Why my shop still smells like a garage sometimes from quenching in old oil

My dad showed me how used motor oil can quench medium carbon steel without making it brittle. It leaves a dark finish that resists rust pretty well. I use it for making hardy tools that take a beating. New quenches are faster, but this cheap trick has never failed me.

2 comments

2 Comments

daniel7411d ago

Seriously, the smell is the least of my worries with old oil. Even with a fan like Karen739 said, the sludge and mess it leaves on everything is just not worth it for me. I switched to proper quench oil just to keep the shop clean.

karen7391d ago

My uncle used old transmission fluid for his forging projects. A cheap box fan in the doorway really cuts down that garage smell.