Tempering Salts

[Anzaniste]

Does anybody know where, in the UK, I can get a small quantity , say 2 or 3 kilos of tempering salts. Googling does not seem to throw up a likely supplier.
I am not talking case hardening here but using molten salts held at temperature to back temper a quench hardened steel. Lead can also be used but as it melts at 327C it's a bit on the high side for most tempering jobs.
The salt bath method is more controllable than the usual oxide colour method used by us amateurs.

[Anzaniste]

A bit more googling found http://www.substech.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=salt_bath_heat_treatment

[Jonny]

Same process as hot chemical blacking, the salts are available from chemical suppliers.
Have a look through your local yellow pages just tap in chemical suppliers. You might find one rather helpful and willing to supply a small quantity rather than say a 25kg bag.

Are you aware you need a suitable tank and more importantly a temp guage that wont break, they are expensive. Also as the heat is kept on, the temp of salts will change negating the effect with constant monitoring and evasive action. The salt mix wont heat up quick either.

[Anzaniste]

Thanks for that jonny, yes I was aware of the operational difficulties. Project is on the back burner :palm:As I have managed to do tempering in the oven whilst the wife was out!!