01-15-2018, 04:25 AM
If all you want to do is harden small cutting tools then the induction heater will do.
But I think you would be better off building yourself a furnace so you can hold larger/thicker items at temp to soak them. When I had my small muffle furnace torn down to convert it I was surprised by how simple they really are. The second part I wanted to heat treat was too long to fit into the small furnace of course. Since then I bought most of the stuff needed to build a second (deeper) furnace. The insulating brick was probably the most expense. Other than that it's just a frame/case, some heating coils, a cheap PID controller, solid state relay and a thermocouple.
As usual finding the time/desire to put it all together now has been my biggest hurtle. New projects keep pushing back the old ones.
But I think you would be better off building yourself a furnace so you can hold larger/thicker items at temp to soak them. When I had my small muffle furnace torn down to convert it I was surprised by how simple they really are. The second part I wanted to heat treat was too long to fit into the small furnace of course. Since then I bought most of the stuff needed to build a second (deeper) furnace. The insulating brick was probably the most expense. Other than that it's just a frame/case, some heating coils, a cheap PID controller, solid state relay and a thermocouple.
As usual finding the time/desire to put it all together now has been my biggest hurtle. New projects keep pushing back the old ones.
Willie