Quick Parks 50 Temperature Question

M

mgysgthath

Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
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I searched and couldn't find a clear answer so I'll keep this short and sweet. The data sheet says its good from 50F to ~120F, and is equally effective at any point in that temperature range. IS there any need for a knife maker (since we use thinner cross sections) to heat Parks (unless it's lower than 50F of course)?
 
Not with Parks 50. It actually works best between those temps. If you are heat treating at the North Pole, you might warm it a bit, otherwise, it is good to go as is.

If you listen very carefully, you can hear it sucking the heat out of the blade. :)
 
Yes, the old addage of 100-130F is not applicable to #50 oil. I myself have been guilty of saying to warm it up, but the data shows that it works best at the ambient temp as long as that is in the 50-120F range.
 
Thanks guys! :) Can't wait to start trying it out. I have my tank components and now just waiting on UPS to bring the oil..
 
They have actually expanded/lowered the temp range recently. It used to be 70-120, so I had to heat mine a tiny bit here in Florida..........maybe 4 or 5 days a year. :D
 
This summer, when I was still in Illinois, after about two weeks of relentless smothering heat, one day I tested my #50 tank one afternoon and it was 100 degrees even.
Surely couldn't cool off 5 gallons if I wanted to.
So, for good reason, I have always heated mine to 100 degrees on each and every quench so that I would equate the temp that was possible in the heat of the summer.
 
Follow up question: anyone know the freeze point of #50? I’m in Colorado, and while my uninsulated garage doesn’t get super cold, we do get cold snaps. Should I bring my tank indoors during those times?
 
Welcome Chris. This thread is 12 years old, so as a new member it is good to look at the dates of the posts before posting. Pulling up old posts is called necropostoing, and usually isn't helpful because many of the people from the old post are no longer around to answer you.

Parks #50 is a mineral oil based quenchant and the freezing point is somewhere between -4°F and -40°F. I don't think it would harm the oil if it froze. However, you should warm it to around 70°F before quenching in it.
 
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