[TheForge] Fw: Temper or Harden steel

[David E. Smucker]

Dan is in the right range on temper temperature.  Make the part over from a 
higher carbon steel if it is easy to make -- but if you have a bunch of work 
in it then it is easier to case harden than to make over from scratch.  The 
other advantage of case hardening is that the core will be of lower carbon 
and tougher that if the whole part is made from high carbon steel.

Depending on the part if you can find some 1045 or 1050 you will be ahead 
over going to a real high carbon like 1095 or W1 or O1 tool steels. 
Depending on the size you could forge this out of a grade 5 bolt and then 
heat treat the item.

Dave

--------------------------------------------------
From: "dan tull" <dantull at numail.org>
Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 7:23 PM
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Temper or Harden steel

> 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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>
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