PSA: Stop quenching your hot work in the same spot in the bucket every time

I was at my forge last week making some bottle openers (you know, the usual) and kept getting weird soft spots near the bend. I noticed the water in my quench bucket was actually steaming way more on one side. Turns out I was always dunking the steel in the same corner for like 2 years. That water was basically hot bath temp while the rest of the bucket was still cold. Now I swirl the piece around or even swap buckets if I'm doing a bunch of pieces in a row. Anyone else had their quench water get uneven like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_pat1mo agoMost Upvoted

I used to think it didn't matter where you dunked it, but after seeing steam pockets and uneven hardness on a batch of hooks last month I changed my mind completely...

the_lucas1mo ago

Notices how we all find our rut and just stay in it, even with a bucket of water.

laura_black311mo ago

Thing is, staying in a rut isn't always about being lazy. Sometimes that rut is where the consistent work gets done. @the_pat knows what I'm talking about - when you got a system that works, you stick with it until it doesn't. Changing it up just for the sake of change can introduce new problems you didn't have before. Like with those hooks, the way you handle the quench matters a lot more than just picking a new bucket. Maybe the bucket's fine, maybe the problem is something else entirely.