# My How Life Has Changed.



## savarin (Apr 18, 2015)

Perusing through some tool tips in the August 1932 issue I came across the following awesome tip.
Forgings or castings which have exceptionally hard surfaces can be easily machined with a tool specially treated for this purpose.
Use the normal hardening technique but just before quenching whilst still in the furnace tip a thimble full of POTASSIUM CYANIDE on the point and then immediately quench in oil.
Then for the safety conscious it added the following warning:- 
Be sure to use a 2ft long handled spoon as the hot  CYANIDE will spatter.


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## GA Gyro (Apr 18, 2015)

Not to mention the smell...


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## FOMOGO (Apr 18, 2015)

Whilst? Haven't seen that used in to many tech articles lately, but I kind of like it. Should probably add that one should keep ones cocktail well out of harms way while using that long handled spoon. Oh, you might also want to hold your breath. Probably works well though.  Mike


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## stupoty (Apr 19, 2015)

I think theirs a method for surface hardening that requires the piece to be picled in cyanide , that sounds very safe , errrrrr.



Stuart


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## savarin (Apr 19, 2015)

I missed out "popular mechanics"


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## MozamPete (Apr 19, 2015)

stupoty said:


> I think theirs a method for surface hardening that requires the piece to be picled in cyanide , that sounds very safe , errrrrr.
> 
> 
> 
> Stuart


I think we did that in high school metal work to case harden a hammer head - times have changed.


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## GA Gyro (Apr 19, 2015)

Funny thing... the schools around here do not have a metal shop nor a woodworking shop class anymore.


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## FOMOGO (Apr 19, 2015)

"Funny thing... the schools around here do not have a metal shop nor a woodworking shop class anymore."


There are good, and not so good trade schools still around. The BIG difference is that now they are almost all " FOR PROFIT " schools. Pretty much the same government by corporation that's affecting most areas of life. Their motto seems to be, charge more give less . Mike


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## markknx (Apr 19, 2015)

Well I think they do not teach this because all companies need any more is a button pusher and a computer programmer.
Mark


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## MozamPete (Apr 20, 2015)

GA Gyro said:


> Funny thing... the schools around here do not have a metal shop nor a woodworking shop class anymore.


That was over 30 years ago in New Zealand - pretty sure they don't have metal work as a high school subject left in many schools there either.


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