How to Heat Treat a Metal Chisel

If you have a chisel that bends easily or dulls quickly, then that chisel has likely lost its temper. To restore the hardness in the chisel you'll need to heat treat the metal, tempering the steel again to restore strength to the metal. Heat treating a chisel is not a difficult process. It merely requires heating the steel the quenching it in water a couple of times. Done correctly, and you'll have a chisel that cuts with precision once again without the bending or dullness of before.

File
Pan
Tongs
Propane torch
600-grit sandpaper

Instructions

- 1
  Grind down the edge of the chisel with a file until it's blunt so any heat applied will spread more evenly along the chisel body.
- 2
  Fill a pan that's large enough to place the entire chisel body into with water. Place the pan onto a heat-resistant surface.
- 3
  Put on a pair of heat-resistant work gloves. Grasp the chisel with a pair of tongs and heat the top of the chisel with a propane torch until it glows red. Heat the tip as well as a few inches beneath to harden as much of the chisel as possible. Quench the chisel by submerging it into the pan of water. Move the chisel around in the water as it cools to prevent any steam created with the quenching from insulating the blade and keeping it from hardening as much as possible. After it changes back to its natural color, remove the chisel from the water.
- 4
  Go over the top of the chisel with 600-grit sandpaper. Sand the chisel on both sides of the top until it shines.
- 5
  Grasp the chisel with the tongs again and heat the tip until it yellows. Quench the tip a second time in the pan of water.

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