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Old timer told me to quench in used motor oil instead of water

Ran into a guy at the local scrap yard last week who swears by quenching hot steel in old drain oil. He said water makes blades britter but oil gives them more flex. Has anyone else tried this or am I about to ruin a good set of tongs?
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thomas.cameron
thomas.cameron27d agoTop Commenter
Been doing this a while and that's a real old school trick, but it's mostly for stuff like springs or tools where you want a little give. For blades, you're probably better off with water or brine unless you want a softer edge that won't hold up. Used oil can work, but it's nasty and you gotta watch the fumes.
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kai657
kai65727d ago
Wait, are you saying oil is that bad for spring steel too @thomas.cameron?
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