Reshaping hooks and picks?

[teaky]

I've got a bunch of hooks/picks, but only really use two profiles.

These two.

Thought I'd bend a couple of the unused picks into shapes that I will use. e.g. bend straight pick to match the other profile in the pic. I'm assuming it will snap if bent without heat. Will heating until red and then bending affect the heat treatment, and result in a softer, less durable pick?

I know picks are cheap, so I could just buy whatever pick works, but I'm curious about the heat treatment on picks and similar tools like screwdrivers. Thanks.

 

[Agroshield]

The only way to know is to try one and see. As you do, I suspect they will be softer after the reconfiguration than before. Heat with as local a flame as possible (i.e. not a propane weed burner, more a lead butrning torch). You can poke them through a potato so it jams up against the handle to stop the heat travelling up the shaft and melting the handle-shaft join.

 

[Screwdriver]

What will work is heat to red hot, bend/forge into shape. Once happy with the shape, heat to red hot, quench in water, tip will now be glass hard and prone to snapping. Clean off the oxide to a shiny finish then gently heat until the tip turns blue, then quench (aka spring temper).

One of the problems is that being a finished sharp tool, heating it to red hot can or will burn out the carbon which allows the steel alloy to harden. This is much more likely to happen with smaller parts and especially sharpened tools where the metal is so thin, all the carbon is really close to the surface plus the small size means that area will heat up/overheat very quickly.

Also being a very small size means it will cool down very quickly too. You will probably need to work fast, ideally while it's at red heat. If you manipulate it at a black heat, a small part is likely to snap off or fracture internally leaving a weak part. If you were able to properly anneal it by heating to red hot and cooling it slowly (very slowly) then it *might* bend cold but - as has ben said - you'll have to suck it and see...

 

[not done it yet]

Do you have another large chest/box/crate that you could put them in, for a bulk sale (with the crate)? Someone who wanted the chest/crate might buy them….



I don’t use picks very often. My pick(-axe) is too much like hard work these days.

I alter crochet hooks for my wife so they are useful for textile crafts (particularly lace-making).

They are not red hot long enough to burn out the carbon.

A neutral or slightly reducing flame is clearly better than an oxidising one.

Heating the tip at around 250 degrees Celsius is likely good enough for tempering, after quenching. Thin sections will likely anneal before being quenched, if not quick.



Retain one of each shape (and perhaps a spare of the regulars). Give the rest away to anyone who can use them.

You are not going to make your first million from them…


You may note that this post rather reflects on your previous thread Sorry, couldn’t resist.


Will the next thread be about a collection of hammers, by any chance?

 

[Screwdriver]

One assumes the odd shaped ones don't sell well at the car boot.

 

[teaky]

Will the next thread be about a collection of hammers, by any chance?

Sorry, I think I don't understand your humour. I made one post about selling some spanners. I have no aspirations of making a million selling spanners. It's a hobby.

This post does not relate to selling tools. Thanks.