Hardening, Tempering and Heat Treatment (Workshop Practice)

Very much an old school type book that may only have been written in the mid 80's but is more reminiscent of a book from the 1920's. In some respects this just shows how much has changed over the last 25 years when a book written in the 80's has more in common with a book from the 20's. Today you expect to get high-res photo's and CAD drawings at the very least not grainy hand drawn black and white images and low-res photographs that only just help illustrate a point. But - it's not necessarily a bad thing. Firstly there is the nostalgia thing going on for people of my age and older. I can connect with a book like this from my days as an engineering cadet in the early 1980's. Putting that aside most of all the author does not treat you like a gibbering moron with an attention span of that of a goldfish. To a younger person this book may feel overly wordy and maybe a bit heavy but I like the fact the author takes a somewhat pontificating stance and covers everything comprehensively. The author Tubal Cain - no idea where that name comes from but he knows his stuff - treats you like a reasoning thinking adult which is rather refreshing given the force fed sound-bites that seem to be associated with 'knowledge' today. So, if you want to understand properly heat treating etc. to a pretty good level of depth then this is an excellent book.

Useful book

A surprisingly thorough and engaging read given the subject! The book covers techniques of quenching and tempering with a lot of time spent initially explaining what happens with the metal as its heated and cooled.

Tis a good book if you are into this sort of thing and not so good if its spoon collecting you are into !

Good book

To the normal high standard of the Workshop Practice series. This is a must for anyone starting out and should also be on everyones shelf for reference, unless you can remember everything! Covers every aspect of the topic in an easy to understand style, that is typical of this great master. Having been involved with engineering for 40 years I found that after reading the chapter on Tempering there was a method so easy I can't understad why it's not common practice. Has worked for me with 100% success. In fact there's something to learn in every chapter. Recommended without condition.

Excellent little workshop guide that provides all of the details I required from this subject. Happy with product and speed of service.

I would say an essential purchase for someone new to heat treating steel like myself. Extremely informative and clearly written. Not always easy subject matter but explained in a manner that is not too technical and using useful analogies to help understanding. Dated in some respects and I'm not sure how much use the colour temperature pictures are but I overall I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this book. Generally well regarded amongst the knife makers I know.

Having worked 50 years in the industry of mechanical engineering, there is a lot more to know, but this is a good starting point. There are better graphs and pictures in other more modern books. I recommend looking for other sources that are out there. To supplement this book. Tubal Cain is a real character in the Bible. This Tubal Cain has written lots of other books and is well known in model engineering circles Especially in Britain.

Una guida breve di scuola anglosassone (pregi e difetti), quasi esclusivamente dedicata agli acciai al carbonio e molto poco agli acciai che comunemente si utilizzano negli utensili moderni (punte da trapano comprate al ferramenta). Pubblicazione abbastanza datata che risulta ancora attuale per i falegnami.

I am a retired machinist and most parts that needed heat treating would have been sent out. On some occasion parts would be hardened in the shop but this book would have been a lot of help. I would buy again.

Very informative,it’s the book you need if you intend to do Blacksmith work.Explains in detail the properties of most alloys. Considering buying a few more books from this series.

très bien expliqué , très bien détaillée , énormément de photos explicites vraiment un must pour un débutant comme moi