Stephen Jones Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Ive been given a few of these kingpins off of busses.From what i can gather they are chromium molybdenium.What is this steel good for? could it be used as steel for making hardie hole tools?Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Automotive, truck and industrial king pins are usualy cromemolly nedium carbon steels, should make exeptible hardy tools or good hammes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Don't quote me but I believe most are 4140 chrome molly steel. Good for many basic hammers, top and bottom tools, hardies, fullers, swages, etc.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 so i want more of this stuff? my mate recons he throws out about a dozen of these a week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Yep, not as hard as spring but good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Yeah, it's good stuff whatever it turns out to really be. If you find out the manufacturer you should be able to Google it and find out what they're using for an alloy. Sooner or later you'll run into something that knowing the actual alloy will matter.I doubt you'll need a dozen a week though. On the other hand you might come up with the golden gizmo. That thing you can make easily and quickly but everybody else just HAS to have. Golden Gizmos allow the craft to pay it's own way for you.Find out what else they toss in the dumpster, you never know what good scrounge is going to the scrapper.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 unfortunately your location probably rules out you making a killing at a smithing conference... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Not thinking "looks good in a double wide" aplies either... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Yep, not as hard as spring but good stuff. how is that? 5160 spring? The carbon is almost close, chrome is close, so those elements to the steels are about the same to work, so it seems like you are saying the addition of Moly makes it softer?> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Well, Steve I was operating off the hypothisis that Frosty presented that it may be 4140, if you belive it Is 5160 I am in no position to dispute that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 unfortunately your location probably rules out you making a killing at a smithing conference...unless it was something for the tourists down there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 I was attempting to clarify your comparing spring steel (maybe 5160) to the chrome/moly 4140. It seems that you said the 4140 is not as hard ? I was commenting there is not much dif, but the 4140 should be harder to work because of the moly, but I also admit its not by much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 All true, Steve. I just equated it to shafting not spring my mind. Certainly in the catigory of "get it hot and hit it hard" again and again and again... Steels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 A lot of worrying about hypothetical numbers.I suppose that's human nature, ... in the "Information Age".Sure, ... if you have a specific USE in mind, ... then you might want to choose a specific material for that use, ... but otherwise, ... it's either "mild" steel, ... or "tool/alloy" steel.( If somebody hits you in the head with a rock, ... does it really matter if it was Limestone, ... or Marble ? ) . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 It certainly dose! If you went to the trouble to find a chunk of marble, i must of made you especialy mad! Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share Posted May 13, 2015 my other mate recons he can get me spring steel from time to time leaf springs and smaller car type coil springs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 What do you have in mind to make? Will you be making a lot of tools that require special properties, hardness, toughness, wear resistance, etc.?Making tools for your shop is one thing and you'll want to have steel on hand once you have the tools you think you'll need. You WILL need or want more tools so having some appropriate steel on hand is a good thing. Unless you're going to start making tools for the market you won't need a large stockpile. Coil spring is good for things like tongs, punches, chisels, drifts, pry bars, blades, etc. Leaf spring is good stock as well but not as widely useful as coil spring. Keeping a couple few coil springs around comes in handy. Just be aware there is a LOT of stock in a coil spring so you don't need a LOT of them.The king pins on the other hand aren't as useful for general tool stock. It's more suitable for hammers, hardies, etc. Not because the steel isn't good for tongs, punches, etc. but the shape would require a LOT of forging to draw down to tong, punch, etc. size.A lot of the utility of these steels will be up to you to determine. We're casting educated guesses as to what alloy things like king pins and even springs are made from. the way the specifications are determined for use is changing from the old school analysis spec where the contents of the alloy were specified to the modern performance spec where as long as it has the minimum strength, toughness, etc. it's good.The modern spec standards is making it more important we learn to test scrounged steel in our shops to determine if it will perform as we need.Pretty vague I know but that's where we're at now.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Dont overlook torsan bars or antisway bars, as they are "spring" steel. The stearing linkages, axles and half shaves are good stuff as well. Linkages make good stock for tongs and axles make good hammers, anvil tools and top tools. Not to mention all the castable aluminum aloys used in cars today (hint, GM uses magnisium under the dash, on might want to scrape of a few bits and light it of first to make sure, mag in your foundry could get you on the evening news... Testing is somthing old time smiths did with every thing, as the proces of steel making was moor art than science, now unless you by certified new steel it is back to the same, even "mild steel" (now A36 insted of 1018) is made with mixed scrap to a minimum streght spec and should be tested (just drill the stuff, 3 out of 4 holes will be easy, the forth will be like drilling spring) nothing like forging a nice horsehead on a peice of A36, go for a little tweek cold and have the head break off (kerkhart shoes will do it to you everytime, lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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