I'm with Ries, try mild steel first. You can do lot with mild steel if no shape edges are involved. Case hardening is the next step up and will raise the outside of the mild steels carbon content, with the effect of making the tools more durable. The added bonus is it inexpensive.
The next step up for me, is to use 4130/40. I use the 4140 as that's what the local steel company sells. I make almost all my hot tools out of it and even though it's a oil hardening steel, I just use water most of the time. The reason for liking 4140 is it's very forgiving. You really have to do a lot wrong to get it to fail.
Since I'm on a roll, lastly I'll use W-2 for small tools that need a fine edge.
And that's it. I don't use any of the other alloys as I try to keep life as simple as possible. That's not to say that those alloys aren't pretty awesome. A friend made some chisels out of S-7 and he was cutting mild steel like butter. The difference is, I can forge out 4140, heat it up in the forge, lay it to the side to cool, harden and the temper without any special effort. He spent all night following the annealing process for S-7, but got for his effort a far superior set of tools
As for the special kiln? No, for what we do, a coal or gas forge works fine. If you start using the higher alloys and want to get the full advantage out of them, then you will need a way of controlling the temperature of the annealing, hardening, and tempering process.
I wouldn't try welding harden tool steel to mild steel. While I've never done it, I immage the effect would be cracking of the tools steel.
So having written all that, let me get to answering the question. My advice is to use mild steel. (all of my bottom tools are mild steel) Just weld whatever piece you have for texturing to the hardy hole base and give it a try. It will probably be all you'll need to do. If not case harden it. You can get case hardening compound from any of the industrial supply companies or most welding supply stores. The brand I have is Kasenit
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I'm with Ries, try mild
I'm with Ries, try mild steel first. You can do lot with mild steel if no shape edges are involved. Case hardening is the next step up and will raise the outside of the mild steels carbon content, with the effect of making the tools more durable. The added bonus is it inexpensive.
The next step up for me, is to use 4130/40. I use the 4140 as that's what the local steel company sells. I make almost all my hot tools out of it and even though it's a oil hardening steel, I just use water most of the time. The reason for liking 4140 is it's very forgiving. You really have to do a lot wrong to get it to fail.
Since I'm on a roll, lastly I'll use W-2 for small tools that need a fine edge.
And that's it. I don't use any of the other alloys as I try to keep life as simple as possible. That's not to say that those alloys aren't pretty awesome. A friend made some chisels out of S-7 and he was cutting mild steel like butter. The difference is, I can forge out 4140, heat it up in the forge, lay it to the side to cool, harden and the temper without any special effort. He spent all night following the annealing process for S-7, but got for his effort a far superior set of tools
As for the special kiln? No, for what we do, a coal or gas forge works fine. If you start using the higher alloys and want to get the full advantage out of them, then you will need a way of controlling the temperature of the annealing, hardening, and tempering process.
I wouldn't try welding harden tool steel to mild steel. While I've never done it, I immage the effect would be cracking of the tools steel.
So having written all that, let me get to answering the question. My advice is to use mild steel. (all of my bottom tools are mild steel) Just weld whatever piece you have for texturing to the hardy hole base and give it a try. It will probably be all you'll need to do. If not case harden it. You can get case hardening compound from any of the industrial supply companies or most welding supply stores. The brand I have is Kasenit