ScubaSteve, Do you have a reference for how many BTU can be absorbed by water and oil? I'd like to refer to this info in a paper and would like a credible source for my teachers. Thanks.

also even if the boiling points were the same 1 gallon of water can absorb 7728 BTU's where 1 gallon of oil can only absorb 992 BTU's assuming 8 pounds per gallon. which is generous on the oil side and constant for water. thats about 1/8 the efficiency of heat transfer of water, and remember its actually much much worse than that since oil's latent heat of vaporization point is so much higher. water is a VASTLY SUPERIOR heat transfer liquid.

actually joe, you need to look up the definition of "latent heat" more BTU's are transfered during a state change than any other method, so water by shanging state to steam wouyld remove a much more massive ammout of btu's than oil would.

Great article!

Interesting article, but it leaves me with two questions that I would love to see address in further updates of the article: What woods are best for scabbard making, and what is different in the process if the blade is curved?

great info, right to the bone of the job :) i have done this several times in my jacksons

Easier said than done, haha. It took me weeks to be able to just play a decent arpeggio with sweep picking. Nice article, though. It explains the concept nicely without being overly complex.

WHAT? Water should never be used to cool steel because it would cool it to fast and crack? You are mistaken my friend. Water will not quench steel fast enough to harden the steel. The reason for this is that the boilling point of water is 212 degrees F at sea level. Boiling point is less at higher altitudes since atmospheric pressure is not compressing the molecules as much, oh never mind that part. Back to the subject, when the steel is above 212 F and comes into contact with water, the water instantly flashes to steam creating a vapor barrier between and steel and water and decreases heat transfer and increases cooling time enough to interrupt the hardening process and the steel will remain close to the original unhardened state, or will unharden previously treated steel. Oil on the other hand has a much higher boiling point, also changes with alttitude, and will pull much more heat fr

400 degrees might not be hot enough depending on the temper desired and the grade of steel being used. See the following chart for a reference. http://www.anvilfire.com/index.php?bodyName=FAQs/temper_colors_hardness.htm

After making the blade , How do i get a shiny finish, on the blade?