Re: Hardening rails

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "zxcvbnm12330134"
<johnatl@m...> wrote:

> 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

I'm not sure of the heat you need, nor how long you need to keep it
at that temperature, but I leaned a plumbers trick on heating a
tube. just put your flame on one end of the tube and the tube will
act as a stove pipe and get red hot. That's how they make soft
tubing from hard in the field.

in your case, if you can put your bar inside of a pipe and your torch
in the end, everthing inside will get hot.

if you set this up, think safety first as the pipe will become red
hot.

and also you will want to tip the pipe to let the rod slide out into
your waiting bath.

a test or two might be worth the time.

Google water hardening rod to get the temperature specs.

also you can raise the temperature in stages, or else, the close end
will be much hotter than the far end.



Dave