I use this, got it from Lowes, ($15) caught some flack for using it because it's plastic, everyone told me that was a bad idea, but it rocks as a quench tub.  It's very thick plastic, I've never had a piece so much as make a dent in it from heat.  I keep a trash can lid on it when not in use (it's outdoors).  It is quite large, looks like a traditional wood half barrel (I've had a few people think that's what it is until I pointed out the plastic)

I use a keg as well -

 

oooh.   I have a keg someone left me that is just sitting in my metal pile...  hmmmm....   :o)

I went and got a 5 gallon bucket from the local hardware store for $3.. my quench bucket. Haven't melted it at all, seems that by the time the piece falls to the bottom if it is extra that I cut off it is already too cold to melt the bucket. I really like the wooden barrel and beer keg ideas though, doesn't look as trashy as a plastic bucket.

So what if the plastic melted?   Maybe some water would spill....   Maybe.

You are assuming they are quenching in water, not oil. Flames and oil in a plastic bucket has "BAD IDEA" written all over it.

 

Monster Metal here had that shop fire caused by quench oil and I'm betting he had a metal quench tub.

 

One of the old SOFA members burned his shop down quenching in oil in a plastic bucket.  For demos when I can't normalize everything---too many inquisitive hands---I use an old hand crank ice cream maker's wooden bucket.  I have to soak it for a couple of days before the demo so it will hold water but it looks much more old timey wimey and I think I paid US$3 for my most expensive one...

Thomas, 

if I remember right somewhere you said you just normalize everything by putting it out in the desert there. Were you joking or were you serious? Would it be beneficial for me to make a "box" per say of firebrick to normalize objects in? I can't just set things on the ground, it'll fry the grass and start fires. And in winter it just melts snow and quenches anyway (I don't have a shop, I work outside). I work mostly mild steels along with found scrap. I'm not forging blades either (yet).

Let me know your thoughts,

Brent 

A covered box filled with dry sand will do nicely, perlite will go a long way toward annealing. As to your original question for Thomas, yes he was serious you can normalize by laying steel heated to critical on dry ground and letting it cool in still air. Believe me the ground's DRY at Thomas' place. Well it usually is it might not be this weekend. It's a weather thing.

Frosty The Lucky.

4 hours ago, Frosty said:

A covered box filled with dry sand will do nicely, perlite will go a long way toward annealing. As to your original question for Thomas, yes he was serious you can normalize by laying steel heated to critical on dry ground and letting it cool in still air. Believe me the ground's DRY at Thomas' place. Well it usually is it might not be this weekend. It's a weather thing.

Frosty The Lucky.

Thank you Frosty, just one question - what is perlite? I google searched and got a volcanic glass and a metal structure but can't figure out if you were hinting at putting this volcanic glass in the box or if you were referring to the metal structure that is annealing? I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, I've just never been taught this stuff. 

 

Thanks again for your time,

Brent 

 

Perlite can be found at just about any garden center store. It's with the soil treatment. We sell it at Lowes.

They mine it a couple of miles away from my shop!   

I use the bottom pan section of a pressure cooker for water and a small fire extinguisher for oil ( powder type)

On 03/01/2016 at 3:33 PM, 01tundra said:

I use a keg as well -

 

Is there a trick to removing the top section from one of these? I have pretty much an endless supply and thats a great idea

Plasma cutter

On ‎1‎/‎14‎/‎2016 at 0:11 PM, ThomasPowers said:

Plasma cutter

That's how I removed mine.

"... I use the bottom pan section of a pressure cooker for water and a small fire extinguisher for oil ( powder type) ..."

Yes, make sure you do not use the water filled extinguishers for oil!

(sorry, couldn't resist)

Bayshore, if you can't find, or don't want to use perlite, you can use vermiculite.  Found at most garden centers.  I use vermiculite.

Good Morning,

Ordinary Garden Lime works well, too. It is not flammable.  Also, Lime can be used as a Flux for Fire Welding.

Neil

22 hours ago, Smoggy said:

"... I use the bottom pan section of a pressure cooker for water and a small fire extinguisher for oil ( powder type) ..."

Yes, make sure you do not use the water filled extinguishers for oil!

(sorry, couldn't resist)

Reminds me of the two blacksmiths(insert other if necessary ) asking his friend, if you claim off insurance is it better to claim for theft from your shop or cause your shop burnt down? Friend answers" Theft logically ?" Why Theft? Well says the friend "if they repudiate your claim, at least you still have your stuff"

Hope everyone who has an outdoor quench bucket remembered to dump it with the coldest weather moving in.  Here in Sunny Alabama it was 13 degrees when I woke up, was glad I remembered to dump mine after losing a bucket to the cold once before.  

Okay, so say someone had a keg and wanted to use it as a slack bucket, but they didn't have access to a plasma cutter, what is their next best alternative for removing the top?

Just now, RDSBandit said:

Okay, so say someone had a keg and wanted to use it as a slack bucket, but they didn't have access to a plasma cutter, what is their next best alternative for removing the top?

Cutting disc in an angle grinder?

Cold chisel and a hammer?

Most folks have an angle grinder, just be aware you don't have to have a circular opening, a square hole will do.

I'm with JHCC, I would think a cutting disc on an angle grinder would make pretty quick work of that.  IIRC those kegs aren't the hardest metal in the world (or so I've heard, being a Good Southern Girl I have no actual experience with kegs, of course.    )

Saber saw with metal cutting blade?