Hardening and Tempering

First published in 1909, Hardening and Tempering gathers classic articles on the heat treatment of steel, following the processes of hardening, tempering, and annealing as they were carried out in the industrial workshops and factories of the period.

The collection opens with E. R. Markham's 'Hardening Steel', followed by W. J. Todd's 'Forging, Hardening and Annealing High-Speed Steel' and William A. Painter's 'Local Hardening and Tempering'. Together these essays describe industrial hardening plants, the chemicals used in heating and hardening, and methods for treating tools in a factory setting, offering a window into how the trade approached the problem of making steel both hard and durable.

A concise volume for blacksmithing enthusiasts and anyone curious about the history of metalworking.