[TheForge] Re: You can always tell a Yankee...

[Mike Spencer]

> At any rate, it got me to wondering if air hardening steel has a
> normalized state? More to the point, Normalized for us at
> home-hobyists?  But then, I suppose it wouldn't likely have an
> annealed state, either? except as it comes from the supplier.

Anecdotal evidence:

I once made a pattern-welded (finger) ring from m/s and VW Beetle
front torsion spring.  The latter comes (out of the junked VW) as
1/8"x3/4" and 1/8"x1/2" strips about 3' long.  You can bend one double
and it will whip back unharmed.  Heat it to red, air cool and you can
snap it in two with your hands.

So when the ring was done, I cooled it slowly on the forge hearth.  A
file just glided off of it.  After several failed tries at annealing
in the shop, I put it into the coals of my wood stove at night and
raked it out of the cold ashes the next day.  It could then be filed
easily.

I infer that "normalized" it's real hard but fully "annealed" it's
soft.  Or something.  I *said* "anecdotal".

FWIW.

- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^

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