Does Multiple Tempering Cycles Ruin Steel?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Double quenching indeed leads to

grain refinement and overall microstructural refinement

. However, the second austenization temperature must be the same or lower than the first austenization temperature to achieve this.

Can you temper a blade twice?


Yes

. You can leave the oven at temp, it won’t take very long for the blade to cool between cycles. You can even put it in the freezer to save time.

Why do I have two temper cycles?

Retained austenite is not stable, but will change into martensite over time. This new martensite will be untempered and brittle. You fix this by tempering a second time. The idea behind multiple tempers is that

with each temper cycle, more of the retained austenite will convert to martensite.

What happens if you over temper martensite?

In the third stage, ε-carbon precipitates into cementite, and the carbon content in the martensite decreases. If tempered at higher temperatures, between 650 °C (1,202 °F) and 700 °C (1,292 °F), or for longer amounts of time,

the martensite may become fully ferritic and the cementite may become coarser or spheroidize

.

Can you harden steel twice?


Double hardening also involves hardening a carburised part twice

whereby the first hardening is carried out from the hardening temperature of the core part, and the second from the hardening temperature of the case (see DIN 17014).

Can you quench a blade multiple times?

Stacy E.

1)

You can quench a blade many times if you are referring to the full HT

. Each time erases the hardness and hamon developed in the last quench. The grain gets finer each time,so there is some benefit to a triple quench. The pattern and hardness are the result of the final quench and the subsequent tempering.

Do you have to temper a knife after quenching?

After the blade has been quenched, its hardness is still not suitable for usage. In its hard and brittle state, the quenched blade will shatter like glass if dropped,

it must be tempered before it is put to use

.

Why do we double temper steel?

► DQT heat treatment consists of two stages of quenching and tempering. ► The DQT considerably

improves ductility and toughness of AISI 4140 steel

. ► The improvement of toughness in the DQT is due to finer austenite grains. ► The DQT decreases impurities concentration at the prior austenite grain boundaries.

How many times can you anneal steel?

Then, the metal must then be placed in cold water. This is known as “quenching” and the colour will last for a few moments until the metal relaxes. The annealing metal process can be repeated several times with one piece of metal.

There is no limit to how many times metal can be heated and manipulated

.

How many times can you temper a knife?

You want to temper it as soon as it gets to room temperature. Temper

twice at 2 hours each

allowing the steel to cool back to room temperature between cycles.

Can you over quench steel?


Often, after quenching, an iron or steel alloy will be excessively hard and brittle due to an overabundance of martensite

. In these cases, another heat treatment technique known as tempering is performed on the quenched material in order to increase the toughness of iron-based alloys.

How many tempering cycles are there?

Tempering is generally carried out in a single cycle temperature-time. However, the procedure may be conducted in

two cycles

with cooling to room temperature between the cycles. This process is known as double tempering.

What happens to steel during tempering?

tempering, in metallurgy, process of improving the characteristics of a metal, especially steel, by heating it to a high temperature, though below the melting point, then cooling it, usually in air. The process has the effect of

toughening by lessening brittleness and reducing internal stresses

.

What does Normalising do to steel?

Normalizing involves heating the steel to an elevated temperature, followed by slow cooling to room temperature. The heating and slow cooling changes the microstructure of the steel. This

reduces the hardness of the steel and will increases its ductility

.

Can you temper mild steel?

On the downside, mild steels are generally harder to work with when it comes to only heat treatment and quenching.

It is possible to do it, but there would be little to no change

. Due to its low carbon and alloy elements content, mild steel does not form a martensite structure when quenched after being heated.

What temperature should you quench a knife at?

By first heating the knife steel to

between 1050 and 1090°C (1922 and 1994°F)

and then quickly cooling (quenching) it, the knife steel will become much harder, but also more brittle.

Why do blacksmiths quench in oil?

Parts made of low-carbon steel and low-hardenability alloys quench better in fast oils. Hot oils are kept at much higher temperatures and are used

to ensure that a part’s core temperature and surface temperature do not vary too greatly during a quench

. This controls distortion and reduces the risk of cracking.

Can you Reharden steel?

Steel is a common durable alloy, and while most steel used in tools is already tough,

you can harden it even more to prevent wear and tear

. Hardened steel prevents knife blades from dulling and tools from bending and breaking. With a simple heating and quenching process, you can make your steel last for much longer!

Can you’re temper a knife?

To soften the steel and relieve built-up stresses,

you need to immediately heat it up again – this time to 400°F

. This process, known as tempering, can be done over a fire or using a blowtorch, but the simplest method is to put it in your oven at 400°F for two one-hour cycles, letting the knife cool between each one.

Why does a blade warp when quenched?

When these heated parts are quenched,

their internal crystal structure changes again, and that volume change is not necessarily sufficient to offset the change upon heating

. This change of volume can cause dimensional distortion.

How do you harden blacksmithing steel?

Do you temper immediately after quench?


you should try to temper at least once as soon as quenched

. for high carbon steels, at least half an hour at 300F. if really in a hurry, heat oven to 350F, put the blade in, once oven is back to 350F, turn it off with the blade inside.

Do files make good knives?


This mix can make a good knife blade

. However, some files are only case hardened mild steel, and underneath the hard teeth is soft un-hardenable steel. Quality brand files, like a Nicholson File, will be hard steel all the way through.

How soon after quenching should you temper?

Generally,

about 15 minutes

after your quench, the blade should be cool enough to temper. If you can hold it with bare hands…you’re probably good to go.

Jasmine Sibley
Author
Jasmine Sibley
Jasmine is a DIY enthusiast with a passion for crafting and design. She has written several blog posts on crafting and has been featured in various DIY websites. Jasmine's expertise in sewing, knitting, and woodworking will help you create beautiful and unique projects.