How hot should quenching oil be?

Quenching into oil above 212°F (100°C) has traditionally been referred to as "hot oil" quenching. Oil temperatures in the 195°F - 450°F (90°C - 230°C) range have been used with both ends of the spectrum normally reserved for special applications.

What temperature should you quench a knife at?

Step 2: Quench

(The block ensures that both sides of the blade are evenly cooled.) Many knifemakers recommend using canola oil heated to around 130℉, saying that water tends to cool the steel too quickly, which can lead to cracking, especially if the blade is on the thin side.

What is the best oil to quench with?

What kind of oil do you use to quench hot steel?

Mineral oil quenchants are excellent for oil-hardened steels and steels that require a fast quench rate. They tend to be on the expensive side, but they're highly efficient and have greater cooling capacities for steel alloys.

What temperature do you quench steel?

The steel is tempered to reduce some of the hardness and increase ductility. It's heated for a set period of time at a temperature that falls between 400° F and 1,105° F. Sometimes, if further ductility is needed, a higher temperature is used- around 1,300° F.

STEEL HEAT TREATING CLOSEUP - WATER VS OIL [Trollsky Knifemaking]

At what temperature does steel turn purple?

Changes in Color and Appearance

At 520 degrees Fahrenheit, steel turns purple. At 575 degrees Fahrenheit, steel turns blue. At 800 degrees Fahrenheit, steel turns grey. Above 800 degrees Fahrenheit, steel produces incandescent colors.

What oil do blacksmiths use to quench?

Commercial quenching oils are oils made specifically for the quenching process. These oils are specifically made for different steels and alloys, so you can ensure they will create high-quality products. While these oils are a great option for professional blacksmiths, they are usually more expensive than other oils.

What quench oil is used on forged in fire?

These are fast and medium speed oils, and the most widely used products on the market are Parks 50 (fast) and AAA (medium). The best oil to use depends on the steel in question. There are however some smiths who use one type for all steels.

Why do you preheat quench oil?

I figure preheating the oil does one of two things. It either lowers the shock for the quench, making fractures and bends less likely (hope it's this one, because it didn't happen) or it hardens better because it makes the oil less viscous, meaning it can transfer heat away from the blade better.

Can you reuse quenching oil?

Usually, the post-quench washer is used to recover the quench oil for reuse. This washer must only be used to clean parts after the quench and must not be contaminated with other coolants or other contaminants. In this process, the oil is recovered from the post-quench wash and segregated to a separate tank.

What did medieval blacksmiths quench their blades in?

The smith then heats the metal so that both the iron and steel are molten and join. The blade is tempered—transformed from soft, workable metal into a hard blade—by holding the blade over a fire and then quenching the blade in a vat of oil or brine.

How long does quench oil last?

Oil Recovery

Quenching and martempering oils deteriorate during use, although most premium quenching oils can last more than 10 years when given reasonable use and care.

What oil is used in blade quenching?

Canola, Motor Oil, and the Inconel Probe Test

However, some will also use motor oil. I found a study on 1045 steel where they found canola to quench more rapidly than motor oil so I am going to stick with canola as my “cheap” quenching option to test.

Why do blades warp when quenched?

When these heated parts are quenched, their internal crystal structure changes again, and that volume change is not necessarily sufficient to offset the change upon heating. This change of volume can cause dimensional distortion.

What temperature does steel harden at?

Steels are heated to their appropriate hardening temperature {usually between 800-900°C), held at temperature, then "quenched" (rapidly cooled), often in oil or water. This is followed by tempering (a soak at a lower temperature) which develops the final mechanical properties and relieves stresses.

Why are blades quenched in oil not water?

Oil has a slower rate of cooling compared to either water or brine, but faster than air, making it an intermediate quench.

Why do Smiths quench in oil?

Why Quench in Oil? Oil quenching is popular because of its severity; that is, it transfers heat more quickly compared to other quenching media like molten salt or gas.

Can you forge rebar?

Cons of Forging with Rebar

A first major con of using rebar for blacksmithing is its unpredictable nature. Most rebar is not made of quality metals and can even contain dangerous fumes when worked. What is this? You can never be sure what the rebar is made of, so final projects can end up brittle.

Can you use water to quench steel?

Water is an effective and simple option, but it also has some significant drawbacks. It cools metal very quickly and helps it reach its maximum level of hardness. However, it can also lead to cracking or distortion of the steel, compromising its utility and potentially rendering it useless.

How hot does a knife forge get?

The forging process involved molding the knife at a critically high heat level (typically 900 - 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit) to improve its hardness.

How hot is blue fire?

Blue flames usually appear at a temperature between 2,600º F and 3,000º F. Blue flames have more oxygen and get hotter because gases burn hotter than organic materials, such as wood. When natural gas is ignited in a stove burner, the gases quickly burn at a very high temperature, yielding mainly blue flames.

What temperature should you forge at?

While typical hot forging temperatures are between 2150°F and 2375°F – well below the melting temperature of more than 2500°F – deformation (adiabatic) heating results in local heating.

Do you quench after tempering?

Tempering is most often performed on steel that has been heated above its upper critical (A₃) temperature and then quickly cooled, in a process called quenching, using methods such as immersing the hot steel in water, oil, or forced-air.