Neighbor's simple tip made me rethink how I quench blades.

I always dunked my blades in water to cool them fast, thinking it saved time. My neighbor watched me one day and said oil works better for tool steel to avoid cracks. He grabbed some old motor oil from his garage and let me try it on a practice piece. Now I use oil for the tough steels and my work doesn't snap as much.

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy_reed1mo ago

Hold up, so your neighbor just happened to have old motor oil lying around for blade quenching? Classic garage wisdom right there. I can only imagine the smell of burnt oil in your shop now. But hey, if it stops your tools from snapping, guess it's worth the greasy hands.

kimb361mo ago

Guess your garage smells like a lube job now, @nancy_reed.

the_ruby5d ago

Wait, does quenching in old motor oil actually work better than new oil? I've heard people say the additives in used oil can cause problems. What kind of steel are you even working with that needs an oil quench?