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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dcarr, post: 2665483, member: 4781&quot;]I was actually hoping that the dies would crack - but they wouldn&#039;t this time.</p><p><br /></p><p>I always harden the dies the same way, to the maximum extent possible. I pack them in graphite powder inside a fused silica crucible. The graphite fills the crucible all the way to the lid. I put the crucible in my kiln and it is gradually heated up to 1,900 degrees farenheit and then held there for four hours. Then I get to open the kiln lid while it is 1,900 degrees inside and use giant tongs to lift the crucible out and place it on the floor with a fan blowing on it. I spray water on the outside of the crucible to cool it down quicker. After a few hours it has cooled enough to where I can remove the dies from the graphite.</p><p><br /></p><p>Some people temper the steel by heating it up to 500 degrees and then letting it cool down again. The tempering is supposed to make the steel less brittle. I don&#039;t have problems with die cracks very often, so I don&#039;t do the tempering. I need the dies to be as hard as possible.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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