Can a Chrome Steel hardened Ball Bearing be tempered

Can a Chrome Steel hardened Ball Bearing be tempered enough to milled or drilled?

Some sources suggest heating to a RED temperature, no higher, and then gradually cooled in fine wood ash or similar. Does this ring true with any knowledgable folk here?

I am trying to form a branch puller for large diameter copper pipe. I'd need to cut the 4" ball bearing in half and mill it to the right diameter needed.

varocketry AT hotmail dotcom

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VARocketry
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I've done it a few times in the past using a small heat treatment furnace and it went fine. No special atmosphere and it resulted in minimal scaling which polished up nicely after machining. I was using them for ball ends on some metal spinning tools and drilled into them with HSS drills and while tough it wasn't a problem drilling. The ones I did were about 1.5" and 3/4". I can't remember the temperature details as it was over 15 years ago but heated to a red heat IIRC and slow cool by turning the furnace off.

Reply to
David Billington

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