Heat treating C80W2 / C80U

[30cal Fun]

Hi everyone,

I recently bought C80W2, the steel arrived yesterday, here is the chemical analysis:
C 0,82%
Si 0,25%
Mn 0,22%
Mo --
V --
Cr 0,10%
Ni 0,05%
Cu 0,06%
W 0,01%
P 0,030% max
S 0,030% max

I have never worked with this steel before so I hope you can give me some tips about how to heat treat this steel. I intend to make several tanto with the steel and I will be claying it to form a hamon. This steel seemed ideal to make a hamon.
From the information I have gathered this seems like a good heat treatment:

Normalize 2 times by heating to 820 Celcius (1510F), taking it out of the fire, cool till black color, heat up to 820 again, cool to room temperature.
Clay the blade, clay thickness will be about 5mm (1/5 inch).
Heat to 780 Celcius (1440F), soak for a few minutes, then quench in water.
Temper two times at 200 C (390 F) for one hour.

Let me know what you think about this. I am not sure about the normalizing.
Any feedback or tips are welcome.

Louis

 

[painless potter]

maybe this fred will help you:

http://www.messerforum.net/showthread.php?t=71425&highlight=c80+w%E4rmebehandlung

PP

 

[Noob2008]

at least for the dimensions of a normal blade it should be sufficient to use oil (60°C) for quenching. This might also help to reduce the the typical sound of water-quenching...

- PLING -

enjoy yourself!

Steffen

 

[30cal Fun]

Thanks for the input guys,

PP,
I have read that one, but it doesn't tell me exact temperatures for C80 steel.

Steffen,
I know that water is pretty aggressive, but oil just won't give a hamon as active as water. I am leaving some steel on the edge and will probably use hand-warm water to quench, I will also scrape some clay of the back to reduce curving. All this should prevent cracking as much as possible.
Besides, this kind of steel should water harden just fine.

Louis