154CM Descaled Bar Stock HRA .165" x 4" x 12"

154CM Bar Stock
This is basically ATS-34.
Heat treat as 154CM: Heat treat information link
Note: 154CM bar stock normally comes with a very hard black exterior from the foundry. This bar stock has been sand blasted by Crucible to remove most of the hard "bark" but there will still be deep surface marks and surface inclusions to grind away. The bar stock comes oversize to take this into account. The following dimensions are typical.
Nominal thickness Typical thickness
3/32" .103/.113"
1/8" .135/.149"
5/32" .165/.181"
3/16" .180/.2"
1/4" .227/.227
Tip: My heat treat is basically this:
Wrap in 2100F Temp stainless foil. I do not put any paper in the foil pouch. I want the pouch to suck up close around the blade. Putting paper in the pouch puff's it up.
Fast ramp up 1450F, soak 10 minutes, continue fast ramp to 1850F, soak for 30 minutes.
Remove and plate quench between two 1" thick plates of aluminum. I do not remove the blade from the pouch. While quenching, I shoot compressed air between the plates. This cools everything off a little quicker.
The RC hardness I at this point averages around 61.5RC. I then put right into cryro (liquid nitrogen) for 8 hours. The hardness now averages 63RC.
I then temper twice at 450F for 2 hours each. The hardness now is 59RC.
Tip: If you are going to cryo treat your blade with Dry Ice use kerosene instead of Acetone for the bath. It is still flammable but not as explosive as Acetone is.