[TheForge] Re: [TheForge] Heat Treating 5160 was Welding 5160

[Ed F]

----- Original Message -----
From: "David E. Smucker" <davesmucker@hotmail.com>

> The other one I don't understand is the great desire to NOT TEMPER -- it
can
> be done quickly and safely for almost any tool.  Why leave it out.  At the
> very least put it in the oven at 350 *F for an hour.  It gives only a
small
> reduction in hardness and a big increase in toughness.
> Dave Smucker

Are you saying that about all tool steels?  I normally heat H13 to bright
orange then let it cool in vermiculite.  Then I put it in the oven as high
as it will go for at least an hour at the high temp.  I've often repeated
this 2 or 3 times.  I asked the tool steel salesman with Uddelholm about
this procedure (normally it's done at a higher temp., but I don't have tight
control in the forge and the chart for H13 seemed to me to say that lower
temp. would work.).  He gave me a sort of weak "yes, it should work."

If I'm doing any good with this last step it'd be nice to have some
corroboration.  It's kind of a pain to do it right after it cools in the
vermiculite ('cause I wanna' be home) and it sucks juice in my electric
stove.

Ed