[Bob434]

thanks, interesting process- I use to work with Gold- and after heating it, it would become softer, but after working it a bit, it would harden, had to keep going back and forth depending on how much work was being done to it- would use borax as a flux- from what i understood, heating would align the molecules, making the metal softer- working the metal would deform them, causing the metal to get harder-

i wonder what the lack of oxygen does to the metal in the hardening process-

[gundog]

Probably just keeps the charcoal and bone from combusting. Ever made char cloth? You put cotton fabric in an airtight container, and subject it to high temperatures. What comes out is a useful fire-starting material.