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Annealing small bearing balls

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cidrontmg:

--- Quote from: airstream on January 06, 2011, 02:44:13 PM ---why bother going to the trouble of softening ball bearings, when you can buy balls that are soft already, bought loads, also stainless ones are readily available that can be drilled and tapped.

ive softened ball bearings and spring steel in the past, by putting them in the woodburner getting them red hot and them letting them cool overnight really slow in the ashes, always seems to works for me anyway.

--- End quote ---

Heh, sure. If you want to buy something you can get for free, go right ahead. Used bearing balls in most any size I can get locally for asking, soft steel balls I would have to order from somewhere abroad. Reason enough for me, but your mileage may vary...
The point I was trying to make is that LARGE objects, balls or whatever, are not too difficult to anneal to a machinable state. But SMALL air hardening  objects can be. They will cool too fast if they possibly can, and remain hard. Putting them inside something massive eliminates that chance.
 :wave:

Powder Keg:
We often anneal large shafts where I work. After they are heated we cover them in "floor dry" It is used to clean up oil spills. It holds the heat for quite a while. Many times they are still too hot to touch 24 hours later.

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