I finally stopped quenching in used motor oil

Switched to canola oil after 3 ruined blades and the difference in hardness is night and day for a 10 dollar swap. Anyone else still running mystery oil from the shed?

2 comments

2 Comments

green.jessica13d agoMost Upvoted

Are you seeing a big difference in edge retention too? I always figured used oil was fine since that's what the old timers used, but after messing up a few blanks myself I'm starting to rethink it. Might have to grab a gallon of canola this weekend.

lucas6313d ago

Yeah the "old timers used it" argument is solid but it kind of misses how much different modern steels are vs what they were running back then lol. Same thing happens with cooking actually, like how people swear by cast iron because grandma used it but then wonder why their seasoning flakes off with modern dish soaps. It's the same pattern of just because something worked in one context doesn't mean it translates perfectly to everything else. I've been using fresh canola for about six months now and the difference in edge retention is honestly pretty big, especially with stuff that has higher carbide volume.