Non-shrinking Oil-hardening Steels

: ALLOYS AND THEIR EFFECT UPON STEEL
: The Working Of Steel

Certain steels have a very low rate of expansion and contraction

in hardening and are very desirable for test plugs, gages, punches

and dies, for milling cutters, taps, reamers, hard steel bushings

and similar work.



It is recommended that for forging these steels it be heated slowly

and uniformly to a bright red, but not in a direct flame or blast.

Harden at a dull red heat, about 1,300 deg.F. A clean coa
or coke

fire, or a good muffle-gas furnace will give best results. Fish

oil is good for quenching although in some cases warm water will

give excellent results. The steel should be kept moving in the bath

until perfectly cold. Heated and cooled in this way the steel is

very tough, takes a good cutting edge and has very little expansion

or contraction which makes it desirable for long taps where the

accuracy of lead is important.



The composition of these steels is as follows:



Per cent

Manganese 1.40 to 1.60

Carbon 0.80 to 0.90

Vanadium 0.20 to 0.25



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