Cutting Oil as Quenchant?

E

EIDO

Joined
May 22, 2004
Messages
232
Has anybody used cutting oil (used for lubricating the drilling process)as a quenchant? Any ideas as to whether it would function well in that capacity?

Thanks in Advance
 
I,ve been wondering the same thing for a few months,but I'm too cheap to possibly fry my gallon of Tap-Ease. It seems more watery than oil, but you never know. If you try it, please post your results.
 
Use the right tool for the job.Get a good quench oil.(and BTW,the answer is no - cutting oil is not suitable)
If any oil would do for any job,you wouldn't need to buy Tap-ease,now would you?
 
Hehehe, Bladsmth, I like you! I don't know how you get away with it however, being that to-the-point on this topic has gotten me everything short of death threats!

I do actually understand one facet of folks looking to use different things for quenching, it seems to come from our tendancy to think "faster is better" so we are always looking for ideas to top the speed of our current quenchant. But the information that knifemakers really need is that speed is not everything- if it were brine or water would be the best, period. But interestingly enough it is not the speed of water that is most responsible for our blades turning into horseshoes, it is its nasty low vapor point and uneven cooling characteristics.

All we need to do is cool things fast enough to 500F for austenite not to be able turn into anything else. If we do that, we got it made! For some steel air can do this, others need oils. Quench speed is just one little factor in a very complex process, and it is too bad that that one little factor has become the sole criteria that quenchants are based upon, the whole reason quechants have speeds listed is to best match it to your particular steel, not to judge their quality.
 
Rudy,

I think bladesmiths have too many, not to few, alternative media for quenching. Heck, adding cutting oil--besides the two little facts that its probably more expensive and less effective--to the list won't hurt anything.

John
 
It was just a question... some of you guys gotta relax a little. I personally didn't think it would change the world as we know it. Thank Christ for my grandkids. Gotta go.
 
After agood night's sleep, I feel much better.
I felt bad for EIDO for just asking a question. The poor guy is probably still scared to to ask another question any time soon. As for the Tap-ease, that was a find in a closed down machine shop.(free)
I don't argue with the "logic" cause I use it myself. But... over the last twenty odd years I am guilty of pissing off the heat treat gods. Sometimes I just want to know the answer to a interesting question, not get reemed for wanting to know.
 
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