wrote in message
ups.com...
The bar that bends easily could be made of mild steel. In which case
there isn't much you can do. Or it may be made of higher carbon steel
and could be heat treated to be much harder to permanently bend. Heat
treating the whole bar and then finding that it is not able to be made
stronger would be a lot of wasted effort. But you might try heating
one end hot enough that a magnet is not attracted and then quenching it
in brine or oil. Then take a file and see if it is much harder than it
was. If it is then it would be worthwhile figuring out how to heat the
whole bar and quench it. And then draw the temper so it is tough not
brittle.

Ed Huntress might pipe in here and confirm what I said. Or tell you I
am all wet and what you really ought to do.

Dan

You aren't all wet, but it sounds like reaching too far to find out if the
softer bar actually is a high-carbon steel but, for some reason, is
unhardened; and then to harden it. 'Way too much hassle, or expense, or
both.

'Better to buy another bar. I've seen 6-foot crowbars (real crowbars are
straight, not hooked on the ends) go for $5 at garage sales. It would take a
gorilla to bend them.

--
Ed Huntress