As my new tumbler is nearing completion I now have to make what is probably a very stupid inquiry.  I have never used kasenit hardening liquid.  I've always used the heat it with a torch and dunk it in motor oil method.  I've been advised to use kasenit to harden the new tumbler.  Never tried it but I have to inquire how exactly to go about doing this before I buy a can of it.  Also, I've always used tempilac indicator liquid to tell me when everything is hot enough to quench it, can I do this in conjunction with kasenit? Or will I get some goofy chemical reaction or something?

Your new can of Kasenit will have the instructions on the can.   

            Joe. 

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Neither have I,  the Kasenit I've always used comes as a powder, not as a liquid.

Don't think there is a " Kasenit hardening liquid " 

Where did you get the liquid ?

Creedmoormatch

With Kasenit on a mild steel part, you heat the part to a bright cherry red, dip and roll it in the powder, re-heat and re-dip until the part is fully covered, then heat it back up to cherry red and hold it at that color for 10 minutes.  Quench in water, heat up and re-roll, re-heat and quench.  Clean off any residue with a hand wire brush.  You may want to draw the temper a bit on the thin areas, by heating to a light to medium straw color...all colors in a normally lit shop.  Try it on a piece of scrap first.

David

4140 is a medium carbon steel. You don't need Kasenit to harden it. Bring it to about 15-1600 deg F quench in water. After drying, submerge it in your lead pot (draw) at 6-700 deg for about a minute or so and air cool. You can quench in oil also but it won't be as hard but more durable.

Frank

Tempilac simply will not work with the Kasenite process.  It would only work for the original heat but once you dip or roll the part in the powder then bring it back to the torch for  the second and if you feel needed, third heat ( and dip in the powder ) the bright ball of fire around the part would hide any thing showing of the tempilac.  Wear dark glasses.  If you had access to a small pyro controlled furnace you could "soak" the part in the Kasenite powder in a small pan and this would let you put the carbon deeper into the part but then again you really only want any casehardening on the surface.  If you try to drive it too deep it will make thinner cross sections too hard and very brittle and they will have to be tempered back.  Kasenite is only for lower ( 1018-1020 type steels.  When used with higher carbon steels it can and usually does cause cracking both surface and often internal.
Either you or someone looking over your shoulder will have to determine when you get to that "red" color.  It is really not a critical temp but it is the trick to making it work.  Too hot and you can burn or fry the part, too cool and it won't harden.
Make up a couple of quick sample parts and go for it.  Bet you can figure it out.
Good luck.

Got my tumbler hardened using franks method.  Found a non contact infared thermometer from autozone works pretty well.  Now we'll see how it all goes together after everything else gets in.  Thanks Y'all.