Questions about quench oils

[SkagSig40]

I'm a new maker and have a few questions about quench oils:

* I'm curious how long the oils last till it needs to be replaced? I'll be using canola oil mostly for 1084 blades.

* Can you contaminate the oil with normal use(get to much dust, slag, carbon, etc. in it)? How can you tell if it is no longer good?

* I just made a tank to hold the oil and it was rusty inside. I cleaned up all the rust and sprayed silicon oil spray to protect the bare steel from rusting till I put it in use. Will the silicon oil film on the tank walls contaminate the quench oil(canola oil)? Do I need to clean it off before filling the tank?

*Does canola oil prevent rust?

*And last, if I need to switch types of oils can I pour out the oil in the tank and fill with the needed different oil with out completely cleaning/degreasing the tank? Wondering again about contamination. I currently only have one steel tank for quenching but can use Rubbermaid totes to hold different oils. Just concerned the remnants of the previous oil mixing with the new oil is bad or not?

Any other advice is greatly appreciated!!!

 

[kuraki]

I'm a new maker and have a few questions about quench oils:

* I'm curious how long the oils last till it needs to be replaced? I'll be using canola oil mostly for 1084 blades.
A long time
* Can you contaminate the oil with normal use(get to much dust, slag, carbon, etc. in it)? How can you tell if it is no longer good?
scale, dust etc not a huge deal unless it's really excessive. When blades quenched in it no longer get hard.
* I just made a tank to hold the oil and it was rusty inside. I cleaned up all the rust and sprayed silicon oil spray to protect the bare steel from rusting till I put it in use. Will the silicon oil film on the tank walls contaminate the quench oil(canola oil)? Do I need to clean it off before filling the tank?
I wouldn't worry about it
*Does canola oil prevent rust?
yes
*And last, if I need to switch types of oils can I pour out the oil in the tank and fill with the needed different oil with out completely cleaning/degreasing the tank? Wondering again about contamination. I currently only have one steel tank for quenching but can use Rubbermaid totes to hold different oils. Just concerned the remnants of the previous oil mixing with the new oil is bad or not?
I would clean out going from vegetable to petroleum and back
Any other advice is greatly appreciated!!!

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[i4Marc]

I don't know about the oil life span or effects of contaminants but I certainly wouldn't use Rubbermaid totes to store the oil or use as quench tanks. One touch with a hot blade could result in a fiery river of oil running all over your shop. That would be a bad thing. Go get some out of spec CO2 cylinders from your local compressed gasses supplier and cut the tops off. The place near me gives them to me free. Weld some handles to the sides near the top of the cylinder to help moving the tanks around when filled with oil.

 

[SkagSig40]

Thanks gentlemen! I would only store cold oil in the Rubbermaid tote'. Steel cylinders cut down to size is exactly what I plan on using for quench tanks. I have my first one already built. Try to post a picture a little later. Thanks again gentlemen!

 

[T.Saslow]

If you do cut the top off a used gas tank, please, please, PLEASE be 100% sure it is an inert gas like CO2. If its an oxygen or acetaline tank, you will never have the opportunity to return to this forum and keep us updated on your work, if you catch my drift.

 

[SkagSig40]

Very good advice! I had thought about that as the first one I cut open was an oxygen tank. I got it at a scrapyard and the top where the regulator threads in was completely open. It had been open and sitting outside for a very long time. I still filled it up with water and poured it out to be on the safe side.

 

[Drew Riley]

I don't know about the oil life span or effects of contaminants but I certainly wouldn't use Rubbermaid totes to store the oil or use as quench tanks. One touch with a hot blade could result in a fiery river of oil running all over your shop.

Been there, ALMOST did that. Couldn't find a tank big enough to edge quench an 8" chef knife I was making, so I used a plastic drawer out of a storage tote. Not being one to regularly edge quench, I didn't think about the inevitable flare up until it was too late. I could literally see the sides of the plastic container turning clear and starting to bow inward... Somehow I blew out the flame before it was running across my shop, but that was certainly a lesson learned.