Kasenit Experience?

[Rex Piekarczyk]

I need to make a new cam roller and catch block for my 5E. Would Kasenit work well for this?

[Nick]

Yes it will work very well. I use the stuff frequently for case hardening trips, catches, strike plates ect. Just beware of internal sharp corners in your parts.

[Lcjudge]

I had a beveled cam roller on an engine that kept having the "edge" worn off it. It was on the fuel intake and it had to have a sharp edge to grab in the cam. After I had put the edge back on it a few times I bought a can of Kasenit. I did a triple treatment on it and have run the engine probably 100 or more hours since then with no trouble at all.

[Matt Montague]

Just for info, I use alloy 8620. Then do the Kasenit treatment, it works much better if you put the kasenit and the part in a container and keep the air out. It will not have near as heavy scale on it when done.
I buy this from McMaster Carr. This works very well for cam rollers.

Matt

[KeithW]

When I was in high school metal shop we used Kasenit to harden the points of the scratch-awls we made in class. It worked great. They poked a hole in the can lid and we put the point of the tool right into the can. One day someone thought it would be a good idea to put a firecracker in the can. Some time later when the next red hot tool was poked into the can it went off. The lid and the tool went about to the ceiling. The shop teacher was not happy.

keithw

[Rex Piekarczyk]

Making a scratch awl in school? Those days are gone, as you would be expelled and possibly have a weapons charge in the zero tolerance world of today.

I got the unhappy shop teacher face the day I tackwelded 3 rods together to find out how long of a bead i could make. I had to back up partially out of the tiny booth to make the attempt, and after getting into the second rod all the flux had fallen off it and the remaining rod. By this time they had gotten so soft they collapsed into a glowing orange pile. I don't know how much of that he saw but it was enough to end my welding sessions that week.

[Rex Piekarczyk]

After hardening with Kasenit will the roller face surface need to be ground or re-smoothed somehow?

[Craig A]

It will stay smooth.
Watch your flame so you don't accidentally overheat an area.....a dull red appears a LOT different in a brightly lit area versus a darker area.
The case depth isn't the greatest.......but if something was THAT critical it would be shot by the time it was that badly worn anyway.......

[KeithW]

We were allowed to make them but could not keep them. The instructor must have had a drum full of them somewhere.

keithw

[2manyhobbies]

My experience has been very close to what Matt said, I formed a stainless steel bag and put the workpiece and a small amount of Kasenit in the bag, seemed to work well!
Brad