![]() The quenching process involves cooling steel from its optimum quenching temperature (which varies between different alloys), down to room temperature (and sometimes down to cryogenic temperatures) at a certain rate. Different steels require different starting temperatures and different cooling rates. Oil cools hot steel slower than water cools it. Additives like soap or salt in water can affect the cooling rate. Initial temperature of the quenching liquid affects cooling rate. Motion of the steel through the liquid affects cooling rate. Different oils provide different cooling rates. If you quench in water, you're likely to crack a steel piece that requires slower cooling. If you quench an air-hardenting steel piece in oil, it's likely to crack. Quench a water-hardening steel in oil and it's likely to end up too soft. Jason secured the railroad spike in a set of tongs and placed it in the forge until it. The bottom line: if you want uniform and good results, choose one type of steel and systematically explore different quenching liquids and their initial temperatures and also find a way to standardize the quenching temperature of your steel. After the forge has come up to temperature, get the steel up to working temperature. Having asked the question, if I have a bunch of vegetable oil, or a lot of tranny fluid, will that work? I understand quenching oil is an actual compound. Quenching carbon steels for hardening is a pretty complex issue in it's most technical aspects. for a beginning smith to assimilate when he/she just wants to make a couple of knives, or harden a punch. that doesn't get too awfully technical, but gives enough info. to get started with some confidence of a good outcome, I recommend Wayne Goddard's The $50.00 Knife Shop revised", and/or his "The Wonder Of Knifemaking 2nd Edition". They can be purchased on-line, or directly from Wayne. ![]() Both have great sections on heat treatment from a home shop perspective that doesn't require an expensive heat treatment kiln and controller. It can be done with your forge or torch, and tempering with your forge, torch, or home oven. They cover when and why of different Quenchants. ![]() I'm fond of Wayne's Goop Quench for many carbon steels, but not all of them. It is handy for basic shop use as it hardens up to boot grease consistency when not in use, so it minimizes spillage, and can be hauled about for demos. It isn't fast enough for some carbon steels, so I use a combination of warm water for 1-3 seconds, then into a fast quench oil for those.
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