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Help with Heat Treating AR400 Steel


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Heres my problem. I am building fish gigs,and I called all around to find really good hard steel plating and was told to use AR400 by several steel places. The steel is not hard enough, it will not hold its point if it hits rock a couple of times. I have a gig here from a local fellow that will hold its point if it hits rock, but he won't tell me the type steel he used. My gigs are cut out with a plasma cutter. Is the heat from the plasma cutter tempering my steel back some? If so or if not so, can I heat treat this type steel and harden it, and then temper it? And at what temps do I use? I have an electric oven that will go to 2200 degrees. I am hoping oil quench will work and not have to do the Kasanite (spell) deal. Thanx for any input on this. Later, Cooter ( Dennis )

gig%20build%20001.jpg

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I could not open the above link. However I may be able to give you a couple of thoughts. First I would contact the place the steel came from and get a heat treat data sheet. I tillw give you everything you need. Thinking you mayy have alrady tried that let me tell you what I do with unkown steel and see if it helps take a peice of known spring steel and grind it and look at the sparks,,compare them to what you have. If they seem to be similiar. HEat to non magnetic ( critical) and let air cool test with a file and see if it is hard yet If A file cuts it it is not. Then I would try cirticcal temp with and oil quench. If still not hard enough then I would try a water quench. When a file skates off and does not cut it well you have it hard Then try and temper in an oven at 400f for an hour and see how it does. Good luck..Would be nice if you could get a data sheet

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Hmm I tried that link as posted

Maybe that will do it.

Anyway the basics that I got out of the conversation was most abrasion resistant plate comes already heat treated and is of an alloy that is finicky about heat treat. I have never tried any nor looked at it before now. It may be that the plasma created enough heat to draw the temper out on the points. cut them thicker and grind them to where you want them?

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