[TheForge] Re: File Making

[Mike Spencer]

> I think that's why Cussler put his flintlock pieces to be case
> hardened in a crucible with lid.

Richardson (Practical Blacksmithing, 1978, orig. 1891, vol. IV,
pp. 257 ff.) says pack the workpiece in (a) charcoal or (b) in hoof
and leather scraps together with salt and urine in a tightly closed --
luted shut with fire clay -- iron box and hold at a cherry heat for 24
hours.

So I was really surprised when Casenite(tm) would do a pretty good job
after a 10 minute soak.  Never tried to make a file.  But what I did
with other small items was to crimp one end of a piece of auto exhaust
pipe and add a ong handle, put the Casenite in it along with the piece
and heat the whole thing in the forge.  May not have totally excluded
oxygen but kept oxy/workpiece contact to a minimum.  (Of course, the
exhaust pipe got kinda hard and corroded after a while.)

Richardson also has other formulations including spooning potassium
cyanide powder directly onto the workpiece.  Sounds to me about as
safe as welding up gas tank leaks in situ.  One good snort of the KCN
fumes will kill you dead before you can say, "Oh, s**t!".


- Mike

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