Subject: Re: 'Magic' Quench (finally!)

From: [email-masked] (Michael J. Edelman)
Date: 4 Nov 1993 19:16:42 GMT

In article 3092@tower,  [email-masked] writes:
>As requested (and after I finally remembered to look it up):
>
>Rob Gunter' Experimental Quench - replaces a 10% NaOH solution
>
>Contents:
>
>     5 gallons water
>     5 pounds table salt
>     32 ounces "Dawn" dish soap
>     8 ounces "Shaklee" Basic I
               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

What's that..?

--mike

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From: [email-masked] ()
Date: 4 Nov 1993 22:29:52 GMT

[email-masked] wrote:
: As requested (and after I finally remembered to look it up):

: Rob Gunter' Experimental Quench - replaces a 10% NaOH solution

: Contents:

:      5 gallons water
:      5 pounds table salt
:      32 ounces "Dawn" dish soap
:      8 ounces "Shaklee" Basic I

: Quench at 1550 F (stir before using and agitate during the quench)

: The general effect is to boost a steel up a grade in hardness,
: i.e., if under a normal quench, it would reach Rockwell 40,
: under this quench, it will reach a Rockwell 50-55.  From my
: experience, it will do little to mild steel but will have a
: noticeable effect on steels with even a bit of carbon.

I have a neophyte question for you.  What applications would you 
use this type of quench for?   I understand that different quenches
cool at different rates and should be used in different situations.
For instance, crank case oil would be a better than water for quenching
something large like a hammer because it cools the center slower and
is less likely to fracture.

Are any people who forge tools using this and for what?

Thanks,
Mike Lopke

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 4 Nov 93 07:29:36 -0500

Contents:

     5 gallons water
     5 pounds table salt

Quench at 1550 F (stir before using and agitate during the quench)

The general effect is to boost a steel up a grade in hardness,
i.e., if under a normal quench, it would reach Rockwell 40,
under this quench, it will reach a Rockwell 50-55.  From my
experience, it will do little to mild steel but will have a
noticeable effect on steels with even a bit of carbon.

Steve Bloom (IronFlower Forge)

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 5 Nov 93 12:33:17 -0500

> : Rob Gunter' Experimental Quench - replaces a 10% NaOH solution
  [formula deleted]

> Are any people who forge tools using this and for what?
of making it more brittle).  It the steel is to be used as a tool,
it should deform less, take a better edge, etc.  If you are cheap,
you may be trying to make a tool out of less-than-optimal materials,
i.e., steel with a low(er) carbon content than would normally be used -
say rebar instead of S5 for making a chisel.  The faster the quench,
generally, the harder the result.  This quench is VERY fast.  When
you plunge the steel in, it does not hiss - it screams.  I've had
reasonable results hardening railroad spike knives and some shaping
tools.  I know of other smiths who use it for hardening the dies in
power hammers.  You can think of it as a brine quench on steroids.

Steve Bloom