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If the part being hardened is large a small brazing
torch may not be powerful enough. In this case make
a cavity out of a number of fire bricks to house the
part and aiming the flame into the hole will help
considerably. I have also used two torches together for
extra heat.
Use a large pair of pliers to pick up the part and place
in the water, cutting edges first. The steam produce
around the part will reduce the cooling effect so it is
essential to agitate it vigorously in the water. That
completes the hardening process, but if left in that
state the part would in most instances be too brittle
for the task it has to perform, because of this it needs
tempering.
The tempering will reduce the hardness the amount
depending on how hot the part is made during the
tempering process. Tempering is more critical than the
hardening process as the task parts are called upon to
withstand vary widely. A cutter for use on a
metalworking machine will need to be harder and only
slightly tempered whilst a screw driver needs to be
less hard and also less brittle.
In theory, lathe tools which are normally well
supported and the cut is continuous can be left harder
than a cutter used in the milling machine where they
are less well supported and the cut is intermittent. The
colours are light straw for lathe tools and straw for
milling cutters. However, when using the colour
method to determine tempering temperature the
colour difference will be too small to be totally certain.
Such precise tempering is really only appropriate when
items are heated in a controlled environment such as
an oven.
After hardening the part it will have taken on a dirty
black appearance, so that the tempering colours
cannot easily be observed. This must be cleaned off
and the surface brought to a polished finish. This will
be easier if the part originally had a good surface
finish.
Few parts need to be equally hard all over with many
actually benefiting from a progressive tempering as is
the case with the tee slot cutter.
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Harold Hall
In such cases apply the heat to the end needing to be
less hard, the threaded end in this case. Wait till this
becomes blue and watch carefully how the lighter
colours commence to run towards the cutter head.
Once the colours start to run, which will happen quite
quickly, be ready with the pliers to once more place
the part in the water, again agitating rapidly.
Be vary careful with the tempering process, the speed
at which the colours travel makes it easy to over
temper the cutter edge. If this is done it will be
necessary to anneal the part and once more go
through the hardening and tempering process. More
reading will be necessary if you find yourself in this
situation.
If a part needs to be equally tempered all over keep
the torch further away and continually move the
flame until the colour required is even over the whole
part.
I am sure that when you first make your hardened
cutter, be it a tee slot cutter, or similar, you will gain
much satisfaction when you see it cutting through the
metal with ease. However, your silver steel cutter is
not the equal of a high speed steel tool so cutting
speeds will need to be on the low side.
To expand on the subject of tempering colours the
following detail may be of help.
Lathe tools, Light Straw
Milling cutters, Straw
Pin punches and similar, Dull orange/brown
Cold Chisels, Purple
Springs, Blue
Some publications include a colour chart as examples
of the colours required.
The above should be adequate for the occasional
lathe or milling cutter but if more detailed information
regarding hardening and tempering is required, other
reading on the subject should be studied.
"Hardening, Tempering and Heat Treatment" by Tubal
Cain, Workshop Practice Series, No. 1 would be one
possibility.