Hardening rails

I bought some W-1 Water Hardening Drill Rod to use with my
hand-me-down Thompson Super Ball Bushing linear bearings.

The write-up said it was usable as-is, which I suppose it is,
but it isn't as stiff as I was expecting. Can I heat this with
my little propane torch, then quench it in a bucket or with a
water hose? I probably won't be able to get the whole thing
hot at once. Maybe I could put it in the oven at 500deg?

Thanks for any advice!

Regards,
JJ