A veteran smith at the Tucson festival told me my quenching oil was way too cold, and after switching to 130-degree canola oil, my blades stopped cracking.

Has anyone else found a sweet spot for oil temp with 1084 steel, or should I try a different oil entirely?

3 comments

3 Comments

wader7111d agoMost Upvoted

My uncle used to swear by pre-heating his motor oil before an oil change, said it drained cleaner. Same idea, I guess. He'd set the jug in a bucket of hot water from the sink. Always wondered if it actually did anything.

beth14711d ago

That makes sense, warm oil is supposed to work a lot better.

richarddixon11d ago

Yeah warm oil is the key. I tried cold coconut oil once and it was a mess, just sat on top of my skin. When I heat it up a bit, it soaks right in. Makes my hair feel way softer too. Total game changer.