Quench oil

Matt Rochester

Matt Rochester

Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Messages
1,864
So I'm about to heat treat some 1095. I've done all stainless so far. I know parks 50 is best but I have a buddy with some oil they use for A1 and O1. The label is jacked up so I can't read it all but it is D?asta M 102. Anyone know anything about this oil? Also could I heat treat and quench in foil? I am going to use clay as I'm going for a hamon. Thanks.
 
I'm not familiar with the oil you mentioned. I'm assuming you have some 1095 left over after making the knife? If so do some testing. 1095 is a water quench steel, If you don't like water I have found Automatic transmission fluid to be fast enough for 1084 in thin sections .25" or thinner. I assume it would work adequately with 1095. Just get it strait out of the forge and in the quench bath as fast as humanly possible. Put your quench tank directly below the forge (or kiln) and be smooth and fast.

I've never heard of using foil and clay, or using foil on water quench steels.
Half the fun of making a knife is learning to adapt to use what is available in the shop.
Jim A.
 
On steels that require quenching in a liquid, you don't want to use foil. It takes too much time to get off the blade. If you take it off then quench, your blade will have cooled to much and may not harden. If you leave it on, your blade won't cool fast enough and your blade won't harden.

Generally speaking the reason you use foil is to stop scale/carbon loss at high temps with long soaks that are used in high alloy steels. 1095 you probably don't need a long soak to get good results.
If you are still worried about scale, water down your clay and put a very thin layer over the entire blade, then thicker on the spine.
This should not interfere with the quench speed enough to make a difference, and it'll help keep your blade from scaling up to badly.
 
S.Alexander said:
Sorry I can't help you with identifying the oil. But I'd imagine of it's good for O1 steel, it will be too slow for 1095.
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That's what I was afraid of. When you hear the term "7 second oil" or "11 second oil" is this referring to the time from aust temp to room temp?
 
I figured the added .006" wouldn't hurt the quench speed but I'm no expert! Thanks for the tips and I'll give them a try.
A.McPherson said:
On steels that require quenching in a liquid, you don't want to use foil. It takes too much time to get off the blade. If you take it off then quench, your blade will have cooled to much and may not harden. If you leave it on, your blade won't cool fast enough and your blade won't harden.

Generally speaking the reason you use foil is to stop scale/carbon loss at high temps with long soaks that are used in high alloy steels. 1095 you probably don't need a long soak to get good results.
If you are still worried about scale, water down your clay and put a very thin layer over the entire blade, then thicker on the spine.
This should not interfere with the quench speed enough to make a difference, and it'll help keep your blade from scaling up to badly.
Click to expand...
 
Matt R said:
That's what I was afraid of. When you hear the term "7 second oil" or "11 second oil" is this referring to the time from aust temp to room temp?
Click to expand...

Neither. Its a measure of how fast the oil quenches a ball bearing of a particular size from this temp to that. I don't remember the specifics but it's not applicable to any actual quench times.
 
Matt R said:
I figured the added .006" wouldn't hurt the quench speed but I'm no expert! Thanks for the tips and I'll give them a try.
Click to expand...

It's not so much the extra thickness, but the air inside the packet and the oil not actually touching the metal being quenched.
When you quench a blade in a liquid, the liquid boils (in most cases) the bubbles form a "vapor jacket" around the blade, which slows down the cooling. That's why it's recommended to move the blade lengthwise in the oil to break up that "vapor jacket"
If you quenched a blade wrapped in foil you'd essentially be making a "vapor jacket" that you can't disrupt.
At least that's my understanding of it at any rate...
 
I would say if thy are quenching A2 in the oil I would not use it for 1095. Maybe if you had some 1084 I would consider it with that oil. I'm just thinking backwards. If an oil is good for 1095 I would hedge a bet that it cracks A2. If you get in a pinch let me know I do heat treating and have both parks 50 and AAA
 
JT, with the addition of your new signature, EVERYONE knows you offer heat treating. My Moms, who is currently on the other side of the continent, can read it. From MY iPad. Yeesh!!!!

Takes up a quarter of the screen!!!

:D


To the original poster, you want to use Parks 50. This is, of course, you're serious about your results.
 
Sorry guys I did not know it was that big. I used my phone to put it back on my signature and it must have been the full size version. Sorry about that I will shrink it down.
 
Of course I'm serious about my results, that's why I'm asking. I don't do much carbon steel so dropping $150 if I didn't need to seems like a waste. But then again, if I have quench oil I will do more carbon steels!
Matthew Gregory said:
JT, with the addition of your new signature, EVERYONE knows you offer heat treating. My Moms, who is currently on the other side of the continent, can read it. From MY iPad. Yeesh!!!!

Takes up a quarter of the screen!!!

:D


To the original poster, you want to use Parks 50. This is, of course, you're serious about your results.
Click to expand...
 
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