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Thread: A2 Steel - Cryogenically Treated versus Not

  1. #16
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    Thanks Jim

  2. #17
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    Why does anyone still buy A2 by preference?

  3. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom M King View Post
    Why does anyone still buy A2 by preference?

    So, unless I missed something if you want a LN or BS product, you get A2 as that is all they offer, right? So maybe not a preference, but a lack of options.

  4. #19
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    I understand that, but it's still a valid question. I won't buy anything (again) with an A2 cutter.

  5. #20
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    If you insist on A2 steel, all of my opinions are based on what I have read, not on actual experience. So, some opinions of people you may trust:

    Ron Hock at Hock tools says yes, do it, your edge will last longer:
    http://www.hocktools.com/tech-info/o1-vs-a2.html


    In this journal article (https://www.thefabricator.com/tubepi...yths-mysteries) it states, as a very small excerpt from the journal:

    “When it closes the grain structure, it fills in all the microvoids in the steel, which are the weak spots—this is where the blades would chip and break,” Bond agreed. “Eliminating the microvoids makes the tooling tougher.”
    “We can actually measure the increase in carbides using a particle counter, which counts particles up to 1 micron in size,” Paulin said. “Heat-treated A2 steel typically has 30,000 particles per mm2. After cryogenic treatment, A2 typically has 83,000 particles per mm2. Closing the interstitial gaps makes the material denser, stronger, and more able to resist loading, orimpact force,” he said.

  6. #21
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    Thanks Andrew for the references!

  7. #22
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    Sep 2019
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    And so I’ve learned...what? Stay away from Lie-Nielsen bench chisels?
    Last edited by Bob Jones 5443; 06-01-2020 at 9:48 PM.

  8. #23
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    From Ron Hock's web site:

    To strengthen the edge we recommend a larger bevel angle for A2 than we would use for O1. For a bench plane iron, try your A2 blade at about 30° or 33°. A chisel or block plane blade can be even steeper; try 35° or so and see if edge retention is improved.
    Why would someone want an A2 blade in a low angle block plane if you need to use an angle to make your effective working angle steeper than a bench plane?

    It would be great if O1 or PM v-11 blades were available for my LN planes.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

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