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Calcimator

Tempering Color Calculator

Find the correct tempering temperature, oxide color, and expected hardness (HRC) for your steel type and intended use.

Inputs

Results

Temper Temperature

400 °F

Oxide Color

Straw Yellow

Target Hardness

60 HRC

Temper Temperature204 °C
Steel1084 Carbon Steel
Intended UseKnife / Cutting Edge
Soak Time2 cycles of 1 hour each
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Select the steel type: 1084, O1 Tool Steel, W1 Water-Hardening, or 5160 Spring Steel.
  2. Choose the application: Knife/Cutting Edge, Spring/Flex Tool, Chisel/Impact Tool, or Punch/Drift.
  3. Review the recommended Tempering Temperature (°F) and associated oxide color (straw, bronze, purple, blue).
  4. Heat the blade in an oven or on a hot plate to the target temperature and hold for 1–2 hours.
  5. Check the resulting hardness (HRC) from the temper color scale chart and compare against your application target.

What each input means

Steel Type
Each steel has a different as-quenched hardness, which determines the starting HRC before tempering reduces it.
Target Use
The intended use determines how much toughness vs. hardness you need. Knives need higher hardness; springs need more toughness.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    Steel Type = 1, Target Use = 1 = 2 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Temper Temperature
    Temper Temperature
    400 = 400
  3. Calculate Oxide Color
    Oxide Color
    Straw Yellow = Straw Yellow
  4. Calculate Target Hardness
    Target Hardness
    60 = 60
  5. Calculate Temper Temperature
    Temper Temperature
    204 = 204
  6. Calculate Steel
    Steel = steel.label
    1084 Carbon Steel = 1084 Carbon Steel

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