Conflagration

jdm61

jdm61

itinerant metal pounder
Joined
Aug 12, 2005
Messages
47,357
Okay! I just edge quenched my first JS test mule. How do you avoid setting the neighborhood on fire? LOL
 
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Hi jdm61 I assume that your blade was not to hot and it was just above the critical or non-magnetic state and the oil was warmed, you should be able to simply blow out the flames on the oil, it happens in my shop all the time. Many years ago I quenched a blade why to hot and the oil flared up and I had to let it burn out, good thing I was outside at that time. I hope I understood your question and this helps. Good luck!

Jim Poling
 
This is a full tang test blade of 5160 heated in my Paragon.
 
You may want to consider using clay to ensure the edge quench, that is the way I did my test blade.

Jim P.
 
I just drop a lid on the container :p What I can tell from observation is that the oil vaporizes and creates a small blivet of highly flammable oil vapor just above the quench tank. I use clay as a rule but on my edge quenched small blades I sometimes get the flare ups. Maybe a small fan to disapate the blivet?
 
DustinHall said:
Take away the oxygen.
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Errrr yeah..... see when you edge quench there tends to be flaming oil dripping and at times you set your quench tank on fire :eek: ..... yeahhhhh so it's not that simple a task. Then afterwards you come on BF and ask how not to set your neighborhood on fire.

Joe, I can't believe you've gotten to this point and not had the unmitigated joy of oil fires. I figure half of us became smiths because we're pyros and the other half became smiths because they couldn't become firemen. :D
 
Will Leavitt said:
Errrr yeah..... see when you edge quench there tends to be flaming oil dripping and at times you set your quench tank on fire :eek: ..... yeahhhhh so it's not that simple a task. Then afterwards you come on BF and ask how not to set your neighborhood on fire.

Joe, I can't believe you've gotten to this point and not had the unmitigated joy of oil fires. I figure half of us became smiths because we're pyros and the other half became smiths because they couldn't become firemen. :D
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LOL..........I don't edge quench normally. I fully quench hidden tang blades so the only flame is around the tang. Plus you only have to quench a W2 blade for about 7 seconds in unheated Parks #50, as opposed to rocking an fully heated, full tang edge quenched 5160 blade back and forth for 30 seconds while a heated Parks AAA fueled mini version of Dante's Inferno is burning all of the hair off of your forearm:D As for the lid, yeah, I know, but you can't put the lid on while you are trying to quench the edge of the blade!:p
 
Joe what kind of oil are you using? Never mind I see you use Parks 50. good stuff for the W2. If you do your edge quench and watch the red color dissapear on the sides and spine and then just quench the whole blade the fire will go out. If not put a lid over it. Maybe you could get one of those fire suits the Indy drivers wear. :)
 
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Bruce Bump said:
Joe what kind of oil are you using? Never mind I see you use Parks 50. good stuff for the W2. If you do your edge quench and watch the red color dissapear on the sides and spine and then just quench the whole blade the fire will go out. If not put a lid over it. Maybe you could get one of those fire suits the Indy drivers wear. :)
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I borrowed a bucket of AAA for this task since I am using 5160 for the test knife.
 
Bruce has a good point there, Joe. Rock that knife only as long as there is color in the upper portion. As soon as it goes black, dunk the whole blade in. Fire goes out. You get some flare-up, but it doesn't last long. Hair will grow right back that way.
 
After the fire's out ain't you supposed to put a cow poltice on the burns? I seen it in the Outlaw Josey Wales. :p

Smithing ain't for the faint of heart or for those that actually care about their skin. :D
 
I have spurted some CO2 in the tank (high sides) and it helped a lot. I don't edge quench anymore,since I switched to clay.
Stacy
 
I must be doing something wrong,, I never had a fire yet. My inner pyro is jealous ;)
 
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