On Mon, 27 Feb 2006 16:28:56 -0800, Eric R Snow
wrote:

I didn't know if it was me or the Kasenit.

It's the Kasenit. Now I'd just like to know _what_ the difference is.
I've heard rumours that it's a reduced activity so that there's less
cyanide floating out of the hot tin, but nothing definite.

Anyway, what I do now is to heat the part, dip into Kasenit,
heat, dip, heat, dip, then hold at dull red heat for a minute or so,
maybe two minutes, then plunge into cold water.

The "sealed box and heat the whole lot" is much better too, but it's
long winded and expensive of materials.

To be honest, I just don't case harden any more. Good steels are cheap
and commonplace, time is expensive - if I want to harden something, I
make it from the right stuff in the first place (Mr Plasma and his
friend Mr Pneumatic Belt Sander help too).

If I'm case hardening these days, it's faffing around with Bloody
Vikings or some such and we've got tin boxes full of horse toenails to
play with.