0
Stop quenching your chisels in used motor oil
I see so many guys at the hammer-in up near Springfield dropping hot chisels into a bucket of old oil and calling it good. That oil has metal shavings and grit in it that creates a crummy uneven quench. I switched to canola oil from the grocery store after a buddy in the trade told me about it. It costs about $6 a quart and gives a way more consistent hardness on 1095 steel. Has anyone else noticed a difference switching quench mediums?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
the_charles14d ago
Huh, that's interesting about the canola oil. I've been using harbor freight quench oil for years and never really thought about the grit from old motor oil being an issue like that. But how hot are you actually getting the chisels before you dunk them? Because if you're overheating them past non-magnetic and then quenching in canola, are you seeing any warping or cracking compared to the motor oil? I used to have a problem with thin edge tools warping in vegetable oil back when I tried it, swear it quenched too fast on the thin stuff.
10
laura_black3114d ago
The last batch of O1 steel chisels I did, I heated them to about 1475°F according to my tempil sticks, just past non-magnetic. Dunked them in canola oil that was sitting at 120°F. No warping at all on the 1/4 inch wide ones, just a little bit of scale. I think your warping problem might be from the oil being too cold, not the oil itself. Grain size and soak time matter way more than the quenchant as long as it's consistent.
1