[TheForge] Temper or Harden steel

[dan tull]

We think 350 is a little cool. Draw color back to blue( the color of clock 
springs).

550 to 650
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lynn Emrich" <theatre_weapons at yahoo.com>
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 7:15 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Temper or Harden steel


>
>
> That depends on the type of steel. Unless you have something with enough 
> carbon (the only type I can buy around here) it is low carbon and can't be 
> hardened. If you use something like a car spring you can forge it out, 
> harden, and temper. That is easy enough for want.
> After forging take a good red heat and air cool a couple of times. This 
> will release some of the stresses from forging. Then heat until a magnet 
> won't stick, plus a little, and cool in hot (140 or so) oil. Any kind of 
> oil will work but I use ATF. You only have a few seconds to go from the 
> forge to the oil. Then temper at about 350 in an oven. Any oven will work 
> but if you use your wife's stove clean the oil very well. Don't ask me 
> why!
> I didn't say but I would make several because if the first one breaks you 
> can try a higher temper.
> Just what I do,
> Lynn
>
>
> --- On Fri, 7/31/09, Dave Kammer <tinman36 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>> I was looking for some advice on how to harden a small
>> piece of steel. I have an old shotgun with a broken hammer
>> spring, Parts for this old gun are unavailable, so I was
>> able to make a duplicate but it is too soft of steel. It
>> needs to spring back and forth. The piece I made just bends
>> when put under pressure. Can some sort of heat treatment or
>> hardening make it become more spring-like? I couldn't figure
>> out how to post a question on "The Forge" Forum so I thought
>> I could send my question to a couple other subscribers.
>> Thanks for any help you can provide.
>> Dave tinman36 at yahoo.com
>
>
>
>
>
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