[TheForge] Mercury quench

[Dave Brown]

Shannell,

The Mercury is also denser and conducts heat from the drill bit faster than 
water would.  This is probably another factor working along with the lack 
of steam jacket.

Dave

At 23:46 09/05/02 +0930, you wrote:
>Im reading a book called "The one best way" about the life of Frederick
>Taylor, hes the guy who started the time and motion studies and setup the
>modern efficient way of manufacturing etc, good book, good part devoted to
>his apprenticeships as machinist and pattern maker, in this section he
>mentions quenching drill bits in mercury instead of water as a way of making
>them harder, Ive never heard of this, can anyone tell me why this would be
>so, I know it boils a lot higher than water so there wouldnt be the same
>steam jacket around the metal like water has but is that all there is to it?
>
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