Question about quenching a big leaf spring in a small tank

I was working on a knife from an old truck spring in my backyard shop last month. My quench tank is only 18 inches deep, and the blade was just a bit too long. It hit the bottom before it was fully submerged, and I heard that awful 'ping' sound. I pulled it out, saw the warp, and had to straighten it in the forge while it was still hot. It worked, but the edge hardness was uneven. Anyone have a good trick for quenching long pieces in a shallow setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_miles2mo ago

Tilting the tank, @alicehernandez, can make the oil slosh and cause an uneven quench.

alicehernandez2mo ago

Why not just tilt the tank at an angle?

julia5492mo ago

I saw a video about that "tilt the tank" idea, and they said it can actually trap air bubbles on the high side.