Frizzen Hardening?

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Just a correction of a probable typo, it is PARKS # 50 quenchant, not 150. If you are a business person or just doing a lot of heat treating of 1095 or other 10XX steels, the PARKS # 50 is not all that expensive when you consider the quality of the results against a failed or inferior product. Warmed canola oil often can get you by for 1095, but it is not the best for all things made of 1095. It will work for frizzens or fire strikers well. Knife blades can be a hit or miss depending on the standards you set for quality and 1095 steel used to be notorious for noticeable variances in its batches from the mills. The PARKS # 50 is a sure thing if you do your part well. Only a quench in warm brine will give the maximum quench result and beat PARKS # 50, but how often is the maximum truly needed? Plus, it carries some amount of risk of breaking.

Had a blade smithing business for a number of years and Parks was the best. But for the rare hardening job, canola oil will get the job done.

 

[LRB]

helps avoid shattering if one warms the water quench.

Not necessary if you are quenching a temper. If you are quenching a water hardening steel for hardness, use a brine solution. It hardens better than plain water, deeper, is less violent, greatly lowers risk of cracking, and hardens more evenly. If just between tempers, then you can use water if you don't want to wait for it to air cool for the next temper. In steels with a reputation for retaining austenite in the martensitic phase, a water quench between multiple tempers also helps lower possible reformation of austenite.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Not necessary if you are quenching a temper. If you are quenching a water hardening steel for hardness, use a brine solution. It hardens better than plain water, deeper, is less violent, greatly lowers risk of cracking, and hardens more evenly. If just between tempers, then you can use water if you don't want to wait for it to air cool for the next temper. In steels with a reputation for retaining austenite in the martensitic phase, a water quench between multiple tempers also helps lower possible reformation of austenite.

True, always pre warm.