WECSOG case hardening hints? Opinions needed!

[Tenderfoot]

I'm wondering about the possibility of case hardening trigger group parts. Can it be reliably done with a torch? Do you need a forge? Is this just something that a DIY'er should stay away from? I would like to learn to harden,aneal,temper steel. How to recognize different alloys and such. The difference between "hardening" and "toughening" of metal. Will a MAPP torch reach the same temps. of an oxyacetelene torch. I know this is probably beyond the limits of a "kitchen table gunsmith". So just keep the advice (or URL's) in general terms. File under "good things to know" catagory. I don't want to get anyone hurt or killed with these experiments!! :eek: :eek:
TF

[ August 29, 2001: Message edited by: gary.jeter ]

[W.E.G.]

See: http://info.lu.farmingdale.edu/depts/met/met205/casehardening.html

[Buk]

Search for KASENIT on Brownell's website. Easy to use!

[stimpsonjcat]

Are you making new trigger parts and trying to harden them? If so, what metal did you use?

Does anyone know the type of metal for DSA/FSE/IMBEL parts?

I would assume these parts are probably at least medium carbon tool steel or equivalent.

If so, just a matter of figuring out whether they'd like an oil quench or a brine quench. And then tempering them back in an oven.

If you or someone can post metal type for these parts I'll happily look up their quench type and temper temperatures.

[Tenderfoot]

Day two!
Good morning fellers!
I would have replied last night but we got into a "bandwidth overload" situation and I couldn't get back in. I just hung it up and went to bed! So thanks for all the info! Awesome link Gary!,Simcat the parts I'm thinking about casehardening are all these CIA throwaway trigger groups (there must be a frieghtcar load of them floating around). I'm probably not the first to come up with this idea, because it seems such a waste of material to trash them all! Buk I'm going to search for "KASENIT" when I get off here, thanks for the headsup! I figured the biggest collection of knowledge in the free world would exist on FAL Files and you didn't let me down. I just have to learn to configure this search engine to answer the questions I want so I don't have to ask questions that are probably stored away in some archive somewhere!
Thanks again guys!
TF

[stimpsonjcat]

Hmmm...I may have a few of these around...maybe I'll get one glowing and pitch it in the oil to see what it does.

[Tenderfoot]

Okay good idea!
There may be a market for refurbished CIA parts! :eek: :eek:
One more blurb this morning, I've hit on the greatest bunch of gun part makers around: (the old flitlock/muzzleloader crowd) I've already downloaded and printed a one inch thick "book" on home styled metal working!
I don't really care if it's a bazooka or a buffalo gun "parts is parts". As long as you're not dealing with the firing chamber and the added pressures of modern ammo etc. These guys are where we may be in a few years (making our own parts) if we get a few more comrade Klintons in there we'll need to go underground to survive!
OOOPS Politics again! Sorry! ;)
TF

PS you folks had better stock up on "KASENIT" I read where the Brits have already quit selling it because of the Cyanide content. (Dang good gun plumbers them Limeys!) I figure our EPA won't let the European Tree huggers get too far ahead of them! ;)

[ August 29, 2001: Message edited by: Tenderfoot ]

[ August 29, 2001: Message edited by: Tenderfoot ]

[ August 29, 2001: Message edited by: Tenderfoot ]

[ August 30, 2001: Message edited by: Tenderfoot ]

[sixplusone]

[ September 04, 2001: Message edited by: sixplusone ]

[Tenderfoot]

Yeah I need to spend a little (a lot) of time studying metal and how it operates! I've got an old Dixie Works catalog around here somewhere. Kinda pitched it aside and thought it was just old gun junk! :rolleyes:
I've been paying attention to the knife builders too. Had one cornered for about two hours at the last local gunshow. This fellow was from out west and was following the gunshow circuit, and was a wealth of info. Well my new issue of Backwoodsman just arrived so I'll roll back a hundred years or so and try to learn something! :D
Thanks all for the info!
TF

[Tenderfoot]

Hey Stimcat did you try torching up some of those CAI parts? Are they pot metal? Zinc? Melted down Yugos? I making a mold, melting down some of mama's Tupperware and pouring me a Glock!
TF
:)

[stimpsonjcat]

Not yet Tenderfoot.

I'll post when I get a chance to try this.

I'm out of pocket this weekend.

Maybe next week one night.