Cryogenically Treating Broadheads
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: Starfire
05-Sep-19
If I dipped a broadhead in liquid oxygen would it be cryogenically treated and would it improve the steel.
From: Bowfreak
05-Sep-19
I would contact the estate of Ted Williams and ask them.
From: Scrappy
05-Sep-19
??????
From: Grubby
05-Sep-19
Contact bishop archery, they’re a leader in this field
From: Helgermite
05-Sep-19
If you want an answer on anything cryogenic contact a company called 300 below Inc.
From: TooManyBowsBob
05-Sep-19
Better have your check book out, they are very pricy. $500 for three arrow shafts.
TMBB
From: HDE
05-Sep-19
Dipping in liquid O2 won't change the grain structure of the steel...
From: TrapperKayak
05-Sep-19
Where you live, just step outside in winter... :)
From: Glunt@work
05-Sep-19
I get mine red hot and then dip in Siberian brown bear saliva. Collecting the spit is the only hard part but well worth it.
Ok, I have no idea if cryo would help or why. Broadheads have been up to the task of cleanly killing anything on 4 legs for a long, long time.
From: TD
05-Sep-19
before.....
before.....
after..... watched it literally bounce off a shoulder. Held an edge like no other head I'd used, killed a couple deer with it and was shaving sharp still. Then I squared up on a shoulder and.....
after..... watched it literally bounce off a shoulder. Held an edge like no other head I'd used, killed a couple deer with it and was shaving sharp still. Then I squared up on a shoulder and.....
Be careful with "hardness" and broadheads. There is a sweet spot of holding an edge and shattering into pieces on bone. Hardness alone equates to brittle. Holds an edge like a son of a gun..... but snaps if you look sideways at it. You want a blade that bends a good bit before it breaks.
My understanding is heat treating is for hardness and the cryo somewhat "tempers" it after. Makes it "tougher" more than "harder".
From: Starfire
05-Sep-19
I have access to liquid oxygen. No cost. -300 degrees F.
From: RJ Hunt
05-Sep-19
Cryogenically treating your broadhead will/should provide no gain at this point. When heatreating it is part of the quench with some higher alloy steels and if done must be tempered at least once afterward. Also “dipping” would not do it. Depending on the steel it would need to be soaked for overnight at -300 degrees f.
From: Bowbender
05-Sep-19
The point (no pun intended) to cyro treating or tempering is to reduce the amount of retained austenite in the grain boundaries, thereby improving its impact resistance. I believe the amount of reduction is along the lines of 18%. It's typically done on punches/dies and other form tooling that sees repeated impacts. Personally, I don't see the need for it in broadheads, other than marketing and increased cost without a commensurate return.
From: Bill V - Iron Will
08-Sep-19
Cryo treating converts retained austenite to martensite. Retained austenite creates weak spots in the blade. Martensite is very strong but also brittle; therefore, tempering is done after the quench and cryo treatment to increase toughness. I think cryo treating the blade without tempering afterwards could cause brittle spots and do more harm than good.
From: Bowbender
08-Sep-19
Bill V,
Tempering or double temper will do the same thing. Cyro treating is typically done after a double temper as another process to convert the retained austentite. Not saying there isn't a benefit to cyro treating, but it's been my experience that it's done in punch/die or form tool operations where there is repeated impact loads.
From: Tonybear61
08-Sep-19
So many other variable to worry about sounds like it wouldn't be worth the trouble. Kind of like creating and storing a container of -300 degrees chemical substance around, hopefully not at home with out proper safety measures.