1084 quenchant

**Vulcanite** · 08-09-2012, 10:18 PM

If i cant get a line on some houghtoquenchK fri, i will just order some parks #50 from Maxim. Some other time i may experiment with other oil but i am just getting started so ill try to eliminate variables.

**Vulcanite** · 08-10-2012, 06:51 AM

yeah, that guy in OH who offered me 5 gal of quench-K for $300 called be back and offered me some Parks 50 for $200. I readily told him "thanks for checking but I can get it somewhere for $92" and hung up. So maybe the Houghton isn't that bad... If this orlando place doens't come through today I'll just order the parks.

**'71 Commando** · 08-10-2012, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by Vulcanite

The benefit to solid in my application is that i am making full tang knives out of wide plates of steel and with integral "D" guards. I want to put the edges in first and gradually submerge to get a slightly differential temper. Most will have the edge on the same side as the D guard and i want the D guard to be springy, not brittle. Maybe the outward edge ones i will just do straight down into the oil dagger style.

Could i fill up a segment of like 6" pipe with the oil for a verticle quench or might that melt the pipe? I cant think of anothe tall narrow container like that for a vertical quench.

I am currently using a piece of 6" schedule 10 stainless steel pipe with a 1/8" bottom plate welded on and a 1/8 SS bail handle for moving it around. It is filled (to a safe height below the rim) with canola and we have had good success with it. My main reason for making the 6" vertical container was to get enough heat rejection to do a blade that was almost 1/4" thick and ~2 1/2" at the widest point. Ended up getting a hamon all the way around, including the nasty sharp clip point. Steel was 5160.

**Rick Marchand** · 08-10-2012, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by '71 Commando

I am currently using a piece of 6" schedule 10 stainless steel pipe with a 1/8" bottom plate welded on and a 1/8 SS bail handle for moving it around. It is filled (to a safe height below the rim) with canola and we have had good success with it. My main reason for making the 6" vertical container was to get enough heat rejection to do a blade that was almost 1/4" thick and ~2 1/2" at the widest point. Ended up getting a hamon all the way around, including the nasty sharp clip point. Steel was 5160.

I had 6" thick walled pipe and a paint can lid fit snug on top... nice way to keep out dust n crud.

**Vulcanite** · 08-15-2012, 04:18 AM

supposedly i got a 5 gal pail of Houghto Quench K coming for $55 plus shipping. If it arrives and is as expected I'll post up info for you all. Sounds almost too good to be true, especially after being quited $300/5 gallon.

**Vulcanite** · 12-01-2012, 06:20 PM

BTW, I wanted to Update relative to my last post. That deal was too god to be true...

there was a miscommunication and the $55 price was per gallon. I was pretty sure he misspoke but he couldn't find the record of the call...I got the invoice a couple weeks after I got the oil and was like

Anyway, eventually he agreed to give it to me for like cost, which was about $175 I think, so that we didn't have to hassle with a return. I don't know if anyone else knows where to get this reasonable, but it seems like the Parks 50 from Maxim in TX is the best deal going for 10xx quenchant.

**Nathan the Machinist** · 12-01-2012, 07:03 PM

It is good to hear feedback from folks. Thank you for the follow through.

**shane wink** · 12-01-2012, 07:06 PM

I switched from Canola to Parks 50 and dont know how it could get any better. Maxim oil something like 100 bucks and at my door a few days later. I forget the ladies name that helped me but she was nice helpful and knowledgeable.

**Mudbug007** · 12-01-2012, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by shane wink

I switched from Canola to Parks 50 and dont know how it could get any better. Maxim oil something like 100 bucks and at my door a few days later. I forget the ladies name that helped me but she was nice helpful and knowledgeable.

I believe her name is Carla. Very helpful and very friendly people there. They also have some blends there that are suppose to be equivalent to Parks #50 and AAA. They're also a little cheaper.

**me2** · 12-02-2012, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by shane wink

I switched from Canola to Parks 50 and dont know how it could get any better. Maxim oil something like 100 bucks and at my door a few days later. I forget the ladies name that helped me but she was nice helpful and knowledgeable.

Can you describe the differences between canola and P50?

**Rick Marchand** · 12-02-2012, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by me2

Can you describe the differences between canola and P50?

I could tell you what I noticed when I switched from Canola to HQ-K (which is in the P50 league).

1. Zero flare ups. I know canola has a high flash point but my engineered oil transfered heat so much more efficiently, that the tank was more stable.
2. The piece came out much cleaner. When using HQ-K, I found that the decarb layer just slid of like a sheath(especially with 1095).
3. The as-quenched hardness was higher and more consistant across the blade... 3-4pts with some steels (1095 and W2 in particular)

The only drawback of the engineered oil was from an environmental standpoint. I do demos at historical sites and the danger of a petrolium based spill is too great for my taste. I use canola outside my own shop and sometimes olive oil for slower steels like O1 and 5160. I do not have a problem with canola... it has great qualities for a completely organic oil.

**me2** · 12-02-2012, 01:53 PM

4 points sounds pretty significant. Did you have a piece hardness tested?

**Mudbug007** · 12-02-2012, 01:59 PM

I've never had one hardness tested, but in cutting test (cardboard, rope, paper, sticks, etc), the 1084 held a hair shaving edge longer when being quenched in Parks #50 than when I used Canola and ATF. Made a believer out of me!

**Rick Marchand** · 12-02-2012, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by me2

4 points sounds pretty significant. Did you have a piece hardness tested?

Yes. With the 6 blades I had tested (3 in canola and 3 in HQ-K) the edge hardness increased by 2-3pts and on one of the thicker blades the hardness increased by 4pts near the spine.(probably from eliminating any auto-tempering with the efficient HQ-K... but I'm guessing)

**Nebulae** · 12-02-2012, 03:53 PM

I do an interrupted quench in brine for 3 seconds, then canola oil. I think it is the best of both worlds, although there are some risks of cracking. Doesn't get any faster though.

**Rick Marchand** · 12-02-2012, 04:28 PM

What is your as-quenched hardness with this process, Nebulae?

**shane wink** · 12-02-2012, 04:38 PM

I know with this late of a reply it sounds cheap but Rick hit it on the head. I hated cleaning the crap off the blade that I got with canola. Also when doing some cutting test with the 1084 quenched in canola and some I did in parks those blades quenched in parks 50 were more consistent in their edge holding. I have not ever had the two blades tested for their rc but what Rick says about seeing a rise in the rc by a few points would be inline with the higher edge holding I had on the parks 50 blades. Dont be mislead though by my last statement because it may have been error on my part as to why I got inconsistent results with the canola as I used it when first starting out till Kevin Cashen suggested I try the Parks 50.

Yes from the standpoint of the environment its not the best stuff but till they fix the rest of the really toxic stuff being used in America, such as anything painted in China etc, I am a parks 50 user in good conscious!