Tempering home made chisels

[eagle24]

I know this is probably posted here somewhere, but I can't find it.  Hope Charlie Wallingford doesn't see this, because he has answered this question for me at least a couple of times in the past.  Anyway.....I made a couple of small chisels last night from O-1 drill rod.  I'm going to harden them this afternoon and planned to temper them in the oven.  What temp in the oven?  380 degrees is what I was thinking?

[Keb]

I'm no expert but I believe you need to heat them cherry red & quench in oil before they go in the oven to be annealed.
After you heat treat them, polish the black off from heat treating off and then draw them back using the wife's kitchen stove. I don't know what color to draw them back to since my only home heat treating experience is with frizzens. I'd say a chisel would need to be softer than a frizzen, I bet.

[LRB]

  Wood chisels I assume? Heat to non-magnetic, then one shade of red higher. Quench in warmed cooking oil other than canola. Canola is a tad fast for 01. ATF would also work. Temper at 400° to 425°. Two temper cycles of one hour each, cool in water after each.
    The above will give you about 60 Rc, give or take a point or two.
To get the max heat treat of 01 really requires a HT oven. It needs a 15/20 minute soak at 1475° for the hardening quench, but the above should get you by. Use a separate oven thermometer. Kitchen ranges are seldom correct in temp settings.
   Tempering by color is not very accurate because of contaminates that might be on the steel. Heating by color to harden is even worse. Many see red differently and it is easy to over heat causing grain growth and a weaker edge.

[C Wallingford]

I know this is probably posted here somewhere, but I can't find it.  Hope Charlie Wallingford doesn't see this, because he has answered this question for me at least a couple of times in the past.  Anyway.....I made a couple of small chisels last night from O-1 drill rod.  I'm going to harden them this afternoon and planned to temper them in the oven.  What temp in the oven?  380 degrees is what I was thinking?

HA HA, I caught you. LRB has you on the right track!

[SuperCracker]

  Wood chisels I assume?

Since you (kind of) mentioned it. What would be the process if you were making up a set of O1 Die Chisels for working on metal?  Or is that only a "send it to a pro" type deal.

[eagle24]

I know this is probably posted here somewhere, but I can't find it.  Hope Charlie Wallingford doesn't see this, because he has answered this question for me at least a couple of times in the past.  Anyway.....I made a couple of small chisels last night from O-1 drill rod.  I'm going to harden them this afternoon and planned to temper them in the oven.  What temp in the oven?  380 degrees is what I was thinking?

HA HA, I caught you. LRB has you on the right track!

Thanks for the info Wick.  You were not supposed to be watching Charles!

[LRB]

  I think there are steels better suited for impact resistance than 01, although edge geometry would be a major factor with any steel used. I have little to no experience with making cold chisels, so I may not be your best advisor. If I was going to use 01 for that purpose, I would try a temper of 500° after a good hardening process. D2 might serve you better, but you would really need a pro HT done using it. If you are referring to engraving chisels, the 01 may work with a simple heat treat, but it would be experimental. I have used file steel for that successfully with a simple red hot quench in water, polish and temper by color to a light bronze, but they were used with a very light hammer, or palm pushed.  I much prefer the cobalt steels for gravers. They are tougher and chip less. 01 is at it's strongest and best abrasion resistance at around 60/61 Rc. You would have to experiment and see how it would work out for your needs.