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Question about hardening tool steel

Tom Ricker

Tom Ricker

Joined
Nov 9, 2018
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Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
So I made some turning tools from A2 tool steel,now they are going to the hardening shop. What hardness should I specify ? Rockwell C-60 was mentioned in a couple articles . Cost for 9 tools is not ridiculous,and better done by someone more experienced than I. Thanks. Tom
 
58 to 62 is what most tools I read about are hardened to. I make most of my hand made tools from High Carbon steel so I can harden them myself. These are usually specialty tools that aren't used a lot so they hold an edge just fine for what I do with them.
 
If cutting tools, I'd go towards the harder end of the scale (62), for scrapers toward the softer end (58). Of course, everybody has their own thoughts on this. For cutting tools, I like a harder edge, seems to give a better finish off the tool. For fine scraper work, I hone off the grinder burr and burnish a small, super sharp hook. Doesn't last long, but it's the results I'm after. I had a tool too hard for burnishing and could feel the edge chipping while trying to form the hook. Granted, it was a skew and I was using it for something it wasn't designed for, lesson learned... Again...
 
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