metal on a k31

buggley · April 16, 2012, 11:41 PM

i am planing to learn how to case harden in a few weeks. i have been plating metal for some time and wanted to step it up but i am running out of guns to work on. i have work on every thing and now all i have left is a k31 and a mavric shotgun with an oil blued barrel. i know that casing helps to put a hardened surface on softer metal, but would it leave the same color effect on harder metals? is the k31 bolt stainless, or some other type of hardened finish or just polished steel? if i tried to color case it would it damage it in any way?

buggley · April 16, 2012, 11:42 PM

as of now i am just planing on casing the barrel bands but thought i would ask

James K · April 17, 2012, 01:38 PM

Both the actions and bolts are surface hardened.

I presume you are not interested in actually hardening parts, only in coloring them. Do you plan to actually case harden or only color the metal with a torch? If you are planning to harden parts, how do you plan to do it?

Case hardening sears and the like using Casenit is a common gunsmith technique. But, IMHO, unless you know exactly what you are doing, it is inadvisable to try to case harden major gun parts. You can't hurt barrel bands, but I get very nervous when folks want to heat up parts that are holding back 50,000 pounds per square inch pressures.

Jim

buggley · April 17, 2012, 02:11 PM

i am making a crucibal this weekend and some time soon getting a furnace or kiln i have only looked at brownells but i dont take the first thing i see.
to harden i would use a mix of charcoal from bone leather wood and fruite pits mixed with prepackaged stuff i want to play around and see what looks best. the parts have to set inside the crusibal and loosly packed so they dont get stuck in there tight and the crucibal has to be large enough that there is plenty of space between the walls and the piece being worked. it also has to be sealed because the oxygen will decarbonize the metal. after heating it must be quenched in and oxygenated tank.ive been doing my home work i just havent actualy tried it just yet. as far as coloring with heat i have done that with satisfactory results. i have oil blued a few shot gun barrel.
with the k31 i was planning on practicing the color casing, i am running out of material to practice on. i dont want to re work the same things over and over so i can use them as a refrence as to what i did wrong and need to fix and what i did well and hoe to achieve it. i have tried hard to document as many of my projects as i can for cross refrencing.

buggley · April 17, 2012, 02:14 PM

i totaly under stand about heating up and retempering metal. i was going to start with nails and scrap and work my way up to barrel bands. when i learn enough that i feel comfertable to work actions i will but i want all my ducks in a row first.

James K · April 19, 2012, 11:41 AM

My apology for attempting to question someone who totally understands heat treatment and metallurgy.

Jim

buggley · April 19, 2012, 03:12 PM

let me rephrase; i understand there is much more to it than what meets the eye, and that tempering can completely alter the piece you are working on.
maybe my slack jaw expresion would be more excepted if i was talking to some one in shorts and a T shirt maybe a person that is as easy going in real life as they are on a computer.
also dont question my infanite knowladge.....

April 16, 2012, 11:41 PM	#1
buggley Member Join Date: May 9, 2009 Posts: 46	metal on a k31 i am planing to learn how to case harden in a few weeks. i have been plating metal for some time and wanted to step it up but i am running out of guns to work on. i have work on every thing and now all i have left is a k31 and a mavric shotgun with an oil blued barrel. i know that casing helps to put a hardened surface on softer metal, but would it leave the same color effect on harder metals? is the k31 bolt stainless, or some other type of hardened finish or just polished steel? if i tried to color case it would it damage it in any way?

April 16, 2012, 11:42 PM	#2
buggley Member Join Date: May 9, 2009 Posts: 46	as of now i am just planing on casing the barrel bands but thought i would ask

April 17, 2012, 01:38 PM	#3
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Both the actions and bolts are surface hardened. I presume you are not interested in actually hardening parts, only in coloring them. Do you plan to actually case harden or only color the metal with a torch? If you are planning to harden parts, how do you plan to do it? Case hardening sears and the like using Casenit is a common gunsmith technique. But, IMHO, unless you know exactly what you are doing, it is inadvisable to try to case harden major gun parts. You can't hurt barrel bands, but I get very nervous when folks want to heat up parts that are holding back 50,000 pounds per square inch pressures. Jim

April 17, 2012, 02:11 PM	#4
buggley Member Join Date: May 9, 2009 Posts: 46	i am making a crucibal this weekend and some time soon getting a furnace or kiln i have only looked at brownells but i dont take the first thing i see. to harden i would use a mix of charcoal from bone leather wood and fruite pits mixed with prepackaged stuff i want to play around and see what looks best. the parts have to set inside the crusibal and loosly packed so they dont get stuck in there tight and the crucibal has to be large enough that there is plenty of space between the walls and the piece being worked. it also has to be sealed because the oxygen will decarbonize the metal. after heating it must be quenched in and oxygenated tank.ive been doing my home work i just havent actualy tried it just yet. as far as coloring with heat i have done that with satisfactory results. i have oil blued a few shot gun barrel. with the k31 i was planning on practicing the color casing, i am running out of material to practice on. i dont want to re work the same things over and over so i can use them as a refrence as to what i did wrong and need to fix and what i did well and hoe to achieve it. i have tried hard to document as many of my projects as i can for cross refrencing.

April 17, 2012, 02:14 PM	#5
buggley Member Join Date: May 9, 2009 Posts: 46	i totaly under stand about heating up and retempering metal. i was going to start with nails and scrap and work my way up to barrel bands. when i learn enough that i feel comfertable to work actions i will but i want all my ducks in a row first.

April 19, 2012, 11:41 AM	#6
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	My apology for attempting to question someone who totally understands heat treatment and metallurgy. Jim

April 19, 2012, 03:12 PM	#7
buggley Member Join Date: May 9, 2009 Posts: 46	let me rephrase; i understand there is much more to it than what meets the eye, and that tempering can completely alter the piece you are working on. maybe my slack jaw expresion would be more excepted if i was talking to some one in shorts and a T shirt maybe a person that is as easy going in real life as they are on a computer. also dont question my infanite knowladge.....