Case hardening points

[DC]

I make my own points using duplex nails. They work fine but are a bit soft and the point rounds off a bit. I was thinking about case hardening them. Does anyone have any experience with that?

[Little John]

What kind of arrows do you use them on? I like to braze weld a lump of brass on the head of a nail and grind down to a point, (spin with a drill motor while grinding). works beautifuly on bamboo shafts and weigh about 125 grains they seem to be hard enough if you don't hit a big rock. You will have the coolest arrows around.     Kenneth

[Pat B]

I use Kenneth's brazed nail points. He sent me some a few years ago and they work great. I just add a sinew wrap just behind the head but I don't think it is necessary.

[Little John]

Pat I am in the mood to make up some, will get you resupplied.

[Pat B]

I'll trade yu some hill cane for it...but you'll have to straighten it yourself!   

[Little John]

I have tons of shafting that needs straightening but I will get you some points. Some for you and some to share. When I get to going I can make a bunch pretty quick.

[DC]

I put a piece of aluminium (it's what I had)behind a duplex nail and ground it to shape like you said. I don't know why but the tip keeps rounding off. I only use them for target shooting. I just thought case hardening would toughen them up a bit. here's a pic.

Oh, bamboo shafts

[Little John]

For hardening steel get it hot then quench in water, it might help.      Kenneth

[DC]

Nails are mild steel, they won't harden by quenching. You have to get some carbon into the steel first, then heat treat. I've done a bunch of surfing, looking a various ways of case hardening and all of them seem like more trouble than it's worth. It was worth a thought. It would be nice if they made duplex concrete nails but I've had no luck finding them. Can't imagine a use for them either.

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

If you're already adding material and grinding to make a cone then you may as well just get some hard steel rod in the right diameter and cut a bunch of lengths, add the aluminum or brass or whatever and grind to a bullet point and viola. The only part that seems like it would be any more difficult than doing the same with duplex nails is trying to get the back of the point flat but that shouldn't be too hard to conquer.

[willie]

I am curious to hear any other ideas using hardened cut or other concrete nails. seems that there was a cut nail with pex design I saw online once.... somewhere  ??

[DC]

If you're already adding material and grinding to make a cone then you may as well just get some hard steel rod in the right diameter and cut a bunch of lengths, add the aluminum or brass or whatever and grind to a bullet point and viola. The only part that seems like it would be any more difficult than doing the same with duplex nails is trying to get the back of the point flat but that shouldn't be too hard to conquer.

Maybe I could drive a concrete nail though a small washer and then build up brass using the washer as a shoulder, hmmmm

[Josh B]

DC- heat up to orange, quench in motor oil.  Do this 3 times then bring them to straw and quench in oil.  They'll be plenty hard.  Josh

[DC]

Is this the "old motor oil" method I read about or can I use clean oil?  That one is easy enough to try but everything I read about it was sceptical. Have you used this for gun parts?

[Josh B]

I generally use old oil out of my truck, but just because there's literally hundreds of gallons in the shop tank for the oil furnace.  New oil works just as well.  I don't know about synthetic oil though.  I'd have doubts about that.  Yes I do use it on certain gun parts.  It's not hard enough for sear or hammer contact surfaces, but it is plenty hard for other parts that won't hold up in an annealed state.  Josh