[zach marchetti]

Thanks for checking out this post. I'm not positive if this where this post needs to be. Anyways into the questions.

Some friends of mine who make swords use 4140 because the max hardness on it is around a 54, which is what they want. so no temper is required.
which got me thinking: Is there a chart out there that shows the relative max hardness of all sorts of different steels, and at that, does anyone know of one that is around a 58.

I'm not trying to cheap out on my heat treat process or anything. i'm just curious.

Thanks!

Oh, and i have searched all over the interwebs for such a chart but i am coming up empty handed. I maybe be looking for the wrong thing i'm still rather new at this.

[Kevin R. Cashen]

Zach, you will find such numbers in the ASM "Heat Treaters Guide", you can also find charts which include a curve of maximum hardness based upon carbon content. However all of these numbers will only reflect maximum hardness based upon "ideal" conditions. The main factor in maximum hardness is the time at constant temperature before the quench, assuming the quench is sufficient, of course.

[zach marchetti]

Kevin R. Cashen, on 30 January 2012 - 10:04 AM, said:

Zach, you will find such numbers in the ASM "Heat Treaters Guide", you can also find charts which include a curve of maximum hardness based upon carbon content. However all of these numbers will only reflect maximum hardness based upon "ideal" conditions. The main factor in maximum hardness is the time at constant temperature before the quench, assuming the quench is sufficient, of course.

Thanks a bunch Kevin! I'm understanding how to do things a lot better, but most of the "why" still eludes me. The science of it all.