Subject: Case Hardening

From: [email-masked] (Bill Isbell)
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 18:04:42 GMT

Many years ago I remember making a nail punch in my metalwork class.
The punch was case hardened using a material called "Kasenit", if my
memory from 50 years ago serves me correctly.   Does anyone know
whether this material can still be obtained in the UK, please.
--
Bill Isbell, Southampton, England
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Kevin Pinkerton)
Date: Sat, 18 May 1996 17:51:08 GMT

On Sat, 18 May 1996 07:52:03 +0100, Bob Unitt
<[email-masked]> wrote:

>In article <[email-masked]>, Bill Isbell <[email-masked]>
>writes

Brownells Inc (gunsmithing supplies) sells Kasenit. Their number is
515-623-5401.

Kevin

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From: [email-masked] (Greg Lewis)
Date: 18 May 1996 12:05:24 -0700

In article <[email-masked]>,
Bob Unitt  <[email-masked]> wrote:
>Having been looking for some time myself, I was hoping you'd get a
>positive reply to this one...
>
>I've been talking to Reeves about this recently. The original maker
>stopped supplying Kasenit a couple of years ago, and they've been
>looking for an alternative source ever since. The only potential
>alternatives products they have been able to find are 'orribly
>poisonous, and there is an understandable reluctance to supply them for
>the home workshop. I know that they are still actively searching; we can
>only hope that they come up with something.
>
>In the meantime, perhaps you'd better start accumulating horse hoof-
>shavings, which is what (I believe) the old-time blacksmiths used.
>-- 
>Bob Unitt

Kasenit is still available and listed in the MSC catalog. The
description says it is non-poisonous, non-explosive and non flammable,
and will harden to a depth of .020. There are two types, one for fine
work, one for general. A 1 lb. can lists for $10.05.

___________________________________________________________________
[email-masked]      	   	     They don't
Photojournalism sequence      	   	     Call this place
Department of Mass Communication   	     An institution
     and Journalism 	      	   	     For nothing
CSU Fresno, Fresno, CA 93740-0010

Life is unpredictable. Eat dessert first.

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From: [email-masked] (CBear81438)
Date: 19 May 1996 09:25:58 -0400

In article <[email-masked]>, Anthony EPucillo
<[email-masked]> writes:

>Do you suppose bone meal would work as well as horse hoofs?  I bought a 
>bunch of the stuff from the garden-supply department (they use it as a 
>soil additive (!) with the idea that it might work for that and other 
>purposes like an additive to casting sand (ground into flour).
>
>

Be cxareful using bone meal that has any nitrogen added to it.  If it
chars to produce carbon and the nitrates in it  at high temps , like in a
kiln, could cause an explosion (ingredients for gunpowder).

I do the old fashioned pack carburizing.   Mix pulverized charcoal with a
mixture of sodium carbonate, barium carbonate, calcium carbonate, with
water.  Mix thouroughly as a wet paste.   spread it out to dry.   Pack
material to be hardened in this mixture in an old flower pot.   Cover the
top with a flower pot base.   Place in kiln at 1500 deg for 4 hours. 
Remove and drop in a barrel of water.  For tools such as pullers, etc, I
don't do any other treatment.   The steel is harder than a file for about
1/8 " deep.

This is described in Guy Lautard's Machinist Bedside reader.  Don't
remember which version.   Buy all three, they are great reading for the
"throne room"

Cecil

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From: [email-masked] (Peter Brooks)
Date: 21 May 1996 19:28:22 GMT

Anthony EPucillo ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Do you suppose bone meal would work as well as horse hoofs?  I bought a 
: bunch of the stuff from the garden-supply department (they use it as a 
: soil additive (!) with the idea that it might work for that and other 
: purposes like an additive to casting sand (ground into flour).

Yes!

See Guy Lautard's 2nd and third Machinist's Bedside readers on how to do
pack (color) casehardening.  You can also use beans, nutshells, and
whatever to do the job.

BTW, both Power Model supplies and Coles sell Kasenite in the US.

Pete Brooks

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From: [email-masked] (william thomas powers)
Date: 20 May 1996 13:09:10 -0400

>kiln, could cause an explosion (ingredients for gunpowder).

I have had no problems using a mixture of bone meal, blood meal and powdered
charcoal----used a section of SS pipe for the "case" and a *large* bonfire
for the heat; of course I was working with wrought iron.....

>I do the old fashioned pack carburizing.
>>>>>method deleted<<<<   

For a real *old* fashioned method of carburizing, Theophilus 
describes a method of carburizing that consists of greasing the piece
with lard, wrapping it in leather, covering the leather with clay,
and heating the whole shebang! (Divers Arts, circa 1122 AD, another great
"throne room read")

>Cecil 

Thomas;
Columbus, Ohio

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From: [email-masked] (Michael Edelman)
Date: 20 May 1996 19:23:21 GMT

CBear81438 ([email-masked]) wrote:
: In article <[email-masked]>, Anthony EPucillo
: <[email-masked]> writes:

: >Do you suppose bone meal would work as well as horse hoofs?  I bought a 
: >bunch of the stuff from the garden-supply department (they use it as a 
: >soil additive (!) with the idea that it might work for that and other 
: >purposes like an additive to casting sand (ground into flour).
: >
: >

: Be cxareful using bone meal that has any nitrogen added to it.  If it
: chars to produce carbon and the nitrates in it  at high temps , like in a
: kiln, could cause an explosion (ingredients for gunpowder).

I don't think there's cause for worry here. It's not the nitrogen that
is a worry, but the oxygen that's found in nitrates. And making black
powder requires more than mixing carbon and nitrates. 

--mike

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From: Mike Rehmus <[email-masked]>
Date: 22 May 1996 03:37:16 GMT

I do seem to remember someone taking Guy to task
for publishing the hardening formula without
cautioning everyone how dangerous the stuff is.

I think the person supplied a reformulated list
that was not too dangerous.  This is probably what
Cecil is quoting.

Cecil?

Best regards,

Mike Rehmus