How to do Color Case Hardening

[Metalshaper]

the salts "can be" cyanide based and would definitely not be a home based thing. anic:

NOW pack hardening, that is the home shop version of Case hardening !!

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan

 

[John Hasler]

You can't harden steel by boiling it in a water solution. That's just a surface treatment similar to Parkerizing and its ilk.

 

[Whyemier]

All I can go on is what the Uberti video said. Though I now see this would be impractical for home/hobby machinist. I don't think I mentioned boiling in water though. I guess that could be inferred from salt solution but its not the same thing.

 

[Metalshaper]

From my research and study...
the salt "baths" have nothing to do with boiling.. and the addition of water is a very serious safety issue in this process.
Super heated salts tend to explode when moisture is added < kind of like a drop of sweat in a lead melting pot >
The hardening solution< if you will >is made by heating the cyanide salt crystals themselves ( no water added ) The heated salts melt and
form the 'fluid' used in the hardening process..

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan

 

[John Hasler]

Right, but the stuff in the video is obviously boiling water.

From the ad copy I see on their Web site I suspect that they've come up with a water-based chemical process that attempts to duplicate the appearence of a frame that was case hardened 150 years ago and then acquired a patina. That does not preclude the frames also being case hardened, of course.

 

[Whyemier]

From my research and study...
the salt "baths" have nothing to do with boiling.. and the addition of water is a very serious safety issue in this process.
Super heated salts tend to explode when moisture is added < kind of like a drop of sweat in a lead melting pot >
The hardening solution< if you will >is made by heating the cyanide salt crystals themselves ( no water added ) The heated salts melt and
form the 'fluid' used in the hardening process..

Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan

John,

Please refer to the comment above. It is not obvious to me that it is a water solution. It could be I suppose but water is not needed for a boil such as what is shown in the video.

Other than that, I will leave it to the experts.

 

[Pinenut57]

. I recently finished building my oven for color case hardening and heat treating. I've been very happy with the results so far.

 

[Pinenut57]

[GALLERY=][/GALLERY] I built my own oven and had a friend wire the control box. So far I've had pretty good results, getting some beautiful colors and haven't had any major warpage. I've also been very careful to draw back each piece.

 

[Pinenut57]

[GALLERY=][/GALLERY]Latest blue and color case hardening job

 

[Oldseabee]

One thing that I have not seen mentioned is that most color case hardened parts need to be annealed. This helps normalize the grain structure and helps prevent cracking. Also there are 2 schools of thought on how to preserve your colors. One method was and still is to coat with a clear lacquer finish, or just oil. I hate lacquer finish on any of my guns. Hope this helps
I restore single shot target riflesike Ballard and Maynard.