Handle stick out of quench oil

[alexmin]

I am making a knife out of O-1 which is bigger than my oil container.
Is it OK if handle will stick out? I am mostly worried about warping.

 

[Robert Hankins]

Just edge quench it! You should be fine

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Use an edge quench or make/get a bigger quench tank.6" PVC pipe makes great etching tanks,and can work for a quench tank in a pinch.Keep the hot blade away from the sides.Look around for a day or two and I'm sure you will see quench tanks all over the place - 4" shell casings from the surplus store,6" pipe cutoffs from the junk yard, a turkey fryer tub,old 100 cup coffee pot,you get the idea.
Stacy

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

Looks like you may still have some holes to drill in that handle so you don't want it hard anyway!

 

[Kevin R. Cashen]

If you are not concerned about the soft tang, it should not effect the edge if you are using a verticle quench. I would quench point down until you get around 400F. and then pull the blade out and quench the tang if you want, this way if you stop the cooling on both parts at around 400F. you can handle the blade with gloved hands and work any warps straight before it cools. But this may be a lot of trouble for nothing, I have done many blades with the tang out of the quench without warping issues. keep the cooling even and you are fine.

Stacy, I hate to be one of those knit picking saftey Nazis, but using PVC for a quench tube is a temptation that we have all have a time or two, and I have always rolled a mess of "what if" scenarios through my mind and decided against it. I have heard more than one account now of the guys who didn't listen to that little voice and found that in the event of a flash over the tube melted from the top down and quickly distributed flaming oil across the shop floor in a self feeding inferno. For those who have years under their belt of avoiding oil flashing and a good understanding of fire science, I say "have fun! we all need a little thrill in our day", but to the less experienced quenchers using whatever oil they may be using, I would say the risk to life and property is not worth it.

Oh and also be certain to wear you OSHA approved safety glasses and gloves

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Kevin, Yeah, I started not to say that.I should have left it out.Someone will make a 2" PVC tank and melt right through the side. Steel ,Aluminum,or Brass is the proper choice.
Mea Culpa.
Stacy