PSA: I finally gave in and tried a slack tub for my quenching oil

For a long time I just used a big metal bucket for my quench tank, thinking a separate water tub for cooling tools was extra work. After seeing a demo at the state fair in Springfield where the smith pulled a hot punch out of the slack tub with his bare hand, I set up a simple 5-gallon bucket of water next to my forge. It's been about two months, and I haven't burned a single glove or tong handle since. Anyone have a good tip for keeping the water from getting gross so fast?

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3 Comments

jason5247mo ago

A copper penny in the water bucket keeps it from getting slimy.

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nina_knight996mo ago

Always thought that penny thing was an old wives' tale. Then my dog's water bowl kept getting that gross film no matter how much I scrubbed it. Tried @jason524's copper penny trick with a pre-1982 penny I found in a drawer. Left it in there for a week. Bowl stayed completely clean. Guess the copper really does stop the slime from growing. Changed my mind completely.

8

adam_nguyen77mo ago

Honestly @jason524, does that work with new pennies or just the old ones?

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