Took me 6 months to realize I was quenching in used motor oil

I couldn't figure out why my blades were coming out soft until a buddy walked in and asked why my quench bucket smelled like a lawnmower. Anyone else have a "wait, that's not right" moment with their process?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_webb671mo ago

Spent a whole month sharpening on a grinder that was running backward before I noticed. Felt like an idiot when I flipped the switch and saw sparks flying the wrong way. Kept wondering why my edges were all burred up and uneven. Had to redo every blade I'd touched that week.

hugos461mo ago

Three weeks. That's how long I spent with a belt sander running backwards before I realized my mistake. The frustration of seeing those same burrs and thinking it was just my technique was awful. Really feel for you having to redo everything, that sinking feeling when you finally see what's wrong is the worst.

aaron_mitchell1mo ago

Read somewhere that a lot of the cheaper belts and disks might not have the arrow printed on them, or it wears off fast. Makes you wonder how many other folks are out there grinding away backwards without even knowing it. Three weeks is rough, but at least you figured it out before you wore the motor out or something.