....Carbon in steel is cumulative, every time a part is case hardened, you are adding carbon, annealing helps diffuse the carbon into the steel....
....I generally temper around 400 deg F, with little to no change in coloration....
....Now I always temper with blocks in place....
Thanks much Mike, I appreciate the comments.
That annealing with temps high enough for carbon migration would make me wonder if wood charcoal pack annealing wouldn't drive more carbon towards the piece. It might be hugely disappointing if there were signs that carbon migrated out of the part. Thanks for the thoughts, worth keeping in mind.
