The Craftmans Shop > Backyard Ballistics

Color Case Hardening

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Powder Keg:
Very nice work!!!

I think they combine the bone charcoal with the wood charcoal is so you don't use up so much of the bone charcoal? just a theory though.

~Wes~

airstream:

--- Quote from: Powder Keg on December 29, 2011, 02:46:05 PM ---Very nice work!!!

I think they combine the bone charcoal with the wood charcoal is so you don't use up so much of the bone charcoal? just a theory though.

~Wes~

--- End quote ---

as you say they combine it, using the wood charcoal to fill most of the box, and use the bone char around the actual parts, when i used a lot of wood char as packing i found i only got mostly blue colours, much better using all bone and leather char if you want a variety of colours, but with colour hardening your in the lap of the gods as it where, sometimes its good other time not so good, temperature is also critical, to cool no colour to hot the same, you need a temperature controlled kiln to do any good, pointless trying to do it in a forge of coal fire ect , very hit and miss, been there done that.

one more thing thats critical is the speed the parts exit the box into the water, you need to devise a way of removing the lid very quickly, if to slow the parts will become exposed to the air and oxidise, work ruined. also remember to brace your work as best you can to try and minimise warping. 

there is very little information available on colour hardening,  all  trade secrets ect,  most of what you read in gunsmithing books is usless, always critical info missing.

hope your successful, as proper bone colour hardening looks class compared to the modern cyanide hardening found on modern replicas, awful

Henning:
When i was taught color case hardening in gunsmithing school, we used a closed steel cylinder filled with crushed charcoal of the barbecue variant. I think something like 1 out of 10 pieces didn't turn out very well, and 2 out of the 9 left became fantastic. Noone knew exactly WHY any of them, though, so a bit hit and miss. Did turn out absolutely fantastic on some pieces, though. I think i still have an end piece off of a Mauser bolt at home, will see if i can dig it out and take a picture.

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