No, Im not telling you that 1331 deg F is where you should case, there are a lot of variables.
Quench water temp; big difference in results and drawbacks between 45 deg F and 90 deg F.
How big is your quench tank; does it have enough volume to quickly absorb the heat?
How far does the part drop after hitting the quench water; 14 inches vs. 3 feet can make a difference.
Is the water moving or stagnant? If moving, how, air or water pump?
What is the oxygen content of the water?
What is the hardness of the water? Softer water cools quicker.
Any additives?
Additives such as brine can actually cause the parts to cool quicker.
90% of this you learn via trial and error.
Its kinda like someone who has never driven before asking if 70 MPH is the optimum driving speed. Highway or back road, night or day, rain, snow etc you get the idea.
On blocks, take a look at the parts to be case hardened, you can pretty much figure out where they are likely to warp: generally thin areas. So side plates come to mind, also the tang areas where you have long thin pieces just hanging out there.
B. Dudley is absolutely correct, the blocks can warp. I make mine out of 304 stainless, make them as large /thick as possible. I had a block that I put between the rails on lever actions, the block was 3 inches long and about a half inch thick. After a couple of runs, it warped approximately .05
mike
