hardening low carbon mild steel

First topic message reminder :

I read of a method of turning low carbon steel into low grade tool steel that was used many years ago by toolmakers and blacksmiths.I think it would be ideal for hardening mild steel arrowheads.You need an airtight metal container.A piece of large diameter steel pipe(2ins. diameter minimum,6ins or longer)Threaded at both ends and capped(caps can be obtained from a plumbing supply store)the parts to be hardened need to be placed in the middle of the pipe,and packed around with charcoal,bone dust,small pieces of bone and scraps of leather.The metal container needs to be placed in the middle of a fire such as a forge,a woodstove or even a fire in the backyard.The fire needs to kept going for at least 18 hrs.Keeping the fire going longer is even better.
                                                                             The way this works,is that the material the parts to be hardened are packed in is carbon rich,and because the steel is being constantly heated,the steel absorbs the carbon from the packing materials and the added carbon changes the mild steel to low grade tool steel.I have not tried this myself(I really should,as I heat with a woodstove)but I am sure that this method will work.Should anyone try this before I do,I this would be a method I could use and I would be more than interested in a posting about the results.One last thing,gardeners use bonemeal as a fertiliser,I would think it could be used as packing material.
                                                               Hermit.

For some extra pleasure here I've been rereading some of the posts in this thread. I find it amusing and can't help but think that if our for -fathers would have been so reluctant to try something like this,the Indians and the elements would have done them IN.I want to say here also that I have had great luck using delrin with a hard flat anchored in it for the sear.I used 8/32 allen screws and carefully sunk them about 3/4 of the way through the metal. It has well over 100 shots on it and I don't detect any movement of it. I used two screws ,one on each side. I also cut an arc into it to limit the travel. Works a real treat.