fastest of the grocery store Quench oils?

K

Kentucky

Well-Known Member
we have been using peanut oil for some time and have been satisifed for the most part but we use a lot of 1095 and was wondering if any of the "grocery store oils" is any faster than peanut oil? Canola oil, Corn oil ect...?
 
Canola, as far as I've read. Only by a tad, but faster. For the most complete martensite conversion, brine is it, but we know the possible consequences. Parks #50 is the fastest oil, with canola just behind it, but I can't say you will really see any appreciable difference from the peanut oil. If I were making blades of 1095 to sell, I would choke and gag a few times from sticker shock, but would buy the Parks #50. Brine is the only quench that will beat it.
 
Brine beats water, if you want to go that route, and is less likely to crack the steel. When you read water quench on HT recommendations, they mean brine, not plain water.
 
I saw a chart, or comparison test recently that showed canola just a slight bit faster. Probably not enough to really matter. Parks #50 rules, and brine trumps it if you're brave enough to use it. I'd try it if I could someone to make a test blade. I have used brine for flint strikers, and they did not crack like some do when water quenched, and it's much less violent going in.
 
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Most use it as a 8% solution, or a 9%. I went with 9%. I believe that was 13oz per gallon. Sea salt, Kosher, or rock salt. I used Mortons sea salt. Too much salt slows the cooling effect. I warmed my solution to 120°, but it may not be necessary to warm it more than 100°
 
When I have taken advanced blacksmithing classes from George Dixon to make a brine solution he put a potato (no e Al) in and added salt until the potato floats.

I make knives out of half of a horse shoe. Horse shoes are mild steel. I harden them in SuperQuench and don't draw a temper. I have to sharpen my wife's Case Equestrian knife more often than my mild steel knives. Hopefully I will have some at Blade. They sold well last year. The handle is the heel of the shoe and is carved into a horse head. If you have never used SuperQuench it is interesting. When you quench in water you just hear a hissssss. In SuperQuench the metal actually screams. EEEEEEE!!!!!!!! You can find the receipt for SuperQuench by doing a Google Search. It will come up, among others, threads on "I Forge Iron."
 
Kentucky said:
we have been using peanut oil for some time and have been satisifed for the most part but we use a lot of 1095 and was wondering if any of the "grocery store oils" is any faster than peanut oil? Canola oil, Corn oil ect...?
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Just to let you know you can get Mcmaster
 
Wayne we use super quench on railroad spike knives. the HC knives(around 1030) get pretty dang hard, and your right. The metal literally screams :D I couldent even guess the cooling rate :confused: The color disapprears instantly.Ive read that several guys had hc spikes tested after a super quench and got RC 52 out of it regularly.
 
I've heard of one guy using brake fluid for 1095. Regular DOT 3 from Walmart.
I've never tried it, but he said it was fast.
 
Brake fluid is thin. A lot of it today is listed as non-flammable. Who knows? It might work, but I would want a test piece Rockwelled in a variety of areas. "Fast" can be a very relative term.
 
This is a great thread guys! I have been using motor oil to quench my 1095 and 0-1. My question is, is canola oil better then motor oil?
 
Canola is faster than motor oil but 11 sec McMaster Carr beats them both and is only bout 15 bucks a gallon delivered.
Stan
 
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