Harden or not to harden

R

Ratz

Aluminum

Joined

Feb 4, 2014

Location

Canada

• Sep 26, 2019

• #1

Just made some insert holders for 5 mm RCMT inserts.
They are 5/8 stock made from W1 steel.

Before I blacken them, I am wondering if I should use them as they are, or if I should harden them? If hardening is beneficial what harness would you fellows use?

Thanks

 

A

AARONT

Stainless

Joined

Feb 19, 2013

Location

Madison, WI

• Sep 26, 2019

• #2

Keep it soft. They'll be fine.

 

M

MattiJ

Titanium

Joined

May 31, 2017

• Sep 26, 2019

• #3

How much use you have planned on those?
Insert pockets have nasty habit of deforming in heavy use or if you chip the insert badly and hardening can help somewhat with that. Round insert probably not that easily as some Vxxx or Dxxxx insert.

AFAIR most commercial tools would be somewhere 40-50 HRC but if you harden only the pocket you could do even harder than that. Even the <10usd chinese insert holders are hardened.

 

L

Limy Sami

Diamond

Joined

Jan 7, 2007

Location

Norfolk, UK

• Sep 26, 2019

• #4

AARONT said:

Keep it soft. They'll be fine.

Click to expand...

I agree, - unless you're gunna beat the crap out of them on production work - they'll be fine.

 

R

Ratz

Aluminum

Joined

Feb 4, 2014

Location

Canada

• Sep 27, 2019

• #5

Thank you all for your input.
I decided to harden it, as this was a second set I made. The first one
was not accurate enough and I did break an insert.

With these two I took a better care making them and used 7º tapered mill.
Used 1450ºF Tempilstick and then 600ºF one. For anybody interested.

 

R

Renardiere

Aluminum

Joined

Dec 12, 2017

Location

West Sussex UK

• Sep 27, 2019

• #6

Nice work!

 

R

Ratz

Aluminum

Joined

Feb 4, 2014

Location

Canada

• Sep 27, 2019

• #7

Renardiere said:

Nice work!

Click to expand...

Thanks,

Here is a finished product.

 

R

Rob F.

Diamond

Joined

Aug 5, 2012

Location

California, Central Coast

• Sep 27, 2019

• #8

Ratz said:

Before I blacken them, I am wondering if I should use them as they are, or if I should harden them?

Click to expand...

Those came out nice.
How did you blacken them? Or is it just color from hardening?

 

R

Ratz

Aluminum

Joined

Feb 4, 2014

Location

Canada

• Sep 27, 2019

• #9

Rob F. said:

Those came out nice.
How did you blacken them? Or is it just color from hardening?

Click to expand...

Always nice to receive compliment. Thank you.

I pushed tooth pick to protect 2.2M x 0.45 threads, blasted them with glass beads,
then soaked them in black oxide for 5 minutes, rinsed and lubricated.

Cheers, to all