So I tried my stock 1080 normalized steel on the sander and it wasn't making much of a dent. I figure I should anneal it to soften it and make it easier to work.
Questions:
Do most of you guys anneal normalized steel or do you just work it slowly?
I do not have a furnace and my 1080 needs to be heated to 1500. I do not know how long it needs to be held at that temp though. I know I can get to that temp with a wood fire, but the controlled cooling may be difficult. My plan is to stoke a wood fire in a vented brick enclosure. The fire will be built on top of a layer of brick and sand. Once I get to temp, the steel will be buried in the coals and then everything will be buried in more sand. This should allow it to cool very slowly. My concern though is its winter, so the ambient temperature is the 30's.
The other option is to put the steel in a vice and take a grinder to it. This is not nearly as controllable though as softer steel and a sander.
Any words of advice?
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