Firing pin steel selection

[Metaloxide]

Same stuff out of a different mill . Good stuff .

One of my biggest regrets is getting rid of those magazines and books when I moved across the country. (Not that I was given a choice) I even had a copy of the machinery handbook and a lockheed aircraft workers manual.

 

[mmcmdl]

I still have many charts from the old days although my Mom thru many out when she had the chance . She didn't get my baseball cards though , I took them with me . We had Martin Marietta over here . I have tons of stuff from the old days and most of my co-workers ended up in their AMT lab . Now known as MRA , Middle River Aircraft .

 

[WobblyHand]

Do you know of an effective affordable temperature control for a heat treating oven? I think I can build the oven for reasonably cheap but the control is the part that's stumping me at the moment. I haven't got time to do a whole lot of research but I found one temperature control and it was like $450 with the touch screen and all kinds of features that I probably don't actually need.

If you need temperatures under 1830F (999C) you should search for something like a
REX-C100FK05-V*DN PID controller. Mine takes 110/220V and drives a SSR.

The hard part is getting a good high temp rated thermocouple. A lot of the kits that you buy only give you a 400C rated thermocouple, which is not what you need. I bought some TC type K wire rated for higher temps for not much money (under $15). Usually it's the jacket and insulation that's the "weak link", not the wire.

I found my PID controller on eBay, but I'm sure there's lots of other places that sell them.

 

[Metaloxide]

If you need temperatures under 1830F (999C) you should search for something like a
REX-C100FK05-V*DN PID controller. Mine takes 110/220V and drives a SSR.

The hard part is getting a good high temp rated thermocouple. A lot of the kits that you buy only give you a 400C rated thermocouple, which is not what you need. I bought some TC type K wire rated for higher temps for not much money (under $15). Usually it's the jacket and insulation that's the "weak link", not the wire.

I found my PID controller on eBay, but I'm sure there's lots of other places that sell them.

I actually found a sensor that looks pretty cool it's rated for over 2, 000°f

 

[Metaloxide]

Here's the one I found.

https://www.amazon.com/YAKUHY-Thermocouple-Insulator-Temperature-Measured/dp/B0BYSCNY2W/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=1ZBTUM52AVBHC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.33k5o9NGNDIvz_sMhH8BEU15R8Pft616C2Kegi5dmtigbER-v6PHMVL4jRfAeSVz02-7PXse7P-8q3KPg8z6B2oHKmeKCA-LtD6XNgHV3W9RmlW6iXm3Dqw3lOmbz9FJf83OI0ae2Sa9DrBft2SwSJBVl0luIedS5L1aNuQ3YW0wcl3d5xDtZePJqAnt15oHzXEjRR0_lEU2sRQtA0bhaQ.dJirx3jiDoy6-n9ILp6qPgDOKUUwtEhmBMtMe8ViE_I&dib_tag=se&keywords=type+k+thermocouple+probe+2000%C2%B0f&qid=1712158288&sprefix=type+k+thermocouple+probe+2000+f%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-8

 

[WobblyHand]

Here's the one I found.

https://www.amazon.com/YAKUHY-Thermocouple-Insulator-Temperature-Measured/dp/B0BYSCNY2W/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=1ZBTUM52AVBHC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.33k5o9NGNDIvz_sMhH8BEU15R8Pft616C2Kegi5dmtigbER-v6PHMVL4jRfAeSVz02-7PXse7P-8q3KPg8z6B2oHKmeKCA-LtD6XNgHV3W9RmlW6iXm3Dqw3lOmbz9FJf83OI0ae2Sa9DrBft2SwSJBVl0luIedS5L1aNuQ3YW0wcl3d5xDtZePJqAnt15oHzXEjRR0_lEU2sRQtA0bhaQ.dJirx3jiDoy6-n9ILp6qPgDOKUUwtEhmBMtMe8ViE_I&dib_tag=se&keywords=type+k+thermocouple+probe+2000%C2%B0f&qid=1712158288&sprefix=type+k+thermocouple+probe+2000+f%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-8

That seems pretty good. The PID controller part number I gave above will work with this thermocouple, because it is a type K PID controller. You may need a longer type K extension cable, depending on your installation, but the wire is easy to source.

 

[Metaloxide]

The metal I ordered came in today.

 

[Advil]

I do a little gunsmithing work, you've got a couple easy choices as a diy. A small piece tool steel can be easily heated with a torch and quenched then tempered in a normal toaster oven.

I love working with 17-4 for small parts I need to make that have to be hardened because a small kiln or furnace can heat to H900 or H925 easily with no drama and there's no scale formation or messy quenching. But you have to invest in a oven that can accurately hold a high temp for an hour.

If all you want to do is have the ability to heat small parts to high temps accurately when needed, you don't necessarily need something fancy...

There's a bunch of these on Amazon and ebay. You probably can't buy the parts to make it cheaper. It's a crucible instead of a door furnace but hey, you just need temp control and a powerful heater for tiny firing pins right?
Electric Smelting Furnace Small High-Temperature Castin Fluted Graphite Crucible

 

[Metaloxide]

I do a little gunsmithing work, you've got a couple easy choices as a diy. A small piece tool steel can be easily heated with a torch and quenched then tempered in a normal toaster oven.

I love working with 17-4 for small parts I need to make that have to be hardened because a small kiln or furnace can heat to H900 or H925 easily with no drama and there's no scale formation or messy quenching. But you have to invest in a oven that can accurately hold a high temp for an hour.

If all you want to do is have the ability to heat small parts to high temps accurately when needed, you don't necessarily need something fancy...

There's a bunch of these on Amazon and ebay. You probably can't buy the parts to make it cheaper. It's a crucible instead of a door furnace but hey, you just need temp control and a powerful heater for tiny firing pins right?
Electric Smelting Furnace Small High-Temperature Castin Fluted Graphite Crucible

That's a good idea. I'd rather go ahead and build a furnace because my brother-in-law isn't two making knives and I'd like him to be able to use my furnace for that and who knows what I'll do in the future so I'd rather invest in something that can heat treat almost anything and I'm likely to want heat treated in the future.

 

[Metaloxide]

I am still practicing and trying to get my dimensions perfect.
I think I did pretty good for turning it in the chuck of a harbor freight drill press with a file free hand. Lol.

Here's some pictures of various stages as I made it.