tip for using heat with alloy

[CBBR]

B4 you start to work with alloy use a oxy acetylene torch and blacken the area that you intend to work on, when the black carbon starts to burns off then it is just below melting point, so stop the heat or it will melt on ya, do a test sample b4 trying on the real thing, but i tried today and it worked.

[PM]

Doing this anneals the alloy, making it soft and plyable. Down side is it looses it's heat temper and therefore tensile strength.

[CBBR]

yea i used ear plugs and ted used a hammer to get the dints out 

[Karl]

I think what PM is is alluding to is that the next time you hit something it will bend real easily!!  However if you heat it to around 100°C it softens it enough to help beating out dents but doesn't anneal it.