Warning: Quenching had me frustrated, but I just got it right
I've been trying to make a simple hunting knife for weeks, and every time I quenched the blade, it would crack or bend. It was so annoying, and I wasted a lot of steel. Yesterday, I decided to go slow and watch the color change more closely. I heated it until it was a nice cherry red, then dunked it in warm peanut oil, swirling it around like I saw in a video. After it cooled, I checked and no cracks, plus the blade was straight as an arrow. I tempered it in my kitchen oven at 375 degrees, and the finish looked even and smooth. It's not a huge deal, but after all that trouble, it feels awesome to see progress. What's one thing that took you a while to get the hang of in your shop?