Larger flames produce less heat while smaller flames produce a higher heat. Blow torches only heat a small concentrated area. For larger pieces of steel, you need to use a forge in order to heat the whole thing.

Wear thick gloves so you don’t burn yourself. Work on a metal or steel surface, such as an anvil, to avoid any fire hazards.

The actual temperature of the steel depends on the carbon content inside. Higher carbon contents will take longer to heat. Another good test for determining when the steel is ready is seeing if a magnet sticks to its surface. If the magnet doesn’t stick, it’s ready to be pulled away from the heat. [4] X Research source

This step should be done before heating the steel, as the steel should be quenched immediately after removing from heat. [5] X Research source {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/1/1a/Harden-Steel-Step-4-Version-3. jpg/v4-460px-Harden-Steel-Step-4-Version-3. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/1/1a/Harden-Steel-Step-4-Version-3. jpg/aid1214287-v4-728px-Harden-Steel-Step-4-Version-3. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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<br />\n</p></div>"} Water is great for rapidly quenching the hot metal, but it could cause thin steel to distort or crack. Vegetable oil has a higher boiling point, so the hot steel will take longer to cool and reduce the chance of it cracking. However, oil may spill and create a fire hazard if the steel is put into the oil too quickly.

Quenching the steel rapidly cools it so the alloys inside harden together. Wear thick gloves and a face mask before you quench your steel so the water or oil doesn’t splash onto your hands. Keep a grade B fire extinguisher nearby in case of a fire.

Use a smaller toaster oven if your piece of steel fits inside. That way, you can still use your oven for the rest of the evening.

If you tempered the steel with a blow torch, set the metal on an anvil or another large steel surface to conduct the heat. [13] X Research source