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I think quenching in used motor oil is overrated (and my anvil paid the price)
Last Tuesday I tried quenching a railroad spike knife in some old 10W-30 I had sitting around, and the whole thing went sideways. The blade came out with this terrible pitting I couldn't grind out, and it smelled like burnt garbage for two days in my shop near Tulsa. Now I'm back to plain water for my small projects. Anyone else had bad luck with oil quenches from the garage?
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charles6404mo ago
Can't believe someone tried quenching in diesel fuel, that's just asking for a disaster.
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caseythompson3mo ago
Hey did you ever read that old blacksmithing forum post about how used motor oil has all kinds of contaminants that cause that pitting? I remember someone saying the additives break down weird and leave sulfur deposits on the steel.
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cooper.drew4mo ago
Buddy of mine out in Bristow tried quenching a lawnmower blade in diesel fuel once and ended up with a layer of crud so thick he had to reforge the whole thing. Said the smell stuck to his clothes for a week and his wife made him keep the forge setup outside. He's strictly water only now too, swears by it for anything smaller than a hatchet.
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