quenching oils?

[bourne101]

hi, me again. ive been reading a lot about quenching oils and how using oils can be more benefitial to the metals than just water. i've looked around for my own oils and i've got to say...around my area their a bit more expensive than i'd like so my question is this: can i use just any oil for quenching or does it need to be specific? better yet what do you use?

[JNewman]

I just looked up lubrication in the yellow pages, went to an industrial place in there and bought 10 gallons of quenching oil. It is the right stuff and was cheaper than most of the alternatives. I have beeen using the ame oil for 10 years or so.

[jimmy seale]

i use non foaming hydrolic oil. but my quench tank is a old drive shaft about 18" long so it is a small volume of oil. if you use this method, fill tube till about 4-5" from the top that way you can heat your oil and thermal expantion won't make a mess,but i have used motor oil,tranny fluids, i mainly use what i have enough of to change the whole amount out,avois thick oils,hope this helps, jimmy

[MattBower]

No, not all oils are created equal. That's why each commercial quenchant manufacturer makes several kinds. Some are fast, some are slow, some are fast at first and slow at the end, etc., etc.

Generally speaking, for oils, lower viscosity means a faster quench and vice versa. Warm canola is a relatively fast oil with a very good curve -- fast when it should be, slower when it should be.

[Fosterob]

I have not had a chance to try it yet but I hear that hydraulic fluid from airplanes does not burn. May eliminate flame up? Thoughts? Experience? Rob

[Mainely,Bob]

I have not had a chance to try it yet but I hear that hydraulic fluid from airplanes does not burn. May eliminate flame up? Thoughts? Experience? Rob

I use the marine equivalent and it does a real good job.Less flame than the peanut oil I was using before.It doesn`t smell as nice though.

[Fosterob]

I just spoke with an aircraft mechanic friend of mine and he said it is called FRH in the label for Fire Resistant Hydraulic.

[HWooldridge]

I bought ten gallons of Texaco Quenchtex B about 25 years ago and am still using it. The stuff never goes bad so the only loss is typically dragout or spills.

[Blakksmyth]

I bought ten gallons of Texaco Quenchtex B about 25 years ago and am still using it. The stuff never goes bad so the only loss is typically dragout or spills.

+1 on the Quench oil 'B'.
I worked as a Heat Treater for 8 years and that's all we used on all classes of tool steel.
In my forge, I use Auto transmission fluid, which is free if you have a Trans service shop close by. They have to pay pollution tax to get rid of the stuff so they are only too happy to give you some.

[David Ab]

I decided on fully-refined canola oil, because it has a very high flash point, and five gallons of it cost about $17 at one of those stores where the restaurant owners shop. It's worked very well for quenching 01 steel knives and chisels, but I haven't tried it yet on any other kinds of steel.

Also, I wanted canola because I'm going to make some kitchen knives and I'm concerned about quenching in toxic oils such as the petrochemical or other ones.

[Willis]

I use plain ole vegtable oil. It doesnt leave the black, scaly stuff that you have to wire brush off and I always keep a few gallons extra on hand. Never know whe I might have to clean out the SS quench bucket an have a fish fry. In my part of Florida that can be a twice a week thing sometimes. ;)

[knots]

I am currently using vacuum pump oil. Used mainly for hardening my own tooling. I have not experienced any flash back, seems to work well for what I am doing.

One possible free source for those of us who live out where tractors are common would be tractor hydraulic oil. I probably have 10 gallons it sitting around waiting for a second useful life, Mine always comes out clean.

[s meyer]

I use vet grade minral oil. you can by it at feed stores. works great. I heat to about 140 deg.

[jkmatt]

help:  i have a chance to get a 55 gal barrel 2/3 full of quenchtex "A" what would be a good price for it?

john

828-645-2109

[swedefiddle]

Get the MSDS sheet and see if it is what you think it is. There are different quenching oils and quenching rates, different material requires different quenching speeds.

[thingmaker3]

The application and the steel will both make a difference on which oil will be ideal. An oil need not be ideal to be adequate. You can also quench in cantaloupe.

 

Best thing to do is keep reading and start experimenting.

[ThomasPowers]

If you can get a lot you may be able to split up the buy with other local smiths!

 

I hav to bite the bullet and buy some fast quenching oil for a bowie I'm making my Son in Law; old wagon spring. The first go round in warmed vegtable oil it was too soft.  The secong go round in brine it broke into 4 pieces so I've forged another and am going to go with a fast professional oil.

 

My SiL is into SAS; so I promised him a blade made from something from the period.  Now to get my other SiL into fur trade so I can finally use this piece of documented 1828 shear steel...

[arkie]

Well, being new to blacksmithing I decided today to experiment with heat treating; simple hardening and tempering.  I bought some peanut oil since some fellow smiths are using it and like it a lot. 

 

Problem:  Went out to the shop today, temp about 32 deg. F and opened my quench tank (a steel ammo box).  The peanut oil was white and about the consistency of a thick white gravy!!  Not good for quenching.  Aside from heating it, which probably is a pain within itself, what other inexpensive quench oil would be liquid and usable at cold temps, say freezing or below freezing a bit.  Canola, antifreeze, etc. ???

[ThomasPowers]

Generally you quench in warmed oil as it removes heat faster than cold oil due to the change in viscosity.

140 degF is often used.

 

If you want to use cold oil and probably get a poorer quench try ATF as it's designed to be liquid even cold.

[arkie]

Thomas,

 

Most of my heat treating would be for chisels, hot cut-offs, hardies, punches, etc. No blade work for now.  Don't know if those would be considered usable with a "poorer quench".

[Rich Hale]

Oil is easy to heat. Heat about three bars of steel like one inchsq by a foot or so...hea tfirst one until it is hot when close to your skin...but not glowing....leave other pieces in forge and put first one in,,swirl it arouind until it is cool...drip dry the back in forge,,may flare up in flame so watch for that..then take another one and do the same...keep it up until a thermometor tells you you are at correct temp.....takes more time to type than to do!

[arkie]

Rich,

 

That's a great idea to heat the oil!!  No need for a heater, hotplate, fire or any other heat source.  Since one is already at the forge, the hot iron "heater" is a neat and SAFE way to heat oil.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. :)

[ThomasPowers]

I punch a hole in the ends of my preheater bars and put a piece of 3/16 steel wire through and close it around and then bend a hook on the other end.  When hot I just hang the wire on the edge of the quench tank with the hot chunk down deep.  With experience you sorta get to know how many hot pieces will be needed and this method means you don't have to hold it while the oils heating.

[arkie]

I punch a hole in the ends of my preheater bars and put a piece of 3/16 steel wire through and close it around and then bend a hook on the other end.  When hot I just hang the wire on the edge of the quench tank with the hot chunk down deep.  With experience you sorta get to know how many hot pieces will be needed and this method means you don't have to hold it while the oils heating.

 

Another good suggestion.  Thomas and Rich, you guys are gonna make things so easy for me.... :D