What size ammo can for quench tank?

M

milkbaby

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Aug 1, 2016
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I'm making kitchen knives and been quenching in a big kitchen pot but figure an ammo can is a better shape especially as I'm making longer knives. I want the ability to both edge quench and fully quench, but with my pot the longer blades can only be edge quenched. I'm also worried about not having enough volume to quench thicker blades properly..

What size ammo can would be good for knives with blades around 10 inches or overall 15 inches or so? Is anything I find online that's airtight and watertight going to work as far as dimensions? There's not a real military surplus store in my town, so I'm thinking I might have to order online.
 
You want a tank tat is 4-6" deeper than the longest blade, and at least 4-6" round. Ideally, it should hold 2-5 gallons.

Just look around for QTSO's - quench tank shaped objects.
Trash day finds many by the curb.
The junk yard is full of them. Just cut the top off many discarded objects.

24" long piece of 6" pipe welded to a sheet of steel
Giant camp style coffee can
old oxygen/nitrogen/helium/CO2 tanks with top cut off
5 gallon soda tanks with top cut off
old fire extinguishers with top cut off
Old 40# or 100# propane tank (remove valve and wash with soapy water before cutting top off)
tank from an old small water heater
old beer keg/tank with top cut out - these are super good. They have a handle rim and are stainless steel. A plasma cutter can cut out the top easily after removing the filler port.

A visit to many places that use or service these things may fine them in their scrap area. Once out of date or damaged, they often just sit them out back to rust away.
Check the local beer distributers, or ask one of the delivery guys at a local bar if they can get you a damaged tank. If you know someone with a restaurant or bar, they may be able to give/get one.
 
I use the 120mm one mentioned above and it holds 5 gallons of quench oil.

I just hate it when I quench a folder spring and I drop it in the tank... :D and of course it falls to the very deep bottom.

I have another one for water quenching and that is more horizontally shaped, longer and less deep.
 
I have a old horizontal can that says P51 Mustang on the side that my grandfather had from his time in the RCAF. Make sure you check that it is water tight before using it. I had a big mess on my hands the first time it did.
 
120mm mortar round can will work for anything that will fit into my 24 inch Paragon and would actually work for things like integral tactical tomahawks that won't fit into my 5 inch wide oven. I was originally trying to find a 155mm howitzer round tube, but I found the 120 and i like it better.
 
I use a ’Corny keg and one one of those mortar round cases too.
Being tall & skinny, be sure it cant get knocked over.
 
To retrieve stuff from the quench and dunk tank, make a pick-uppole. Screw a small welding magnet on a broom handle and use it to retrieve the objects.
 
Surplus 81mm ammo cans, and other surplus ammo cans, are far more popular than I expected. I recently purchased an 81mm one as well. Good price at Sportsman's Guide
 
A to make a wooden "base" to hold the cans. Dumping over a can of HT oil can really mess up your day. A 24X24" piece of 3/4 plywood with a "box" of four pieces of 2X12X12" that are screwed in place to hold the can will keep it safe and rigid.
 
I have been thinking about building a frame using some threaded rod and angle iron and making mine harder to tip over.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
A to make a wooden "base" to hold the cans. Dumping over a can of HT oil can really mess up your day. A 24X24" piece of 3/4 plywood with a "box" of four pieces of 2X12X12" that are screwed in place to hold the can will keep it safe and rigid.
Click to expand...
True. That's the one thing I worried about when I bought mine. I'm planning on bolting it to my forge cart that I'm also building.
 
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