Canisters for deep pack case hardening

[rich pierce]

My neighbor welded these 2 canisters up for me for deep pack case hardening. One regular and one jumbo. The pins and coffin lids will help fit and hold the lids on to n the forge. The loops will help in positioning and dumping.

[Carl Young]

Neat Rich, I used to use heavy duty quart molasses cans, but this is a much better solution. Will have to copy yours when I get my shop set up again.

Thanks!
Carl

[Gtrubicon]

I would love to know this process, how you will use them?

[rich pierce]

I would love to know this process, how you will use them?

I will surface harden mild steel parts and give frizzens more carbon by packing parts in charcoal, surrounded on all sides and closing the box and heating in the forge till bright red. I’ll keep it going for about 45 minutes. I include mild steel tie wire that’s 1/16” thick as well. From the forge the box is taken to a bucket full of water and the lid removed and the contents dumped in. Great care for safety is needed. If all goes well the parts will be hard as glass on the surface. The tie wire which is normally very flexible will snap when bent in the hands, indicating it’s been hardened deeply. That’s my test for success. Parts are then tempered as needed.

It takes a deep fire and plenty of coal. I don’t try for glorious case colors but often get some blues in the process.

Lock parts can be made of mild steel and when case hardened this way, work beautifully without wear.

I’ve used thinner boxes before but they don’t last many uses.

[Gtrubicon]

That’s interesting, thank you for the explanation.

[bridgetkeble]

I find it quite heavy, not sure if it is easy to use. I like your creative way.

[Chris Evrard]

Funny this post comes up now. I've been designing a few of these in my head for a while. Well, my design may have just changed a bit

Looks like a great design. Are you going to use clay or cement to seal the lids?

Very cool!!!

Chris E.

[Heidinnprudr]

Nice crucibles. Made mine from four and six inch square tube, top load though.

[Joe Stein]

Very nice, Rich. I know that a lot of people worry about the parts cooling between the fire and the quench, but you should have no trouble with those.

[Craig Wilcox]

Rich, does the type of charcoal affect the process in any way?  Maybe willow instead of a hardwood, for an example?

Hope life is great for you there in Andover - been thinking about western NC for myself.  Got to have an excellent VA facility reasonably close by though.  Still researching that; iffn any reader knows about area VA facilities west of or in Ashville, please PM me.

Really want someplace I can have my own ML rifle range.

[rich pierce]

Craig. I think it’s carbon monoxide that does the work in case hardening, so for function I don’t know what difference it would make. I’ve heard that leather or bone charcoal which are protein-rich and therefore have a higher nitrogen content help somehow. I’ve used homemade harder of charcoal because that’s what I’ve got.

[Jim Kibler]

No need to seal a lid.  Bone charcoal acts as an energizer that allows for deeper penetration in a given time.  Usually a combination of bone and wood charcoal is used.  A cheap electric furnace will make this process much more controllable.  From a production standpoint, carburizing is a good process.

[Dphariss]

Very nice, Rich. I know that a lot of people worry about the parts cooling between the fire and the quench, but you should have no trouble with those.

Cooling should not be an issue unless the worker is “slow”. The worry is oxygen getting to the parts before they hit the water. Not experienced with this at all. But I know a guy that is what you would call “experienced”. Ruger wanted him to do color hardening for them but they did not like his price. Best penetration for case hardening is .005”.

[Clint]

Nice boxes, I do a lot of pack hardening and make my own charcoal. Old belts, gloves leftover stuff from powder horns and of course bones and antler scraps. I often add eggshells to the ground charcoal and harden wrought iron to depths over .70" Your boxes would make good charcoal kilns. Once you get used to the smell of cooking horse hoof and horns it kind of grows on you. unlike hardening, the charcoal kilns need to vent. CSW

[Joe Stein]

Dan Phariss, thank you for the clarification.