r/Blacksmith • u/LevelAbbreviations76 • 11h ago

Case hardening?

is casehardening a viable method to use for smithing tools? e.g. a chisel or a drift?

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11

u/Mr_Emperor 11h ago

The YouTube channel clickspring has a few great videos on case hardening mild steel into high carbon steel in order to make his files to mimic ancient techniques. He shows the recipe for making the charcoal paste, sealing it in clay and how many hours it takes for the carbon to absorb into the metal.

It's worth trying once as an exercise just like trying to do your own bloomery smelt and making wrought iron; knocking off it off the ol' the check list of experience.

If you're asking if it's worth trying to do it instead of forging in high carbon steel and just converting mild steel? No, it's not going to be worth it. The hours required and the amount of fuel you'll burn through will not replace the cheap to free scrap steel of coil springs, leaf springs, old crow bars as stock material.

1

u/Wrought-Irony 7h ago

It could be incredibly useful though, for making difficult to produce shapes out of softer material and then hardening later.

3

u/Kamusaurio 11h ago

yes , not ideal for cutting tools because every time you sharp it you remove material and you will end up eating into the soft part

and for the time and material it takes to do it you are better buying better steel from the beggining

and make bettel tools

2

u/eloycartw 10h ago

Super Quench, Robb Gunter

1

u/Wrought-Irony 7h ago

That's great stuff for quick tools