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Trigger Hardening.
- Thread starter Bootsctm
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
Usually, a cast part that is meant to be hardened is made from an alloy steel.
Most alloy steels can be damaged if they are quenched or cooled to rapidly so you will want to use a light weight oil.
The process involves heating the area to be hardened to a bright orange/red color. More orange than red.
It should not be heated to a yellow or white color.
I would get the part, the torch and the oil ready by placing everything fairly close together.
Your cutting torch should be set for a low flame.
You will not want to use a great deal of heat. Just enough to heat the metal to the orange/red color.
(If you are using a propane torch, a high setting will be needed to provide the heat to get the part to the right temperature.)
Use a pair of pliers to hold the trigger over the container of oil and direct the flame at the area to be hardened. You don't need to heat the entire part to the glowing color.
When the area of the trigger you want to harden gets to the right color, release the grip of the pliers allowing the part to fall into the oil.
After it has cooled, remove it and use a fine tooth flat file to try to file the area.
It should skid on the trigger and not actually cut anything.***
Next you will need to temper the trigger to remove some of the hardness. This removes much of the brittle nature of hard steel so it won't chip or break.
If the metal hardened to a file hard condition, heat up your lead pot until the lead has just melted but it is not a lot hotter than that.
Use the pliers to submerge the trigger and hold it there for at least three minutes. Longer is better.
After the tempering time is up your trigger should be just about right to live a long and happy life.
*** If the file can still cut the metal after the initial heating and quenching, one of these things is happening.
1. The part was not hot enough before it was quenched in the oil.
2. Too much time passed between the heating and quenching so the part was not hot enough when it hit the oil.
3. The part is not an alloy steel but is a carbon steel which requires a water quench rather than an oil quench.
4. The part is made from a low carbon steel that can not be hardened without first adding carbon to the surface by carburizing it.
Most alloy steels can be damaged if they are quenched or cooled to rapidly so you will want to use a light weight oil.
The process involves heating the area to be hardened to a bright orange/red color. More orange than red.
It should not be heated to a yellow or white color.
I would get the part, the torch and the oil ready by placing everything fairly close together.
Your cutting torch should be set for a low flame.
You will not want to use a great deal of heat. Just enough to heat the metal to the orange/red color.
(If you are using a propane torch, a high setting will be needed to provide the heat to get the part to the right temperature.)
Use a pair of pliers to hold the trigger over the container of oil and direct the flame at the area to be hardened. You don't need to heat the entire part to the glowing color.
When the area of the trigger you want to harden gets to the right color, release the grip of the pliers allowing the part to fall into the oil.
After it has cooled, remove it and use a fine tooth flat file to try to file the area.
It should skid on the trigger and not actually cut anything.***
Next you will need to temper the trigger to remove some of the hardness. This removes much of the brittle nature of hard steel so it won't chip or break.
If the metal hardened to a file hard condition, heat up your lead pot until the lead has just melted but it is not a lot hotter than that.
Use the pliers to submerge the trigger and hold it there for at least three minutes. Longer is better.
After the tempering time is up your trigger should be just about right to live a long and happy life.
*** If the file can still cut the metal after the initial heating and quenching, one of these things is happening.
1. The part was not hot enough before it was quenched in the oil.
2. Too much time passed between the heating and quenching so the part was not hot enough when it hit the oil.
3. The part is not an alloy steel but is a carbon steel which requires a water quench rather than an oil quench.
4. The part is made from a low carbon steel that can not be hardened without first adding carbon to the surface by carburizing it.
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