Milling an axe head??

[GummyMonster]

Good morning,
New to the Forum and machining.
I tried googling this, but came up with almost nothing.
Why don't people mill out axe heads and then heat treat them to proper temper?
I've read that 450F is about what is needed, and a kitchen oven
goes beyond that.
I've heat treated small tools using the oven, and it worked very well.
Just wondering what I'm missing, or is it a matter of using the time proven forging method works, so why change?
Thanks in advance,
Ken

 

[T Bredehoft]

450º f is good for annealing, but it's got to he heated to over 2000º f first and then quenched. Then the 450º. It cannot be machined at the hardness that results from the first chill.

 

[pacifica]

Good morning,
New to the Forum and machining.
I tried googling this, but came up with almost nothing.
Why don't people mill out axe heads and then heat treat them to proper temper?
I've read that 450F is about what is needed, and a kitchen oven
goes beyond that.
I've heat treated small tools using the oven, and it worked very well.
Just wondering what I'm missing, or is it a matter of using the time proven forging method works, so why change?
Thanks in advance,
Ken

Different heat treating temps and methods for different steels_ i.e. O-1 (oil quench). W-1 (water quench), A2 (air), also different soaking times in the furnace. Many steels are touchy about the exact temperature and time, etc. Fine grain and an even distribution of carbon are the goals.
Then you anneal.

 

[GummyMonster]

Ok, that's my answer then.
Thanks,
Ken

 

[RJSakowski]

In addition to hardening aqnd tempering, axe heads as well as many other tools are forged. Forging consists of heating the steel to a red or orange color and forming into shape by working with a hammer.and anvil, or as is commonly done by drop forging with a set of dies. Forging compacts the grain and aligns it in a preferred direction which is superior to just cutting the tool from a piece of steel plate. After the forging process, the rough shape is ground into a final shape and hardened and tempered.

Forging of W1 is done with the steel between 1500 and 1900ºF, hardened at 1500ºF, quenched in water or brine. and then a temper is drawn. Different areas of the axe head would most likely be drawn to a different temper with the cutting edge or bit tempered at around 450ºF. The eye and butt of the axe head would be tempered at around 600ºF reduce the possibility of fracture.

O1 woulde be forged at slightly higher temperatures, hardened same as W1, and quenched in oil. Tempering temperatures would be same as for W1.