Heat Treatment Of Lathe Planer And Similar Tools

: HIGH-SPEED STEEL
: The Working Of Steel

FIRE.--For these tools a good fire is one made of hard foundry

coke, broken in small pieces, in an ordinary blacksmith forge with

a few bricks laid over the top to form a hollow fire. The bricks

should be thoroughly heated before tools are heated. Hard coal

may be used very successfully in place of hard coke and will give

a higher heat. It is very easy to give Blue Chip the proper heat

if care is used in making up the
ire.



FORGING.--Heat slowly and uniformly to a good forging heat. Do

not hammer the steel after it cools below a bright red. Avoid as

much as possible heating the body of the tool, so as to retain

the natural toughness in the neck of the tool.



HARDENING.--Heat the point of the tool to an extreme white heat

(about 2,200 deg.F.) until the flux runs. This heat should be the highest

possible short of melting the point. Care should be taken to confine

the heat as near to the point as possible so as to leave the annealing

and consequent toughness in the neck of the tool and where the tool

is held in the tool post.



COOL in an air blast, the open air or in oil, depending upon the

tools or the work they are to do.



For roughing tools temper need not be drawn except for work where

the edge tends to crumble on account of being too hard.



For finishing tools draw the temper to suit the purpose for which

they are to be used.



GRIND thoroughly on dry wheel (or wet wheel if care is used to prevent

checking).



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