ancient damascus is different, and obviously out of the question as no-one makes it)
Good questions!
Thank you for your efforts. We have been working on three knives and have just heat-treated the first two and I am heating up the oven right now to bake it.
Great videos!!!
Awesome! Hope it goes well!
Excellent video, you explain everything very well. I have a few 01 blades finished I need to get heat treated, may finally get it done.
I've made your jig for the flat grind...and I loved it, BTW it works amazingly,
I've even made a mod version for longer blades
Thank you
jujijo16 Glad it worked out for you mate!
No worries! Glad you liked it!
I used a torch for a blacksmithing project, making spurs, and I can say it's rather complicated and gives an uneven heat. The heat source is verry precise, so you only heat a small area at a time, and the other areas tend to cool off. If you move the torch around too much to get an even heat, the piece heat's extremely slowly, and usualy not hot enough. The forge realy helps.
thanks so much for this video man. i know this is a rather late comment, but with the pandemic, i have literally picked up knifemaking as a hobby. my first blade looks like an absolute turd, but you helped so much in this heat treat guide
No worries at all mate! Really glad the video was helpful!
Very interesting stuff. Part of the reason I am thinking about doing the "edge quenching" is because im not sure if my homebrew forge will get hot enough! It may be easier to just get the edge and grind (saber grind) nice and hot while leaving the spine unhardened. Thanks alot for the informative and prompt response. It helps alot!
pretty cool, i havnt seen the process demonstrated in quite this way before and it makes me think of ways i could improvise other manufacturing techniques using more common items
There are definitely lots of cool processes that you can improvise at home if you're willing to take your time! TH-cam is such a great resource for things like this!
KISS, is the saying and you achieved that in this vid. Well done Gough. Thumbs up.
Cheers!
Just wanted to add yet another thanks for a great video, I've been afraid of trying to heat treat myself, but this vid has given me the feeling that I can do it, so thanks!
You can definitely do it! With simpler steels like O1, 5160, 1084 and 1095 it's really just not that hard!
Thanks for explaining the safety precautions and the clear reasoning for each tool used. I'm excited to give this a try!
No worries, glad the video was helpful!
No worries Justin! It won't give you the 'best heat treat ever', but it gives you an easy and clear place to get started! If you decide to make more knives down the road then it's a good idea to read more into what you can do to get better results.
Finally, a good understanding of tempering and hardening. Thank You!
+WVoutdoorsman100 no worries at all mate!
To get the spiral flame in the forge the cavity in the bricks needs to be round, and the flame from the torch needs to be angle upward or downward and also to the rear, think of it like trying to roll a ball around a tube, which direction would you throw the ball in?
Love this guy!! The only teacher youl ever need.
Haha thanks Mr. Wombat!
@@GoughCustom welcome sir.my channel is full from favoriting all your videos.you've tought me alot.a great teacher
Thanks for taking the time to make this. There is never enough how tos on heat treating
In an ideal world you would soak the O1 at red hot for 45 minutes or so, but the quick method shown in the video works quite well. You'll end up with a blade that's 58-60HRC. The whole process is fairly fast and easy.
The other advantage to using O1 is that it's easy to get! You can order it off Amazon even if you're so inclined! It's also reasonably cheap, $25 will get you enough for 2 knives depending on the size.
Best of luck mate! Let me know how you go!
I got the idea off the net. If you google '2 brick forge' you'll find lots of info on making variations of similar designs.
Hi, I can't help but thank you, I'm starting to make some knives and your information is really valuable.
The bigger the cavity in the bricks, the more heat output you need to heat-treat or forge. You could probably go a 1/2" wider or so, but the brick might start getting fragile.
I cut the hole by cutting a triangular groove with a cheap handsaw, then sanding the brick with 36 grit sandpaper wrapped around a large dowel.
Make sure to wear a respirator as the dust is very bad for you!
I agree with everybody else commenting in here; this is by far the best and clearest how-to. easily doable at home for anybody to do. One question tho, in order to make a good sturdy knife that can survive almost anything you throw at it, do you only need to heat treat (the factory steel) ONCE? and what about the handle? Doesn't it need to be cherry red hot in order to toughen it so it won't break easily? I hope you (or anybody with the knowledge) responds!
+RK 043 hey mate! Thanks, glad you like the video!
Leaving the handle not heat treated will actually mate it tougher than otherwise , and with a small forge like this there is no other option anyway!
Gough Custom Thanks for the respond! Your how to with common tools video inspired me to start making my own knife!
Alright so just use the little furnace for the blade only, got it! Thanks!
Hey Aaron, I have subscribed to your channel recently and must say that I think you ROCK man. So many helpful tips. Great of you to share info on knife manufacture and the like. Keep it up.
Could you do a video on finish sharpening after heat treat. I've been watching all of your videos multiple times and this is the only thing missing for a complete end to end view of the process. Thanks so much for your videos.
It depends on what steel you're talking about. The same process should work well for plain carbon 'spring' steels like 1085, 1095, 52100, etc... However this process will not work with mild steels, which are the ones you'd usually see at a hardware store.
I used a cheap handsaw from the dollar store to cut a triangular channel, then used a round block with sandpaper on it to sand the final shape. These type of bricks are *very* soft (you can scrape them with your fingernail) so it's not too hard to do.
Just make sure you wear a good dust mask when cutting the brick, as the dust is very bad for you.
Video was extremely helpful. Thanks.
And thanks for even providing links for example tools and materials used.
Garth S No worries mate! Glad you found the links helpful!
Thanks mate! Sounds good! Always nice to put the finishing touches on those projects!
No worries! There definitely seems to be a lot of bad information floating around about heat-treating, so I figured I would make a video that tried to explain how to do it with all the complexities stripped away. Glad you liked it!
Thanks.. ☀️
Its so fun.. Just starting making a small knife, getting the tools, and startet to graunding yesterday.. Uhh very difficult, but I think I can learn.. Love your videos, and that you show, and not have looooong explor.☃
Regards from Sweden
+Søren Lauritzen Best of luck Søren! I am sure you will do well, it just takes some practice!
Easiest heat treatment for O-1 I’ve seen. I’ve been holding on to a 3’ flatbar but now with this knowledge I’m gonna go for it! Have you ever tried O-1 on a long blade like a short sword.
I haven't tried making a sword yet but I believe you'll be fine with O1, it's better than any steel they had back when swords were needed!!
Gough Custom thanks for the reply, I really appreciate it.
@@GoughCustom A sword must be very tough and flexible. I'm just getting into knife making and wondering how far back you would temper a sword in 1084. Would you aim for mid 50's HRC?
@@ianbrown_777 I'm honestly not sure! I think a 'spring temper' would be fine which is usually about 55-56 HRC
@@GoughCustom Cheers. Much appreciated.
My knife is in the oven at the time of writing this comment , LOL !! Thanks for video , very helpful !!! Keep up the good work !!
+Dan Canta Nice mate! I hope it turn out well!
Very helpful. I new very little before I watched this video. Now I feel that I could safely temper a knife. Thanks!
Excellent mate!
Also make sure when you quench you don't move the knife from side-to-side. Only make slicing motions. Moving side to side will stress the blade and maybe cause warping again.
Glad you liked it! No idea what that translates to in german unfortunately. If you call up a place that builds/fixes furnaces or pottery kilns in germany they'd likely be able to tell you. Just ask them for 'soft white refractory brick'.
I actually used an old handsaw meant for wood to cut a triangular channel, then shaped the final channel with really coarse sandpaper attached to a wooden dowel.
Just make sure you wear a respirator, that dust is really bad for you!
What is the red sleeve you have your forge in?
Finally. A low cost yet effective method to do this without sending each knife out for treatment or spending $$$ on a forge. THANK YOU. For this video, did you use MAP gas? What is the diameter of the hole at the back of forge? Same as the front?
Hey Brian! In the video I see the tank of fuel is blue, so I'm fairly sure it was propane. From memory the MAPP gas tanks are yellow I think. The hole at the back of the forge is the same size as the hole at the front. Glad the video was helpful mate!
Aaron, thanks again, man, for your clear description of this process.
🇬🇧🤍🇦🇺✌️
No worries at all mate!
No worries! Hope you find it useful!
Great to see another aussie making excellent knives nice work mate. Love your forge idea been stuck for awhile trying to decide and yours makes the most sense tha ks alot brother take care.
+James M Cheers James! Glad the video was helpful mate!
Some steels are technically 'water-quenching' steels (like W1 for instance). O1 is not a water quenching steel though and should only be quenched in oil.
From what I've seen most people avoid water/brine for quenching any steel and will instead use a light quenching oil. I recommend starting with O1 because it can be quenched in cheap easy-to-get oil like vegetable oil.
The 'Resolute' uses 5/32" (4mm) stock. Anti-scale compound stops the steel from losing carbon at the surface. This carbon turns into 'scale' which has to be sanded off, and can also make the steel softer. It's no necessary to use it, but it's easy to use and cheap ($15 per bottle from Brownells, 1 bottle will last at least dozens of knives).
I agree with other commenters that this is the clearest instruction by far. Do you ever use a magnet to test for hardness, or is monitoring the color a better method? Thanks for the excellent instruction!
+T Howard you can combine the color and magnet methods for a better overall picture, the steel needs to be heated a bit beyond non-magnetic though!
The two brick forge is actually a really great way to heat treat single blades. It is ironic, because though it is a "beginner's forge," it is much more efficient for heating a single blade than bigger forges. It is perfectly designed to heat a blade, and because of the design, I'm actually able to heat treat longer blades in the two-brick forge than I am in my larger, two-burner forge.
Hey lance! It only takes a couple of minutes at most providing the forge has been pre-heated like shown in the video.
I didnt know you could quench O1 like that, i thought it was an air hardening steel, thanks, now im all inspired
that forge is pretty brilliant.subscribing!
You could heat-treat it in that kiln yes, the best place to look for instructions is the manufacturer of the steel. Have a look at the 'crucible steels' website, as they make 440C and they publish a datasheet that has all the information showing you how to heat-treat it.
Best of luck!
Thanks! I think that design is a really great all-rounder!
Thanks! Hope you found them useful!
Hi Aaron,
I absolutely love your knife design and tutorials. It has inspired me to try and make a knife myself, and what better to make than a tribute to the resolute?! You are making it look easy, but trying it myself gave me even more respect for the quality you are producing.
I am ready for heat treating the knife, I have made it from O2 steel since that is what is available here in the Netherlands.
Can you give me some tips on how to quench and temper? Does it matter what kind of vegetable oil I use?
Thanks, Vincent
Hey Vincent!
Sorry for the slow response mate! I am glad you are trying to make your own knife mate, it is a fun journey!
I think you should be fine to quench and temper exactly as I did in the video. The kind of oil should not matter too much, but Canola is probably the best if you can get it!
-Aaron
@@GoughCustom Hey Aaron, I really appreciate you getting back at me. I used a 40kw propane burner in open air, got it above non magnetic and quenched in peanut oil. The file seems to skip, I am going to use my lansky with the coarse stone to get a better feel how hard it is before finishing it. I am a bit more 'calibrated' with the lansky on my other knives.
@@grotevin Sounds like you've done well so far mate!