Softening a hardened tool holder

[Bill RobleyParticipant @billrobley]

So, I bought a lathe tool holder from the Ally Pally show on Saturday with a view to modifying it at a later stage to fit my CL300.

 

Life being what it is, when I got it to my shed and tried a file on it, it's harder than a very hard thing, the file skidded off without leaving a mark (Sigh)

 

Now, I have no idea what steel this is made from but can I assume that if I heat it to cherry red and let it air cool it will become workable or is it going to be more elaborate than that?

Fortunately I only have a few Queen's heads invested in this so it's not the end of the world if I can't do anything with it, though it would be nice if I could make it usable.

 

Heading SHOULD have read annealing, Sorry, fingers outrunning brain (As usual )  )

 

Edited By Bill Robley on 21/01/2014 09:10:04

[Bill RobleyParticipant @billrobley]

[Involute CurveParticipant @involutecurve]

You will need to hold the red heat for a while depending on its cross section it will also need to cool slowley, if I need to do this sort of thing, I used to throw it in the fire and leave it over night to cool, I now have a heat treatment oven so use this instead ……….

having said that if you hold it at red heat for five mins then cool it slow you might get away with it…….

Shaun

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

If you have a log stove, put it inside a tin packed tight with ashes and leave it in the middle of the fire for a few hours when its going well then let it cool down as the fire goes out overnight.

You could take it to a small m/c shop and ask them to surface grind it down for you. (Would save the bother of annealing it).

Do you need to harden it once it has been modified ?

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Heat to red heat for 1/2 hour and cool as slowly as you can. Wrap in some thin sheet metal to avoid scaling.

Tony

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

What modification do you nee to make? is it to reduce height or bore out the fixing hole?

Neil

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

If it is to reduce the height, you could rough it out with an angle grinder, and then get the local machine shop to finish to size on a surface grinder.

Howard

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Angle grinder. .then carbide mill?

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Here is a tool made from a HSS flat bit, the original drill bit is in my album. Hardend all over, most ly cut with the angle grinder, the bottom ground flat with a cup stone in the vertical mill(well covered). I,v made 2 of them, and have another one that can be done at a later date. Ian S C

[Bill RobleyParticipant @billrobley]

The tool in question is a small (ish) tangential tool holder that I thought I might like to try on my lathe, however, the main body of the tool holder protrudes too far out of the front of the tool holder, pushing it beyond the centre point on my lathe (Clarke CL300) so I think, with the lack of treating oven, it might come down to careful use of an angle grinder and bench grinder to finish off.

Thank you very much to all who replied, I appreciate your comments and ideas.

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