O1 tool steel

[Gaeckle]

I have been gifted some o1 tool steel and am thinking of making some gravers for a project. After I cut and shape, how do I harden them?

[Scota4570]

Heat to full red het with a propane torch.  Quench in oil.  Draw to straw color.

High speed would be a better choice for gravers?  Maybe some serious engravers can comment. 

[RJD-VT]

I think you might mean High carbon steel (.8 carbon or higher) high speed (like M2) is hard to heat treat without expensive equipment.

[kutter]

I would save the O1 for other things. For gravers I would just get a packet
of 1/8" or 3/32" square lathe bits in Cobalt or HS steel.
You don't need Carbide bits. Besides they need special sharpening equip aside from what the others can be done on.
I like the 3/32 size but it really doesn't make a difference.

They are usually 3 to 4" long. Mount them in a handle and off you go.

Sharpen to the point you like and then use it,,,no heat treatment necessary.
They will cut most anything you will need to cut especially on an M/Ldr project.

[Gaeckle]

I am engraving a pipe tomahawk head, it's a casting, and I am just eating up the points on my gravers. Cut a line, off goes the point, need to resharpen. I have about 15 square engravers that I sharpen and keep handy when engraving, when one goes dull, I just pick up another one. This head is harrrrrd, super tough. I'll get moments when the line is cutting really good and all of a sudden it doesn't. The steel composition is a mystery to me. I was hoping that the o1 stuff would hold up better, but I gues not. Oh well, just need to sharpen the bunch again.

[Stoner creek]

You may need to try to anneal that hawk head. Because it’s cast steel it’s anyone’s guess what type steels are in the mix. We’ve had similar discussions about the same problem with cast steel trigger guards.

[rich pierce]

You may need to try to anneal that hawk head. Because it’s cast steel it’s anyone’s guess what type steels are in the mix. We’ve had similar discussions about the same problem with cast steel trigger guards.

Agree it’s uniformly hardened. You can stick the edge in a pumpkin or whatever and heat the area you want to anneal with a torch. Get it bright red and keep playing the torch on it while slowly backing away, ensuring it cools slowly. That should get it done.

[Gaeckle]

One side is done, s I'll anneale it before doing the other side. Thanks for the advice

[Bob Roller]

You may need to try to anneal that hawk head. Because it’s cast steel it’s anyone’s guess what type steels are in the mix. We’ve had similar discussions about the same problem with cast steel trigger guards.

PLUS frizzens and every other cast steel item for our muzzle loaders.Indifferent quality from foundries who will tell you "We do production and that's IT!"Muzzle loaders are still the illegitimite children in the world of guns and the very idea of quality control is foreign to some suppliers.
Bob Roller

[Curtis]

I have been gifted some o1 tool steel and am thinking of making some gravers for a project. After I cut and shape, how do I harden them?

For O-1 I would recommend you heat it until a magnet no longer sticks, then quench in kerosene.  Kerosene is a perfect quench for O-1 steel and there will be virtually no scale.  It will not flash, and is a perfect quench for many steels.  I learned this from George Suiter in a tool-making class and kerosene is my goto quench.

Curtis

[Bob Roller]

I have wondered about kerosene as a quench but was afraid to try it.I may try it and if I get blown out of the shop I will post about it ......maybe.

Bob Roller

[Eric Kettenburg]

Maybe that's what REALLY blew up Wolfgang Hachen!   

[P.W.Berkuta]

I've not heard of using kerosene as a quench but that's not saying it will not work. I use vegetable oil warmed to around 125 degrees and find it works very well.

[Dphariss]

I have been gifted some o1 tool steel and am thinking of making some gravers for a project. After I cut and shape, how do I harden them?

I would by gravers or buy 1/8" HSS lathe tools and grind them.
I use 0-1 for springs and it makes great knives. Probably make good gravers but its not really worth the work involved.

Dan

[Dphariss]

You can quench it in ATF or mix it with Marvel's Mystry Oil. But the oil needs to be WARMED first. Cold oil will not quench as well as warm, 100+ degree, oil will.
Cold oil does not "wet" the part as well as warm oil will.

Dan

[Dphariss]

You may need to try to anneal that hawk head. Because it’s cast steel it’s anyone’s guess what type steels are in the mix. We’ve had similar discussions about the same problem with cast steel trigger guards.

PLUS frizzens and every other cast steel item for our muzzle loaders.Indifferent quality from foundries who will tell you "We do production and that's IT!"Muzzle loaders are still the illegitimite children in the world of guns and the very idea of quality control is foreign to some suppliers.
Bob Roller

I just hardened two L&R frizzens and had to water quench them to get them hard. Warm oil quench (twice no less) did nothing but make them black and oily.

Dan

[Gaeckle]

I have been gifted some o1 tool steel and am thinking of making some gravers for a project. After I cut and shape, how do I harden them?

I would by gravers or buy 1/8" HSS lathe tools and grind them.
I use 0-1 for springs and it makes great knives. Probably make good gravers but its not really worth the work involved.

Dan

I agree

[Bob Roller]

You may need to try to anneal that hawk head. Because it’s cast steel it’s anyone’s guess what type steels are in the mix. We’ve had similar discussions about the same problem with cast steel trigger guards.

PLUS frizzens and every other cast steel item for our muzzle loaders.Indifferent quality from foundries who will tell you "We do production and that's IT!"Muzzle loaders are still the illegitimite children in the world of guns and the very idea of quality control is foreign to some suppliers.
Bob Roller

I just hardened two L&R frizzens and had to water quench them to get them hard. Warm oil quench (twice no less) did nothing but make them black and oily.

Dan

L&R frizzens are supposed to be 52-100 the same as ball bearings but only the foundry knows for sure,.maybe,
The last one I made I also had to water quench,a Durs Egg which was the LAST one in 2019.
Bob Roller

[Ric Carter]

I've always quenched 01 in automatic transmission fluid. I heat up a half inch steel rod to red hot, stir the oil, then use to quench.