The Importance of Normalization of High Carbon Steel

Some very important tips on getting the most out of your steel of choice. Enjoy, and thanks for watching!

Instagram - @lumablades

[chrismarshburn]

Thank you for taking the time to help us out brother. Keep up the great work!

[bwell]

I know this video is older, but thank you very much for this information.

[TomofAllTrades]

Good video on the basics. I like your approach with the logbook. I like your approach with ramping up on equipment as you go. I am more of an architectural blacksmith so I have the forging skills, but I am learning about heat treating blades. Thanks for the video 👍🏼.

[madmartigan]

Great informational video. Keep doing what you're doing. I wouldn't change a thing, no matter how many whiners get on here and gripe. It's your videos. You really answered a lot of questions that I had. Thanks.

[coldwind]

HOw much did the Evenheat increase your electric bill? Would like one, but I worry it would cost a lot to operate.

[siamaklighvani]

I have a broken blockage rod 8 mm, it is not brittle it is flexible like spring, I try to cut it by hacksaw blades bi metal and noticed that all the teeth gets broken not even a scratch on the round bar, only way to cut is by angle grinder.

[shaunm]

Thanks bud just what I was after for my first kitchen knife

[stuartdavenport]

So a few things....Normalizing resets the grain structure, but at the cost of growing it, depending on the steel. Steels that have a bit of vanadium, grain growth is pretty much nil until you get really hot (way above 1650°F). However, there isn't much vanadium at all in 1084, basically it is in there as a trace element. But there is another thing to consider, if you're getting this from NJSB, most of their low alloy carbon steels come heavily spheroidized from the mill in Germany. They really NEED the normalizing cycle, regardless if you've forged the blade or not. And to break up that spheroidized structure, an extended soak is preferred. I normalize all of their low alloy carbon steels at 1700°F for 20 -30 minutes, followed by a still air cool. 52100 and W2 especially. Normalizing also redistributes carbides, but 1084 really doesn't have much in the way of carbide. Also, normalizing helps relieve any stresses in the steel, usually forging stresses. Normalizing should only be done ONCE. Not 3 times. And for 1084, 1600°F-1650°F is good temp if it were in a fine spheroidized (or forged....pearlite) structure. But just to reiterate, if it came from NJSB, that carbon is all balled up due to the factory anneal it received, and it needs a higher than normal normalizing heat with extended soak. Don't worry about grain growth at 1700°F for 30 minutes. We will deal with that possibility right now. After ONE normalizing cycle, because of the possibility of grain growth (especially with 1084, not so much with O1 or W2 and their 0.2% vanadium), the steel needs to be "thermal cycled" around 1500°F 3 times (or a few more if you like) to help "shrink" the grain. What actually happens is more grains are packed into a given volume, therefor "shrinking" them. The phase change must occur for grain refinement to happen, and that is about 1414°-1425°. Give or take. So you can technically thermal cycle around 1450°F, and I would use this temp myself. Do this 3 times, let it air cool. Your grain structure will be extremely fine now, and you are ready to harden. 1500°F with a 5-10 minute soak, quench in oil (I use Parks 50 at room temp, but canola at 130°F works really well too). Temper as desired for hardness. ps, Don't cycle below ~1414° as the phase change into austenite is not complete below that temp, and don't cycle much above 1500°F, as you're starting to approach industry standard normalizing temp (1600°F).

[waynew]

Hi! Thanks! Very useful video. If I may.... that hunter blade needs a wider tang and radiused where the tang joins the ricasso.

[Anderson-HandForged]

What do you quench at temp? I have a heat treat oven I built works great do I heat to 1475 then quench in McMaster 11 sec oil ? Just wanted to make sure thanks for you video I’m new to all of this and love it

[htym]

Thank you for the information! What book were you referencing for time and temperatures?

[MrEdna]

Is that oven the 220 or the 110 Volt model ?

[FireCreekForge]

Soaking during normalizing is not necessary for 1084, it's only running the risk of grain growth...!

[jojomama]

I make and sell charcoal and also run my forge with it, usually I use ashes or sand for annealing/normalizing...don't know exact temps but how much of a difference does this make and how can I improve my work?thanks!

[robertciganovic]

Do one do this before hardening. And when hardening do one have to keep the metal i that heat oven for a special amount of time. Or do one just wait for it to reach the temperature and then fast into oil ? Im totally new at this so im sort of clueless. I read a document saying 15-30 minutes holding time. So is that the about of time keeping metal in the heat oven.

[jarodmorris]

New sub here. I like the way you explain things. And though you already know it, you need a cameraman, but that would also take away from the spontaneous videos :-) Keep up the great work. I'm just starting as a hobby. Going to try to use a cheap pry bar. Already did one out of a Harbor Freight Machete and it was fun and a great learning process. I'll by some O1 steel soon, but haven't yet. Just going to use a charcoal forge for heating and figured I would get a laser thermometer to check temps.

[paulwiggins]

So... the steel rod and bar we buy for the stock removal method benefits from normalizing? Material thats' never been forged ?

[lungsun]

Hi, You mentioned that you soak your 1084 steel for around 10 mins during normalising and before quenching. But isn't that 1084 is a relative simple steel so you don't need to soak? Have you done any comparison and testing between with soaking and without soaking in terms of grain sizes( by naked eyes), edge holding and hardness. Thanks. Nice video.

[tonywalker]

So you're me, tell me you had much trouble with the ladies as I did?

[inabonyunes]

Man, you talk too much. Sorry, but if I saw your work probably learned a little more. I am not particularly interested of how much you can talk rather than how much you can do. Had to stop watching after only seen one blade change from red to gray. Not interesting.