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The Builders Bench => Parts Kit Builds => AKs => Topic started by: Sevo on June 01, 2011,
10:21:01 PM

Title: Heat treating ?

Post by: Sevo on June 01, 2011, 10:21:01 PM

Hey guys,

A few questions if you dont mind. I have read and read and I can not find direct answers. I
would like to hear what you guys do or think

1) When heat treating do you just heat treat the 4 pivot holes or do you do the trunion
holes as well.

2) If you just heat treat the 4 pivot holes, do you wait to drill the front and rear trunion
holes before you anneal in the oven or after you anneal in the oven

3) Used motor oil or ATF. ( I have more of the used motor oil and its cheaper ;) )

4) When quelch, do you go at a 45 degree angle to the oil or is it ok to set flat in the oil

Thanks for the help

Title: Re: Heat treating ?

Post by: Holescreek on June 01, 2011, 11:34:14 PM

Quote from: Sevo on June 01, 2011, 10:21:01 PM

Hey guys,

A few questions if you dont mind. I have read and read and I can not find direct answers. I would like to hear what you
guys do or think

1) When heat treating do you just heat treat the 4 pivot holes or do you do the trunion holes as well.

2) If you just heat treat the 4 pivot holes, do you wait to drill the front and rear trunion holes before you anneal in the
oven or after you anneal in the oven

3) Used motor oil or ATF. ( I have more of the used motor oil and its cheaper ;) )

4) When quelch, do you go at a 45 degree angle to the oil or is it ok to set flat in the oil

Thanks for the help

1) You do the holes where pins move or are able to move. (the 4 holes you are talking
about). No need to heat treat rivet holes as nothing moves.

2) doesn't matter when you drill them.

3)Doesn't matter. Oil is fine.

4)When quenching anything it is important to move the metal around in the quench, usually
in a figure 8 motion. This avoids hot spots in the oil.

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Title: Re: Heat treating ?

Post by: Sevo on June 03, 2011, 08:39:54 PM

Quote from: Holescreek on June 01, 2011, 11:34:14 PM

1) You do the holes where pins move or are able to move. (the 4 holes you are talking about). No need to heat treat
rivet holes as nothing moves.

2) doesn't matter when you drill them.

3)Doesn't matter. Oil is fine.

4)When quenching anything it is important to move the metal around in the quench, usually in a figure 8 motion. This
avoids hot spots in the oil.

Holes,

thank you for the help, I really appreciate it . I forgot you needed to move in a figure 8. I
will do some heat treating tonight and see how it goes.

Thank you again

Title: Re: Heat treating ?

Post by: 1911A1 on June 03, 2011, 09:07:15 PM

Do you guys use the heat sink paste around the holes to keep the heat in a smaller area? I
read in a couple places some do this. I am getting ready myself to heat treat a couple flats.

Title: Re: Heat treating ?

Post by: Holescreek on June 03, 2011, 09:46:21 PM

Quote from: 1911A1 on June 03, 2011, 09:07:15 PM

Do you guys use the heat sink paste around the holes to keep the heat in a smaller area? I read in a couple places some
do this. I am getting ready myself to heat treat a couple flats.

Some people set their flat into a jig and toss the whole thing in a fire and heat treat it all at
once. I would guess that since that method works, there's no need to contain the heat to a
specific area.

Title: Re: Heat treating ?

Post by: 1911A1 on June 03, 2011, 10:02:04 PM

This is only used when heat treating just the holes. Not the whole receiver. I will try and
look up the post.

Title: Re: Heat treating ?

Post by: L.A.W. on August 10, 2012, 05:17:36 AM

Is it better to heat treat the hole thing or the just the holes. Ive herd that you should only
do the holes.

Title: Re: Heat treating ?

Post by: dtruax on August 10, 2012, 08:36:41 AM

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If you have the capability, heat treating the whole thing would make it more durable -
however, if you try it without a jig to keep it from bending during quenching, you'll end up
with a warped receiver.

Heat treating the holes and ejector is certainly sufficient.

Title: Re: Heat treating ?

Post by: SteelCore on September 13, 2012, 01:35:43 PM

Quote from: Sevo on June 01, 2011, 10:21:01 PM

Hey guys,

A few questions if you dont mind. I have read and read and I can not find direct answers. I would like to hear what you
guys do or think

1) When heat treating do you just heat treat the 4 pivot holes or do you do the trunion holes as well.

2) If you just heat treat the 4 pivot holes, do you wait to drill the front and rear trunion holes before you anneal in the
oven or after you anneal in the oven

3) Used motor oil or ATF. ( I have more of the used motor oil and its cheaper ;) )

4) When quelch, do you go at a 45 degree angle to the oil or is it ok to set flat in the oil

Thanks for the help

Holes for axis pins only. Heat treat either before or after sizing holes, metal is just tougher
to work once heate treated (but not bad). Also heat treat the ejetor on the lower rail.

Used a torch to get it up to orange hot, dropped in H20 to quench. then Heat until orange
again. You will see the colors run (purplles ans blues) as the steel become heat treated.

Title: Re: Heat treating ?

Post by: SteelCore on September 13, 2012, 01:36:49 PM

Oh, and don;t heat treat any other rivet holes.

You want those to be flexible ans soft, not brittle and hard. That could lead to a failure.

Title: Re: Heat treating ?

Post by: Holescreek on September 13, 2012, 01:50:24 PM

Quote
Used a torch to get it up to orange hot, dropped in H20 to quench. then Heat until orange again. You will see the colors
run (purplles ans blues) as the steel become heat treated.

I don't think that's correct. The material gets hardened in the first quench when the
material is cooled rapidly by the oil and the crystaline structure changes. For this sheet
metal you can stop there but if you want to draw down the hardness a second heat where
you watch for the straw color then remove from the heat will soften the hardened area
some to keep it from the possibility of cracking. This second step is usually reserved for
tool steels to keep them from chipping. If you heat the material to orange a second time
then let it air cool the material will become soft again (annealed) as the crystaline
structures realign.

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