Heat Treating...

[BCB]

Do boolits need to be water quenched to cool the boolits instantly or can they just be left to cool slowly in the oven after they have reached the proper temperature?

Thanks...BCB

[dbosman]

Quenched quickly. This may help. http://www.lasc.us/heattreat.htm

[runfiverun]

if you air cool them they will return to their normal alloy BHN.
they need to be quickly quenched to freeze the antimony matrix.

[35 shooter]

^^^^ This

[BCB]

Quick follow-up questions…

That link provided by dbosman has some good information…

I am planning on doing just a dozen or so as a test. I will be putting the boolits in a steel container that has a flat bottom and has open grids that will allow the basket to be put into water and the water will be able to cover the boolits as soon as they hit the water…

Now then, is it better to stand the boolits on their bases, which I won’t be able to do if I use the container mentioned, or can they be laid on their sides when heating?...

Or does it matter at all?...

Thanks…BCB

[imashooter2]

The heating makes them very soft. Boolits on their sides may deform more easily than boolits on their bases.

[BCB]

The heating makes them very soft. Boolits on their sides may deform more easily than boolits on their bases.

That's sort of what I was thinking, thus the question...

I hate to put them on a cookies sheet and than have to dump them into the water. I am sure they would hit each other etc...

Thanks...BCB

[imashooter2]

A rectangle of aluminum window screen might smooth out your basket enough to stand them...

[BCB]

Never gave that a thought. I just got all the windows replaced in my house so I have plenty of screens!!!...

Might be worth a try...

Thanks...BCB

[Wayne Smith]

Long as your screens aren't plastic! Look for hardware cloth if so.

[TexasGrunt]

That's sort of what I was thinking, thus the question...

I hate to put them on a cookies sheet and than have to dump them into the water. I am sure they would hit each other etc...

Thanks...BCB

Use more water in a bit bigger container and it's not going to be a problem.

[waksupi]

I lay my bullets down for heat treating. If your temperature is set correctly, there will be no slump or melting. I just drop the whole tray in the cold water.

[runfiverun]

tray and all straight in.
you can get away with a plastic tub.

[35 shooter]

I also lay mine on their sides. I use a solid bottom al. tray with an oven thermometer in the oven to make sure of the temp. setting.

I submerge the whole tray in cold water to quench.
With the oven set at 465* for 1 hr. with straight ww alloy and water dunked, i get 27 bhn within about 3 days.

[waco]

I also lay mine on their sides. I use a solid bottom al. tray with an oven thermometer in the oven to make sure of the temp. setting.

I submerge the whole tray in cold water to quench.
With the oven set at 165* for 1 hr. with straight ww alloy and water dunked, i get 27 bhn within about 3 days.
I'm guessing 165 is a typo?

[MUSTANG]

I'm guessing 165 is a typo?

I would think that baking at 400º to 475º for 30 minutes to one hour; and then a quick dump in a bucket of cold water would be more correct.

[35 shooter]

I'm guessing 165 is a typo?
OOPS, absolutely...i corrected it to 465*...Thanks.