Case hardening steel

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Colin that is a good question , being a leaded free cutting steel most , including me , would say no, but a web search will turn up other opinions saying yes.
Best idea is to try it out and post your experience here.
May I ask if the part/parts you are making need a hard wearing surface why not use a more suitable steel ie.1214 ?
Dan
 
Dan; The part I am making is a cam and 12L14 files nicely to shape. I don't have any "suitable" material . I will cut off a thin slice and see what happens when hardened and report. Thanks
Colin
 
I am skeptical that case hardening is a good idea. The temperature required may well distort your part.

Mark T
 
Dan & Mark T .I have successfully case hardened small parts made from 1018 cold rolled without distortion in the past. Only reason for wanting to know about 12L14 is that it machines sooo nice . This morning I tried to harden a sample but ran out of oxygen. Propane does not get part hot enough. No problem! I'll go to my son's and use his torches. Not happening! My Honda Pilot split a power steering pipe on the way out the drive way so ---no go.
On to another project, and to-day is the day my DRO on the mill called it quits . Ah ---first world problems.
The only thing that could go wrong now is if the Packers lose to the 49ers to-night.(NFL football for those outside North America) NO WAY
Colin
 
"The only thing that could go wrong now is if the Packers lose to the 49ers to-night.(NFL football for those outside North America) NO WAY"
bummer # 3= 49ers- 13 Packers- 10
 
The 12L14 is not on list of case harding type steel. The lead in 12L14 reduces the harding.
I would use O1 or W1 does a good job for most parts and can be harden in water or oil.

I have case harden using A36 does great job and is low cost.

Dave

Is it possible to case harden 12L14 steel with Kasenite?
Thanks Colin
 
Steel 12L14 is widely used in the production of precision instrument parts and it is not in the list of steel types to be hardened, according to it's purpose and composition.
You may try for a thin part and see, how it goes and what is a result for you purpose.
Why you might have to harden that part?
 
Colin that is a good question , being a leaded free cutting steel most , including me , would say no, but a web search will turn up other opinions saying yes.
Best idea is to try it out and post your experience here.
May I ask if the part/parts you are making need a hard wearing surface why not use a more suitable steel ie.1214 ?
Dan
Same ans here a 1 is ai Hemingway . Make good tools pretty easy o 1 is oil hardening a bit mor tech involved to Temper
 
Parts I want to harden are cams and rollers for small IC engine. I know12L14 is not on list of preferred material but I have it and it is easy to machine. A trial run to-day with proper heat yielded a hard case ( file skids) but a bubbly surface, probably due to the lead. Thanks for your interest and replies. I'll move on to more suitable material.
Colin
 
The 12L14 is a step finished part.

I have a lot 12L24 for making parts but if need hardened I use O1 tool steel.

Dave


Parts I want to harden are cams and rollers for small IC engine. I know12L14 is not on list of preferred material but I have it and it is easy to machine. A trial run to-day with proper heat yielded a hard case ( file skids) but a bubbly surface, probably due to the lead. Thanks for your interest and replies. I'll move on to more suitable material.
Colin
 
Fifty years ago I made some 3C collets from 12L14 steel that were case hardened.
First the steel was stress relieved. The collets were turned, threaded and the keyway cut in two at a time. They were then seperated placed in the lathe for drilling and boring to size. The next operation was cutting in the three slots, but the slots were not quite cut all the way through, a little land was left at the front edge.
I sent them a commercial heat treater for the case hardening, when returned to me I used a thin aluminium disk with abrasive to cut through the little land that was holding the tree slits.
The all turned out quite well with about 1 thou run out at 1 inch, I put the good results down to the stress relieving.
 

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