[Owen Wood]

Hi RJ,

Many thanks for the welcome. this is a great forum. Very firendy people and I have already learned a great deal.

As to the tests:

Three pieces were hardened each in a separate foil pouch. Austenizing temp 1500 Deg F. Soak time 20 min. Quenched between ground steel plates approx 3/4 inch thick prechilled in the deepfreeze. (probably about 25 deg F). The plates were not rechilled for each quench. Rather all three quenches were performed (starting with the thickest piece) one after the other. Time taken for all three was approx 4.5 minutes.

A .095 X .38 X 1.0 average of three tests RC 63

B .145 X .55 X 1.2 average of three tests RC 64

C .238 X .55 X 1.2 average of three tests RC 64.5

It is very important to keep the interval between furnace and quench to an absolute minimum. It seems probable that the increased austenizing temp helps a great deal in keeping the piece above critical temp between furnace and quench. Note that the Heat Treaters Guide gives austenizing temp for O1 as : 1455 - 1500 deg F.

I expected to find that the .095 inch would fall below the critical temp before the plates were fully clmped to its surface - but the tests proved this to be a false assumption.

This method for quenching thin stock without having to remove it from the foil bag obviously has great advantages.

I will carefully cut the .238" piece in half - grind the edges perfectly parallel under water and do a hardness test in the center of the section.

Hope that this is of interest

OW