heat treating......Q

[izitbrokeyet?]

OK here’s the deal….

Just because it’s interesting, I’ve decided to get into some heat treating for props and aluminum. I’ve purchased a Jalenko test kiln with thermocouple that’s just itching to be tried out.

My question is as follows:

Does anyone know exactly what grade beryllium alloy that the Octura , and what grade are ABC props made of?

I have a table and can figure out the correct heat treating sequence if I have the correct alloy…..

For those that have been there/ done that ……..after annealing; what temp and how long for these same props if anyone has had some success at it?

Thanks for any response,

KB

 

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Kev,

you got to much time on your hand bro..... :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[[email protected]]

Just kidding......can you explain this project your working on?

 

[K-ZAM]

Hey Kevin,

Preston H/T's my props ABC and Octura. He has this figured out.

I have yet to depitch or throw-a-blade.

However, the first V967 he did came home in a glob :lol: :lol:

KP

 

[izitbrokeyet?]

Thanks Kently,

I'll be giving Preston a call

Trying to avoid turning my best props into garbage......figured i'd ask around first

Have a great one,

KB

 

[Preston_Hall]

Kevin,

Heat the oven to 1450 F. Heat the prop for 30 min. Quench in water. Then 650 F for 3 hours and let air cool.

Other people have said 625-650 F for 3 hours and that's all. But that's not heat treating.

 

[nitrotoys]

what oven gets to 1450? I dont have any oven that gets that hot.

I have heard on ABC props, 625 for 3 hours and let air cool.

I have done it that way and they are really hard.

Never done a Octura prop.

IS that the same method for heat treating?

Tom

 

[izitbrokeyet?]

I have an oven that goes to 2000 It's ugly and it'll burn toast into a little pile of dust :huh:

it's pretty much made for heat treating and firing porcelain

during the annealing process the prop was glowing a dull red when it was at 1450.

 

[Preston_Hall]

Going by this article you should anneal (heat to 1450 F for 30 minutes and water quench) and then age harden (heat to 625 F for 3 hours).

Soaking at 625 alone does provide some hardness (temper would be a better term I think) but not maximum.

 

[Mike Bontoft]

Prestons description of hardening is exactly how I do mine. I soak my 2170s at 1450 f in a heat treat oven for 1 hour though, I don't think this makes any difference, You just want to make sure the part gets heat soaked in the thicker areas. At this point after you quench it in water you can bend it easily (annealed state). Then put it back in the oven at 650 f for 3 hours, At this point I turn the oven off and leave it in over night, so it cools very gradually. If you need to repitch it, good luck because its going to take some reefing, they are very tuff. You can always anneal it again and repeat the process.

Mike

 

[Mike Bontoft]

After reading the article that Preston posted, The aging time is critical. I may be over aging by leaving the prop to cool in the oven so the next time I am going to open the oven door open when I turn it off. I learn something new every day, Trouble is "I've forgotten more than I'll ever know" :angry:

Mike

 

[nitrotoys]

Mike, Preston, GREAT INFO On the heat treating.

Thanks for posting the info.

Tom

 

[AWaddle322]

I don't have access to an oven that will get hot enough so this is how I heat treat props ans I do ABC and Octura's the same way and do not bend them.

First using MAP GAs torch get prop glowing orange in dark room and quench in water. Do this three times.

Put in oven as high is it will go not counting cleaning cycle (mine is 500 degrees). Bake for 8 to 10 hours and cut off oven leaving door closed. a few hours later get out prop.

I know that the other methods listed will work but since I don't have a kiln, I use this method and If you try to repitch a prop done this way you will break it. They are very hard.

The above method came from MR Gary Pressue and it does work quit well for those that do not have a kiln, but it does stink a little bit during this process.

Oneside note if you get prop to hot in one area it will develop hole. I use a screwdriver and keep prop moving over torch.

Allen

 

[Preston_Hall]

Allen,

I have done that as well. But I don't understand why you anneal it three times.

Mike,

Curing times and temps vary for the alloy but they mainly affect the electrcal properties and actual desired hardness. We really aren't concerned with maximum hardness, so in my opinion if you get it a dull red and temper at a reasonable temp/time then you are fine. The tempering is most beneficial since this is what takes the material from very hard and brittle to hard and strong.

If somebody wants to melt a prop into a slug then anneal and temper at different times and temps then I could do a Rockwell test on the material. But that's a little extreme.

 

[AWaddle322]

Preston,

Everyone has told me how easy it was to bend on annealed prop before tempering. After annealing once it was like bending on a prop out of the bag. After annealing twice it was a little softer but was not easy as i wanted (still haad to use pliers hard enough you could see plier marks). Third time still using pliers but no plier marks. I wish i could get the soft enough that I could bend them with my fingers on prop mold. each time I would anneal , it would make easier to bend. I might not be getting annealed enough the first time, but it works for me and i try not change anything once I find something that works.

Allen.

P.s. if you want to try your rockwell test i can send you some props as they are not good for anything but throwing in the trash.

 

[Terry Keeley]

Going by this article you should anneal (heat to 1450 F for 30 minutes and water quench) and then age harden (heat to 625 F for 3 hours).
Soaking at 625 alone does provide some hardness (temper would be a better term I think) but not maximum.

That's an article I got from Gary Preusse quite a while back and have been doing them that way since, they get very hard and cannot be re-pitched unless they are re-annealed. The finish comes out best if you anneal, sharpen and balance, then age.

The dark room and torch method does work very well also, I even carry a small toaster oven to the record trials if I need to do some re-pitchin' in the hotel room.

 

[Joe_Knesek]

I even carry a small toaster oven to the record trials if I need to do some re-pitchin' in the hotel room.

He also carries 2 horses, 2 cows, 2 sheep.....That little trailer is like Terry's Ark.

 

[Tony Jacuzzi]

I just re-read this thread and use the Preusse/Keeley method but only anneal it once. The thing that I have noticed is that the actual finish color of my props does not come out looking even, it is very blotchy with different dull shading. Any suggestions on what is happening and if that is an indication that my technique is flawed, or do I even need to be concerned... Thanks tony J

 

[izitbrokeyet?]

Tony,

I get the same thing......plenty hard though It looks as if comething is carbonizing on the blades during the anneal/quench process.

 

[Terry Keeley]

I just re-read this thread and use the Preusse/Keeley method but only anneal it once.  The thing that I have noticed is that the actual finish color of my props does not come out looking even, it is very blotchy with different dull shading. Any suggestions on what is happening and if that is an indication that my technique is flawed, or do I even need to be concerned... Thanks tony J

79752[/snapback]

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Hey Tony:

Just got the 'puter up and running after my move.

They will be blotchy etc. if you finish them completely THEN heat treat. Scale can form during the high temp. cycle and when it comes off in the quench it looks ugly. The trick is to do the water quench on the rough prop then finish and age, then it just turns a nice light brown colour.

If you get the prop finished but not hard you could water quench then clean it up on a buffer or whatever then age.