Power steering fluid instead of ATF?
 

Just a quick question because I know it works:

Last night I needed to make a couple of chinguses (ding-wazzles?) out of
O-2, and since I haven't actually hardened any O-2 ever, I didn't have
any ATF handy. But I did have some power steering fluid, so I used
that. It appears to have worked fine (particularly because the
specification I'm working to is "hard", without any, like, numbers).

Any reason not to? Or for the purposes of plunging hot bits of metal
into, are they essentially the same thing?

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Power steering fluid instead of ATF?
 

On Wed, 14 Oct 2015 15:59:35 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Just a quick question because I know it works:

Last night I needed to make a couple of chinguses (ding-wazzles?) out of
O-2, and since I haven't actually hardened any O-2 ever, I didn't have
any ATF handy. But I did have some power steering fluid, so I used
that. It appears to have worked fine (particularly because the
specification I'm working to is "hard", without any, like, numbers).

Any reason not to? Or for the purposes of plunging hot bits of metal
into, are they essentially the same thing?

Just don't use it for frying chicken. g

All I can contribute about quenching oils is this: The real ones are
formulated to avoid bubbles on the workpiece when you plunge it in.
Bubbles mean local soft spots, stress, and even possible cracking.
Don't use used oil for that reason; it often contains entrained water
or acid, and that's hell on your workpiece.

Or, buy the real thing. But it's bubbles that are your enemy.

--
Ed Huntress

Power steering fluid instead of ATF?
 

On Wed, 14 Oct 2015 15:59:35 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Just a quick question because I know it works:

Last night I needed to make a couple of chinguses (ding-wazzles?) out of
O-2, and since I haven't actually hardened any O-2 ever, I didn't have
any ATF handy. But I did have some power steering fluid, so I used
that. It appears to have worked fine (particularly because the
specification I'm working to is "hard", without any, like, numbers).

Any reason not to? Or for the purposes of plunging hot bits of metal
into, are they essentially the same thing?

The way I understand it, oil is slower to boil than water so it
quickens the time the part quenches. PS fluid is a bit thinner than
most oils, so it would be a slightly slower-hardening liquid, but pert
much same-same. Still quite a bit different from water, so the O-2
hardening should be "safe" and proper.

--
Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate. -- Chuang-tzu

Power steering fluid instead of ATF?
 

On Wed, 14 Oct 2015 19:22:25 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Wed, 14 Oct 2015 15:59:35 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

Just a quick question because I know it works:

Last night I needed to make a couple of chinguses (ding-wazzles?) out of
O-2, and since I haven't actually hardened any O-2 ever, I didn't have
any ATF handy. But I did have some power steering fluid, so I used
that. It appears to have worked fine (particularly because the
specification I'm working to is "hard", without any, like, numbers).

Any reason not to? Or for the purposes of plunging hot bits of metal
into, are they essentially the same thing?

The way I understand it, oil is slower to boil than water so it
quickens the time the part quenches.

No, oil is much slower, and it has nothing to do with boiling. It's
slower because its rate of thermal conductivity is 1/4 that of water,
and water has more than twice the specific heat of mineral oils.

Water-hardening steels require a very fast quench to harden.
Oil-hardening steels require a medium-speed quench. Air-hardening
steels will harden at the slowest quench rates.

PS fluid is a bit thinner than
most oils, so it would be a slightly slower-hardening liquid, but pert
much same-same. Still quite a bit different from water, so the O-2
hardening should be "safe" and proper.

Viscosity is not it, either. But oil is a lot "safer" than water.
Water quenches oil-hardening steels too fast for safety, although
thick sections of O1 or O2 may require water to harden at all. And
then they may crack. For safety in hardening thick steel, you want the
slowest quench-rate steel.

--
Ed Huntress