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My neighbor's kid asked me why I always quench in water instead of oil.
He was just watching me work on a simple leaf keychain last Tuesday, and his question made me realize I'd been doing it that way for 15 years just because my first teacher did, so I tried oil on my next piece and the steel didn't crack.
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dixon.amy1mo ago
My first teacher in high school shop class swore by water quenching, said it built character. Turns out it just builds micro-fractures in the steel. Fifteen years of following bad advice because I never stopped to ask why.
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taylor_flores1mo agoMost Upvoted
That teacher probably learned it from someone who swore by it too. Makes you wonder how many other shop class "truths" are just old habits passed down without anyone checking. The real lesson might be to question even the things taught with total confidence.
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