frizzen hardening

[Long John]

I am amost finished with the frizzen on my French pistol.  (I have made a 1750's French lock out of a Chambers small Siler, with a little help from Acer.)  When it comes to hardening the frizzen is it OK to get the striking surface of the frizzen bright orange and quench while the lid part of the frizzen is not that hot - i.e. dull red?  It seems to me that bringing the whole frizzen up to color and quenching, and then softening the lid/tail part of the frizzen would achieve the same results as quenching that part of the frizzen while they were at less than cricial temperature. I've heard of this type of quench being used for other types of steel implements.

Thanks for you opinions.

JMC

[Blacksmoke]

Long John:  I generally harden the whole frizzen at the same time - then I will draw the temper in the face to a dark straw and the pan cover/ cam to a dark blue.  This always works for me.     Hugh Toenjes

[Jim Kibler]

The approach you suggested is fine.  This is apparently what Chambers does on most if not all of the frizzens on his locks.  When you polish out a frizzen this becomes apparent.

[T*O*F]

John,
Many builders clamp the tail in a steel vise, which acts as a heat sink for that section.  When the frizzen reaches critical temperature, they undo the vise and allow the part to fall into the quench.  This allows for differential tempering of the part.

[ironwolf]

  Hardening and tempering are two different things.  One can not temper something that has not been hardened.

   K