Kasenit

[swall]

Just wondered if anyone has ever tried this stuff /taken a metallographic section through a sample. I've always been a skeptic, since a process like salt bath nitriding takes several hours to build a few tenths of case.

 

[unclesyd]

When our fab shop had a true blacksmith he used it all the time with great sucess. I know he sometimes applied several applications for certain items.

We did have it in the lab at one time and did section some samples, drive pins, in the lab, but I don't have any of the data as to the thickness of the case imparted. We had a large bucket of the material in the lab that was used mainly on single components.

I have a lock-blade knife that the pin and latch are case harened with Kasnit that is about 40 years old.

 

[SMF1964]

One of our test specialists used it on a muzzleloader (frizzen) in an attempt to get the surface harder. He wouldn't let us cut it up to get an idea as to the surface, but I agree with SWALL about being somewhat skeptical about its efficacy in terms of depth. The frizzen was harder (based on Rockwell surface hardness) but with only one frizzen, it was not possible to tell if this was due to the martensite that formed during the quench or the actual 'carburizing' that occurred from the product.