Canola oil advantages

Tai Goo said:
14. I think it smells better than most. :)

Reminds me of diner time...
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i save the oil from my deep fryer and when i quench a blade it smells like i just cooked some chicken. it still does a good job quenching and the knives i have had rc tested are in the range i shoot for.
 
In all seriousness though, I'd be interested in reading the whole article cited in the beginning. Source?
 
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Good thread, Tai. If folks have reasons for not going with an engineered oil (environmental, availability, cost or plain preference) I think it is important to help them find the best performing substitute. This this thread does just that.

Rick
 
I started out taking my damascus and carbon steel to a blacksmith friend to h.t.He swears by his black muck quench consisting of filtered used synthetic motor oil.So my peanut/canola oil mix is a huge step up in technology for me.I have another buddy that swears by trans. fluid.He's a fairly well known maker with a excellent rep.I agree with a previous post saying that profile and edge geometry is the most important thing.
 
Seals said:
I started out taking my damascus and carbon steel to a blacksmith friend to h.t.He swears by his black muck quench consisting of filtered used synthetic motor oil.So my peanut/canola oil mix is a huge step up in technology for me.I have another buddy that swears by trans. fluid.He's a fairly well known maker with a excellent rep.I agree with a previous post saying that profile and edge geometry is the most important thing.
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if that were true, why not use lead or aluminium insted of steel.
 
I definitely think you guys should stick with canola.

Definitely.

You've obviously got it all figured out, so that's that!
 
*sigh*

Regardless of intention, everyone's replies are still obviously dominated by assumption of truth, even if there's a vague intention to "play fair".


It's funny that we can all admit how complex heat treating and metallurgy is, yet we all seem to be convinced that the answers to these complex subjects are binary. Genius.


For me, I find canola works really well (read: better) even with 1095/W2, if I'm forging to near finish. By that I mean, not leaving the "oh so ubiquitous; sacrificial material", that's so common in the standard type of bladesmithing, which involves minimal bevel forging or none at all, with a lot of finish grinding. I'm finding that using Park HT50 is causing me to have to leave a thicker cross section before HT to avoid cracking.


So I'm going to continue believing that the whole issue is highly complex, and there's no simple solution.

It's starting to become very clear to me why so many talented makers avoid these forums like the plague. =(


edit: Just wanted to add that I found canola not fast enough after two tries with a thick blade I was HTing the other day, that even though it had a pretty established bevel, still had plenty of meat left at the edge (~.09-.10) to get expected hardness with some 1095. So it swings both ways. I do very little if any grinding before HT with most blades, so maybe I'm just screwing up in general, and I'm admittedly a relative novice. So take my opinions for what little if any they're worth.
 
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First I know very little about quenching.
But David Boye mentions in his book that he prefers to use olive oil.
How does that compare?
 
So who here is going to tell us the best way for "Epoxidation" of Canola oil :)
 
While I prefer formulated quench oils, canola is a good alternative for those desiring a readily available quenchant with reasonably good abilities. It isn't Parks #50, but it is equivalent to most medium speed quench oils. It is also far safer than using ATF or used motor oil.

Knifetoagunfight - I removed the picture to try and keep things on topic. I would have sent you an email or PM and asked you to do it, but you don't support those, so I did it for you. I caught your humor :)
No thread will be locked unless there is improper behavior. This thread is exactly how things should be done. Everyone has their say and no arguments. If people have intense feelings, they should refrain from posting, and thus avoid the fights.

Thanks for keeping things civil, guys...and Tai - thanks for your thread.
 
i used oil till i got my bucket of parks 50 lucky for me tho i used O1 at the time and the slower oil was not onl ok but maybe safer
i found O1 in the thicknesses i use is also able to be plate quenched (post temper at 400 is 62-63rc)

the other steels i used were air quench. now that im doing more W2 im glad to have the parks in the shop
 
If I spent >$20/gallon on a fluid and had it shipped across a continent it would be difficult for me to understand how a fluid that cost $5/gallon and could be purchased at the supermarket was as good or arguably superior.
 
I don't have any information to add being that i still don't do my own HTing, but I have found this very informative. I am still looking for a place to purchase Park #50 or some of the Houghton quench, but have had no luck finding it, or a place that will ship to me, yet. I is nice to know that canola oil will make a reasonable substitute in the mean time, because I can pick that up cheap.
 
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