What do i need to get started in oil quenching??

Lerch

Lerch

Well-Known Member
I have been wanting to work with some W2 and 1095 steel and i was wondering what i would need to get started in oil quenching? Do i need to pre heat the oil or what kind of container do i need to quench in, and particular kind of oil, etc etc etc ??

I would like to be able to do some differential heat treating down the road also

thanks
steve
 
Thanks

What kind of container do i need to use to quench in, will just anything work? I really know nothing about this lol , how do you heat the oil ?

thanks
steve
 
Lerch come tomorrow to Roys shop tour and they will fill you in there. you can even hammer on some steel out of Ray Kirks portable set up. 10 AM off of 39th just past the college.
 
Lerch, if at all possible take Mike up on his offer. You'll learn more at a hammer-in doing hands on work and asking questions and getting answers on the spot. But my advise for 1095 & W2 is to spend the few extra dollars on some Parks 50, you never regret buying the best and you only pay for it once. You could buy a cheaper oil but you wont get the most out of these steels. As far as a quench tank, I use a large electric roaster I bought at wally world. It will take blades up to about 18" and heats the oil well. Get a thermometer that is long enough to go through the lid and into the oil and you're good to go. Also depending how deep you fill it, it holds enough oil to do several blades in one session. One more tip, on those steels you want your quench tank as close as possible to your heat source because you want to lose as little heat as possible when going from the heat to the quench. Hope this helps.

Darrin
 
Thanks for the invite Mike and i really wanna come but my wife has laid the law down after i got back from my elk hunt, she wants me home this weekend and busting out some chores around the house before this rain hits. I will have to come to the next tour when ever it is.

thanks again though
 
darrin sanders said:
But my advise for 1095 & W2 is to spend the few extra dollars on some Parks 50, you never regret buying the best and you only pay for it once. You could buy a cheaper oil but you wont get the most out of these steels.
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I agree, with canola you will likely loose a few points of hardness with those steels.

I quench 'regular' sized blades in a bread baking pan, big stuff goes in my modified gas tank (modified by being cut in half with an air chisel) that can handle anything up to 40". Have a metal lid that will fit snugly in case of flare up, and do not quench in plastic...
 
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I can only speak for 1095 off the top of my head, as that's currently what I'm using exclusively.

Ideally, you're going to want an electric HT oven that can hold the blades at a controlled temperature (about 1475F)
Next, canola oil heated to about 130F can be used, but if you want consistency and a few more points of hardness, get some Parks 50. Another nice thing about parks is that you can use it at room temperature. I believe the recommended temps are between 50F and 120F. I really only "pre-heat" the oil in the winter when my shop gets below 50F

As for quench tanks, use whatever the blade will fit in so that it can be completely immersed if needed. I made my own "vertical tank" from some 4" PVC pipe epoxied to a sealed toilet flange for a base. I lined it with some round stove pipe to keep from melting the sides with a hot blade by accident, and so far this has worked quite well.

Also, I recommend some good tongs (or I actually use some long slip joint pliers) that can grab the blade securely and get it from oven to quench is less than 2 seconds. 1095 is somewhat fickle and nees a very quick quench.
 
well i have the HT oven, 22.5" EvenHeat. So i need to head out and buy a electric roaster (it gets dang cold in my garage in winter) and some Parks 50 quench oil. Can anyone recommend where to buy parks 50???

thanks
steve
 
K, thanks for the info. I ordered 5gal of Parks 50 from Maxim today. How long will that amount last for me?

thanks
steve
 
I will also be looking to buy some satanite clay for differential hardening, any tips on where to buy that???

thanks
steve
 
Lerch, depending on how often its used, 5 gallons should last you 2 or 3 years probably more. One tip, edge quenching burns up oil a lot quicker than completely submersing in it. As far as Satanite, K&G has it and so does www.hightemptools.com.
 
Definitely use Parks 50 if you can find it. As far as satanite goes, check out Ellis refractory. I was having some weird reaction to the KG stuff - it was like cutting open an onion when I used it.
 
Okay, satanite is on order now as well, guess i should order some high carbon steel before to long lol
 
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