Having an intermittent issue with hardening 3.5 in OD, varies in length of 4150 steel. Can not find any variables with heat treatment/quenching/tempering process. In furnace at 1520F for 4 hours, oil quenched and then tempered at 1020 for 4 hours. Can get low hardness on pieces from batch that...
I am flame hardening 4150 steel that is being quenched in oil and then tempered in an oven. My question is does it matter how long the parts remain in the quench oil, or is there a recomended temperature that the parts should not fall below before they are taken out of the quench oil?