[TheForge] to heat treat or not to heat treat... that is myquestion.

[David E. Smucker]

I would heat treat it and temper at 450 to 500 F in an oven for 1 to 2 
hours.  This will give you about Rockwell C of 50.  Heat to critical (just 
above non magnetic) and quench in oil.  Then temper in an oven right away. 
(If it is the kitchen oven make damn sure you wipe it very clean of oil, 
maybe even give it a wash.)

If you just normalize it will still be a good tool, but will have a hardness 
of only the high 30's to low 40's  depending on how fast the small end of 
the bick air cools.  Your anvil is most likely Rc of 50 to 52 for a 
reference.

Dave Smucker
Brasstown,  NC

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Jason Nass" <me at wargoth.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 2:49 PM
To: "'Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA'" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [TheForge] to heat treat or not to heat treat... that is 
myquestion.

> Just finished up an anvil bick of 4140. I'm not overly familiar with using
> it for tools, so I am undecided whether to heat treat it and risk it being
> to brittle to deal with impact, or just leave it normalized. I'd imagine
> that being it is a high strength alloy, it should hold up to having hot
> steel hammered around it, especially being as I ain't gonna be using no 
> 12#
> sledges on it. What thoughts might you metallurgist types have on the
> matter?
>
> Jason Nass - MacTalis Ironworks
> me at wargoth.com
>
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