Jay wrote in message . ..
Hello all

I would like to Harden and temper a tool I made out of 1045
steel. I have all the temperatures and holding times needed, but as
for a quenching medium, I have a slight problem.

An oil bath is better than water, but I dont have the proper oil. I
dont want to use motor oil, even though the part is submerged, I dont
want to explode.

I was thinking vegetable oil would do fine...

Any suggestions?

Thanks, Jay

Fuel oil in a metal bucket, you want the oil warm around 120 degrees
to begin with and you want the part in motion like stirring paint when
you dunk it and a few inches below the surface. You are really only
going to shell harden this piece the center will still be a bit soft.
Make sure you get the hot part below the surface quickly and you will
have no flare up problems. Do it outside.
I probably did an interrupted quench on 2 or 3 thousand pavement
breaker tool steels this way in about 4 gallons of home heating oil
without so much as losing the hairs on my forearms. If you are slick
you can draw the temper with heat remaining in the tool after the
first few swings in the oil but it takes some practice.