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ak reciever hardening
- Thread starter wayno12
- Start date
icyclefar
NES Member
If you want to go fancy: http://www.countyheattreat.com/
Propane grill?
The only parts of an AK receiver that require hardening is the ejector and the axis pin holes. These are easy to DIY.
If you insist on heat treating the entire receiver, make sure that whoever you entrust it to is experienced in hardening AK receivers and has the proper jig to do it with. Otherwise you will end up with a hot metal pretzel.
If you insist on heat treating the entire receiver, make sure that whoever you entrust it to is experienced in hardening AK receivers and has the proper jig to do it with. Otherwise you will end up with a hot metal pretzel.
icyclefar
NES Member
I would assume that this is for a receiver bent up from a flat ............ if that is the case you don't want to harden it but rather stress relieve it.
Stress relief could almost be accomplished in a home oven or gas grill. You'll need to hit a temperature of about 600, however I'm not certain how long you'd want to keep it there, followed by a slow cooling.
Stress relief could almost be accomplished in a home oven or gas grill. You'll need to hit a temperature of about 600, however I'm not certain how long you'd want to keep it there, followed by a slow cooling.
You still need to harden the areas I mentioned above.
The easiest way to do spot hardening is with a product called Kasenit. Unfortunately OSHA had it pulled from the market.
There is a product called cherry red that is supposed to work as well as kasenit but without the nasty fumes. I have never tried it as I still have half a can of kasenit left.
warwickben
bubba Kalashnikov
warwickben
bubba Kalashnikov
I was able to get a rough idea of the polish 80% are made from . From referencing my machinist hand book it calls out water quench hardening vs a oil quench.
I've just gotten one hole red hot with mapp gas and dropped in a bucket of water then done the next one and so on . My old metal fab teacher taught me to use a magnet if it's not sticking any more you got it hot enough .
Then tossed tossed it in the oven to temper them at 500 for a hour shut it off and cool down with the oven closed. I've had great luck with this after a few thousand rounds
I did make the mistake of doing it late at night one time and decided to temper the next day. I didn't want surface rust and all I had was frog lube lol .
I didn't clean the frog lube off and tossed it in the over the next day . I took a peak and noticed it turned gold . I was like awesome .
Turned out it wasn't the metal . It was a layer of burnt frog lubed that became rock hard and expanded . It was just a thin layer I wiped on . I had to chip that crap off lol and hit it with a wire wheel to get the chunks off.
Former employer used County Heat Treating for most of their work. When it came to the precision work, they used Smith & Wesson (true story)
The cherry red works fine. I use it.
Yeah. It's bullshit.
warwickben
bubba Kalashnikov
Only if it's 100%
warwickben
bubba Kalashnikov
Well ya. An 80% is only machine parts![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
Sheet metal paper weight .
413dan
NES Member
interesting thread, got some ideas knocking in my head about parts kits again…gonna have to look for that kasenit stuff as id prefer to do one from an 80%. just thinking that i've got a local hardware store closing after years. maybe they'll have some. if not gonna maybe cherry red or try the way ben mentioned with mapp gas, water and then tempering.
edit with afterthought. what happens if someone doesn't harden them, the receiver begins to tear in these places?
edit with afterthought. what happens if someone doesn't harden them, the receiver begins to tear in these places?
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413dan
NES Member
its out here in western mass, i see you're north shore. i used to be in marblehead so i realize north shore is a bit of a hike to my neck of the woods. looking for anything specific, I can check for you or something? 30%off cash 25% plastic. although being a smaller store that makes a lotta the stuff the prices elsewhere. but it's a small business and conveniently located to me rather than going to say home depot so Ive always tried to support them.
dcmdon
NES Member
i annealed it in the oven under instructions from a crazy russian.
the receiver is now a functional rifle so it must work.![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
Annealing is the exact opposite of hardening
Annealing is using heat in a way to make a metal more ductile or soft.
Both are considered to be types of heat treating. How high the metal is heated, how quickly its cooled and characteristics of a specific metal/alloy determine whether the heating and cooling cycle hardens or softens the metal.
Don
413dan
NES Member
ahh, ok. I've never done an 80% ak. thinking of an akbuilder prebent, just gotta see if a friend will tack weld the rails in for me, excuse my ignorance, thats where the ejector is (that hook part for lack of better term). should the whole rail be hardened if this is the case or just that area?
thanks, much info in this community.
warwickben
bubba Kalashnikov
Others need to be worked harden like Copper by flexing it .
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