Quench ant for 01

B

bmills

Well-Known Member
I tried the search but didn't really confirm anything.

I heard of Chevron Texaco, McMaster Carr, Parks, AAA, and Brownells. I would prefer a known quenchant as opposed to vegetable oils, etc. Although I am new at this, I think this would be the best procedure for me.

Can someone recommend something and if so, could you include if it needs to be "fast, medium, or slow"?

Please forgive me for the simplistic questions.

Bill
 
I've quenched O1 in ATF and canola and both worked ok. I think you're "supposed" to use Parks AAA, that is if you can find it anywhere. Fortunately, O1 seems to be pretty easy to HT to me. If you find a good source for the Parks, post it on here if you don't mind.
 
Self Made Knives said:
I've quenched O1 in ATF and canola and both worked ok. I think you're "supposed" to use Parks AAA, that is if you can find it anywhere. Fortunately, O1 seems to be pretty easy to HT to me. If you find a good source for the Parks, post it on here if you don't mind.
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I'm researching. I read a thread somewhere that states McMaster Carr 28 second is good for 01 and they have 5 gallons for about $78.00 in stock.

bill
 
bmills said:
I tried the search but didn't really confirm anything.

I heard of Chevron Texaco, McMaster Carr, Parks, AAA, and Brownells. I would prefer a known quenchant as opposed to vegetable oils, etc. Although I am new at this, I think this would be the best procedure for me.

Can someone recommend something and if so, could you include if it needs to be "fast, medium, or slow"?

Please forgive me for the simplistic questions.

Bill
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Bill, your question is not all that simplistic, it is a good one and one that is quite cogent with your decision to go with a reliable product made to do the job, it will put you much farther ahead in the game with the learning curve, just due to repeatability alone. Parks is a good oil but harder to get, if you want to go with Parks AAA you may be able to get it at Maxim oil out of Texas. I have worked with O-1 for over 25 years now and know what it likes. What you what is a good medium speed oil, any of the brands you mentioned will work as will Houghton's Hoto-quench G. The McMaster Carr will be the most easily available, as will both the Chevron and Texaco. 11 to 14 second oils work well for O-1 but speed is only part of the equation, thermal and chemical stability, vapor jacket, evenness of cooling, timing of the cooling curves and others will all play valuable roles in reaching the maximum potential in the steel with the least hassles from distortion and other factors.
 
Kevin R. Cashen said:
Bill, your question is not all that simplistic, it is a good one and one that is quite cogent with your decision to go with a reliable product made to do the job, it will put you much farther ahead in the game with the learning curve, just due to repeatability alone. Parks is a good oil but harder to get, if you want to go with Parks AAA you may be able to get it at Maxim oil out of Texas. I have worked with O-1 for over 25 years now and know what it likes. What you what is a good medium speed oil, any of the brands you mentioned will work as will Houghton's Hoto-quench G. The McMaster Carr will be the most easily available, as will both the Chevron and Texaco. 11 to 14 second oils work well for O-1 but speed is only part of the equation, thermal and chemical stability, vapor jacket, evenness of cooling, timing of the cooling curves and others will all play valuable roles in reaching the maximum potential in the steel with the least hassles from distortion and other factors.
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Kevin,

Would it be possible for you to list in accordance to your preference, the oils above? Also their availability and where they might be purchased? I could probably spring for 5 gallons if it were necessary.

I know everyone has an opinion on quenchants including home brewed concoctions, but with someone who has 25 years experience with 01, I am all ears. By the way, I will be 66 years old soon, and I don't want to spend years on trial and error, although if I were a younger man that experience would probably be valuable.

By the way, I'm from Evart, MI which is between Cadillac and Big Rapids. Where is Matherton?

Thank you for your time and patience with newbie questions! I do have a knifemakers oven still in the box. Is there a thread you could direct me to properly heat treat precision ground 01?

Bill
 
In order of my preference Parks AAA (this is not based on performance as much as another feature, AAA is clear so you can visually monitor the oils performance and breakdown over time), Houghto-Quench G by Hougton international (just as good as AAA but opaque like used motor oil, but very stable over the long haul), McMaster Carr (not much, if any, difference from the previous), Chevron ( I have worked with it in the past). Texaco (I have literature on it but have not worked with it personally).

Matherton is midway between Ionia and St. Johns (taking M-21) and 4.5 miles north, or 7 miles straight south from Carson City, if taking M-57.
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Kevin R. Cashen said:
In order of my preference Parks AAA (this is not based on performance as much as another feature, AAA is clear so you can visually monitor the oils performance and breakdown over time), Houghto-Quench G by Hougton international (just as good as AAA but opaque like used motor oil, but very stable over the long haul), McMaster Carr (not much, if any, difference from the previous), Chevron ( I have worked with it in the past). Texaco (I have literature on it but have not worked with it personally).

Matherton is midway between Ionia and St. Johns (taking M-21) and 4.5 miles north, or 7 miles straight south from Carson City, if taking M-57.
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Thank you Kevin.

Bill
 
So far the only thing I've found is McMaster Carr quenchant in either 11 second or 28 second and it goes for $79.84 for 5 gallons, in stock. I didn't calculate shipping.

I guess if I can't find Parks AAA, I will order the McMaster in 11 second. If this is incorrect, someone please chime in.

Thanks for time.

Bill
 
it should work fine. i use 12 second quench oil i got from the office's supplier of oil and lube. works fine. be sure and read the label and pre-heat your quench before starting. if it gives a range like 110-130 degrees, heat to 120, and you should not have any issues. enjoy the new adventure. O1 is my main steel and i like to use it at Rc62-64.
 
I use the McMaster oil with good success, similar to Scott, I get 65 out of quench and temper back to 62.

I only have a gallon, but so far it's been enough. I quench tip first, so to get enough depth to quench a knife of about 12" or so, I needed to get creative with my quench bucket. I was strolling through WalMart one day while my tires were being balanced at the tire shop next door and spotted a tall, narrow galvanized decorative bucket, maybe 5-6" in diameter and 16" tall, maybe 7-8 bucks. Hey, worth a try. My concern, obviously, was leaks. So, I took the LP torch and some plumbing solder n flux and soldered the seams. To my surprise, it held. A gallon fills it about 3/4 full and works great.

For heating the oil, I bought a cheap electric charcoal starter and just hang it over the edge and monitor the temperature with a cheap meat thermometer.

The blades I do are generally low mass, so I can do a few blades before the oil gets warmer than ideal. Bigger blades will heat the oil faster, so YMMV.

Good luck.

-Kurt
 
Kurt, do you use a rockwell tester to determine hardness before and after tempering? At what temp do you temper to achieve 62 rockwell? Thanks for the help.

Bill
 
Kurt,

Do you use a rockwell tester to determine hardness before and after tempering? At what temp and for how long to achieve the 62 Rockwell? Thanks for the help.

Bill
 
I don't own a hardness tester, (I patronize a machine shop who has one and they let me use it for free) so I'm not able to get pre-temper readings, however, following a 300F 2 hour temper I get about 65 HRC, which I believe is pretty close to as-quenched hardness. Following that, 375-400 for 2 hours brings them back to ~62-63.

Hope this helps.

-Kurt
 
bmills said:
Kurt,

Do you use a rockwell tester to determine hardness before and after tempering? At what temp and for how long to achieve the 62 Rockwell? Thanks for the help.

Bill
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375F is good for Rc62-63. with thin blades, 3/32" or less, I temper twice for an hour with a cold water quench in between. 1\8" and thicker, i temper for an hour at 300F, cold water quench, then two hours to set hardness. for me 325F gives 64, 350 63, 375 62. i am going to modify my temper oven so i can get a second thermocouple inside and see actual temperature where the blades sit. also making a muffle/container to put blades in to eliminate radiant heat transfer. as you know, the more variables you can eliminate, the easier the problem is to solve.
 
I e-mailed Houghton about their quench-G and they replied saying that someone would contact me shortly, that was 4 days ago. Getting good quench is as tough or tougher than a newbie grinding his first blade!

Bill
 
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