[Quenchcrack]

If I may offer more explanation on annealing vs normalizing. Annealing involves heating a steel for the purpose of SOFTENING it. You will find that different steels involve different temperatures. Heating to 1350-1450F and very slowly cooling it will soften most steels without much grain growth. Heating to 1650F and slow cooling may soften it more but may result in larger grains, which generally are a bit more brittle. Normalizing is intended to homogenize the grain size after forging or welding. It will also stress relieve if cooled slowly. Large grains promote deeper hardening when you quench it so it is important that all the grains be about the same size or you get non-uniform hardening and possibly warping. Normalizing a high carbon steel can make it harder. The higher the normalizing temperature, the more you risk grain growth. The longer you hold it at a high temperature, the more the grains grow. If you normalize several times, try to do it a a lower temperature each time. This will reduce the grain size and improve toughness. I posted a blueprint several years ago on Basic Metallurgy for Blacksmiths but I can't find it anymore with all the changes to this site. Maybe Glenn can post a link.