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General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: David Rase on September 05, 2025, 06:06:43 PM

Title: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: David Rase on September 05, 2025, 06:06:43 PM
Took a break from barrel inletting this week and case color hardened a couple of Kibler locks for a friend.  Hardened and tempered, and yes Wayne, I had to "massage" the lock plates a bit to remove a slight warp.  Top photo are the dry locks and the bottom photo are the locks sprayed with WD 40. 
R/David


(https://i.ibb.co/gMsJKjGb/86a31b0d-3bd2-45e0-82d7-e99789d13b10.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3ytcZrw5)

(https://i.ibb.co/Ndq9zjFH/kibler-locks.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0RLC3Mnd)
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: Austin on September 05, 2025, 06:17:04 PM
Looks great!
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: Cory Joe Stewart on September 05, 2025, 06:56:06 PM
It is good to hear you are taking orders for case hardening projects!  ;)

Cory Joe
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: rich pierce on September 05, 2025, 08:25:00 PM
Looks fantastic. Any post- quench treatments?  Oops just read more carefully. Tempered.
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: Daryl on September 05, 2025, 08:39:52 PM
David you mentioned tempered. I assume an oven was used. What temperature if I may ask?
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: David Rase on September 05, 2025, 10:17:23 PM
David you mentioned tempered. I assume an oven was used. What temperature if I may ask?
425 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour. 
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: Tim Crosby on September 05, 2025, 11:09:43 PM
 Dang David, they look Great. What a transformation. How many order have you gotten ;D

   Tim
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: JPK on September 06, 2025, 12:39:29 AM
Very nice! Much like I did to mine.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52801943917_9b454e75a2_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2orVLkp)AA0149F3-4E50-45BB-8CAC-B4D4D9909E96 (https://flic.kr/p/2orVLkp) by Oliver Sudden (https://www.flickr.com/photos/155475279@N02/), on Flickr
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: Daryl on September 06, 2025, 05:12:37 PM
Thanks David. ;D
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: Bryan Enoch on September 06, 2025, 06:51:14 PM
Looks great.  Can you explain your process please?

Thanks
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: smylee grouch on September 06, 2025, 08:10:25 PM
Very attractive and probably adds function as a rust inhibitor
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: Kurt on September 07, 2025, 03:21:26 AM
Very nice!
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: David Rase on September 07, 2025, 06:31:28 AM
Looks great.  Can you explain your process please?

Thanks
Bryan, I have 2 more locks to case color harden in the next week.  I wanted to photograph/document the process for a tutorial on these 2 locks, but since it has been over 2 years since I last did this work I needed to make sure I remembered the process.  I also need to locate all my equipment and tools since I moved into a new work shop.  I will work on getting a tutorial up in the next week.  I plan on doing one of the remaining locks on Tuesday.
R/David
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: David Rase on September 07, 2025, 06:39:37 AM
Looks fantastic. Any post- quench treatments?  Oops just read more carefully. Tempered.
Rich,
One thing I did different is I used a 1/4" piece of square stock on screwed to the back side of the lock plates hoping to reduce the chance of warpage.  What I did discover was that the 1/4" piece of square stock acted as a heat sink.  If you look closely at both lock plates you will see that the centers of the lock plates are pretty dark blue, and there is a grey halo formed around the outside edge.  This was an interesting pattern that I had not witnessed before when I did not use a strongback. On a side note, warpage, though slight, was about the same with or without a strongback.  This makes me want to experiment a bit using shielding around the parts.
R/David 
Title: Re: A couple of case color hardened Kibler locks
Post by: CooleyS on September 07, 2025, 03:13:26 PM
Thank you for taking the time and effort to make a tutorial on your process. I am looking forward to learn more about how to case harden and hopefully try my hand at it. Wyoming Armory does a fantastic job, but it’s pricey and I just want to be able to do it myself.
-Steve