I've welded up a 16 ga steel box for Case Color Hardening that fits my furnace. But I think I need the top to be tight fitting. How do I do that?

I was thinking about welding/building up a lip. on the box edge or the top. What have you guys done?

Thanks,
Steve

I wonder how sheet metal will work. It was in high school when I last did it but we used a cast iron container which had a cover which sat in the edge . We then sealed it with some type of fire cement.

you can use plumber putty to seal

16ga is about .060" which I would be concerned about warping. A recommendation would be some thick walled pipe with a base. Build a wall around the pipe on the base like a horseshoe. Then when you fire pack the pipe with your part, and build a wall with your pack material to seal the interior.

When you pull the part, immediately drop it into water by pushing the pipe off of the base.

Just my opinion.

I made this video a few years ago, it show the equipment I use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...index=3&feature=plcp

HTH

Colin

Thanks, guys.

CSTOL, great video.

Steve

A few years ago I took a class on color case hardening taught by John Hackley. We used an end cap with a lip and sealed it with clay that John had gathered from the river near his place in Misssouri. It worked very well.

Hmmm, my neighbor is a sculptor/potter... I will have to ask...

I miss John...he was character worth knowing.

quote:

Originally posted by CowboyCS:
I made this video a few years ago, it show the equipment I use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...index=3&feature=plcp

HTH

Colin

Great!

I thought at one time that the parts were dumped into bubbling water, then read in a thread here that the water was first aerated, then the parts were dumped in after that; now I see the aeration goes right along with the quench as I first imagined.

I copied that video for prosperity.

Dennis, I agree, John Hackley was not only talented but a man of good character.

Tin can, I believe you have it backwards. John Hackley from Missouri and Oscar Gaddy from England did many hours of research on color case hardening. Gaddy wrote extensive articles on his experiments which was published in Double Gun Journal several years back. For a long time it was believed that the swirls and patterns were enhanced by the rising air bubbles in the quench water. It was finally determined that the water being oxygenated was what enhanced the nice patterns and swirls. For best effect, airiate the water for one hour before the quench, then shut the air off for the actual quench. Air bubbles hitting the hot part enhanced oxidation and scale.

The video shows otherwise, is the result less than optimum- either/or (?).

thx

quote:

Originally posted by tin can:
The video shows otherwise, is the result less than optimum- either/or (?).

thx

Don't take the video I posted as "Gospel" there is as much art as there is science in Color Case hardening. My work isn't Marlin or Turnbull but I think I do all right. There are an infinite number of variables to getting good colors. For Instance, one variable is the water, a lot of guys swear by distilled water, while I use my well water. Some guys get great results with aerating and then turning it off and quenching, I get good results by letting the air run. Using different pack materials(what type of charcoal) and in different ratios will alter the outcome. Allowing the sediment to build up in the bottom of the quench tank will also change the outcome...and so on and so on.

Just because I get good results using my method(as shown in the video), doesn't mean that it will produce equal results for everybody who tries to repeat my process. You have to spend some time figuring out what works for you and then how to repeat the process. It takes a few(or maybe more than a few) practice runs to get it right.

Colin

Colin

I absolutely agree with you.....with so many variables..... what works for one person may not work for another.

I used a pipe, capped on bottom, and the top was sealed with a cheap clay flower pot saucer, glued on with furnace cement. Invert the pipe over the water--zero space over water, bubbling, whack with anything to pop off the clay saucer.