Blacksmithing

[g ostby]

I bought a nice tined fork to dig potatoes and general use in the garden. It has 4 tines, 3 of which are hardened. The 4th and outside tine bends out of shape very easily, like it's made of much softer metal. Can this tine be heat treated to be hardened ? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks, Gary

 

[old]

Sure it can but you have to be careful not to heat the other up at the same time. Get it good and hot close to red hot then pour oil on it or dip it in oil

 

[Steve@Advance]

Depends on the carbon content. It was probably made from the wrong steel, or missed the heat treat process.

It would be a real gamble trying to DIY heat treat it, odds are it would change nothing, or be so hard it would snap.

Can you take it back and exchange it?

 

[Loosehandle]

Hardening is fairly easy if its carbon steel but the tempering causes me more problems without the proper oven.

 

[rustyfarmall]

Sounds like a factory defect. ALL 4 tines should be made of the same type of steel.

I also have a 4 tined garden fork that I use for digging potatoes and such. Pretty sure those tines would break before they bent.

 

[M-MAN]

It would take a huge forge and a big oil bucket to do that.

 

[wingnuttx]

Just be real careful dipping rose bud hot metal into an oil container. Good way to experience a fire blow back. Must be cut with water. I wouldnt try this unless you have experience. Wingnut

 

[g ostby]

Thanks for the replies. Think I'll heat the one tine up in an old forge I have and dump some oil on it. Can't return it and not a big loss if it doesn't work. Thanks again. Gary

 

[moresmoke]

Heat it until a magnet doesnt stick, then quench. This will make it brittle hard. Then it needs to be tempered. You will need to reheat it, but not as hot as hardening and requiem have. The hotter you temper at, the more hardness that will be removed.

 

[caterpillar guy]

When you quench it in the oil don't just pour it over it in a pail submerge it in the oil you can pull it out quickly for more ot less temper. By submerging it quickly it has less chance of a fire problem than the pouring it over or just dipping in shallowly. Remember air is needed for a fire to start.