Soft Jaws

[stevec]

(03-18-2013, 09:46 AM)Mayhem Wrote: Steve - I've annealed hardened drill couplers by heating them to orange where you just get little sparks leap off the surface and them bury them in a bucket of ash and let them cool slowly.

I'm sure there is a more technical procedure but that is what worked for me. Then again, they were used for nothing more than scrap metal to practice with. With what you want to do, the oxidation will need to be limited and I'm unsure of the steps required.

So - come to think about it - this probably isn't any help at all

Darren, ole bud, don't sell yerself short? I introduced my jaws (no, CHUCK jaws) to the red inferno of our large air tight stove and left them there for almost 24 hrs. and several re-stokings of the stove.
I then buried them in the ash bucket for 18 hrs. This morning I dusted them off and took a file to one.
TA DA! score, file 1-jaw 0. The jaw still felt pretty hard but then my chubby digits are not a Brinell hardness tester (Damn! I have a hardness tester, oh well to late for the "before" test).
Step 2 in the test appears in this pic.
   
I figured the blade is old so let's try. That's the third jaw partway through!
I know from experience that good bi-metal blades can cut pretty hard stuff (like files can).
Next test in the drill press.

   

So it looks like I'll be reporting further on this project!
Thanks Darren, it's a good think I don't live next door or you'd be in for a HUG!