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

[David E. Smucker]

Phlip,  The 4140 would make a good bick with just the normalize route, but a 
better tool by heat treating.  It is unlikely that in normal use you will 
get anything except the small end of the bick up to above the tempering 
temperature of 400 to 500 F, therefore little of the heat treating will be 
drawn even with repeated use.  (You only "draw temper" when you go above the 
tempering temperature.)  It is a judgment call but the heat treating route 
most likely gives you the best properties for this use.

Now if you were making a hot cut, or a punch that would be a different 
story.

Dave Smucker



--------------------------------------------------
From: "Saint Phlip" <phlip at 99main.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 3:50 PM
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [TheForge] to heat treat or not to heat treat... that is 
myquestion.

> Why go to all the trouble? First time you wrap a piece of hot metal
> around it, you're going to change the temper of it anyway, unless it's
> an air-hardened alloy. Leave the one for your hot work alone, and if
> you do enough cold work to justify it, make yourself one that's
> hardened and tempered for that purpose.
>
> On Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 2:49 PM, Jason Nass <me at wargoth.com> wrote:
>> 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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>
>
>
> -- 
> Saint Phlip
>
> So, you think your data is safe?
> http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/01/23/schneier.google.hacking/index.html?hpt=T2
>
> Heat it up
> Hit it hard
> Repent as necessary.
>
> Priorities:
>
> It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.
>
> .I never wanted to see anybody die, but there are a few obituary
> notices I have read with pleasure. -Clarence Darrow
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