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I Forge Iron

Quench oil recommendation


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Depends on the alloy to be quenched.  I generally use parks 50 for alloys requiring a fast quench  or warmed canola oil for alloys requiring a slower quench or just air for alloys with the slowest quench rate needed.

Question is a lot like "what fuel should I use in my vehicle?"   Gasoline, diesel, aviation gasoline, LOX and Hydrogen, alcohol,....depends on the vehicle...

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When it comes to horsepower I still stand (a goodly distance away) by the Saturn 5.  Most Impressive when it takes off! (I was closer for the Apollo 11 launch than the VIP bleachers on the cape---Titusville Holiday Inn parking lot, right across the inlet from the launch pad...)

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There is no universal "best" quench medium.   It depends largely on the alloy of steel used for the blade.  If you have new steel then the manufacturer should have heat treating specifications for the steel, which will include the temperature the steel should be at for quenching and the quenching medium required.  Some steels do use oil, others will not harden in oil, but will harden in water, and others will harden simply by being cooled in the air.

For simple carbon steels most oils will work.  Canola oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil warmed up to around 130-140 degrees F are reasonably good choices.  However, what is best depends on what is most important to you.  If the oil cost $150 US per gallon would you still be interested?  There are oils specifically designed for quenching, but again whether they are "best" depends on the specific alloy to be quenched.

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  • 1 month later...

frosty  My dog used to play with pure nitromethane derived from RC race car fuel. Hit it with water to separate the oil, filter it off. Distill the methanol/nitromethane under a chemical vacuum (pulls 0 torr) and beware it's explosive nature, if I remember correctly, it autoignites at 101C and boils at 100C at STP (standard temperature and pressure). Now your cars will go much faster. Or so I read in a patent somewhere...

btw what's a 'pinned' post please?

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