Charlotte Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 How does 52100 compair to other alloy steels as a blade steel for edge holding, appearence, and ease of working? I've noticed that it seems less popular than some of the other steels of similiar composition. It compositon with approx 1% carbon and 1.4 % chromium would seem to make it more popular. Is it hard to heat treat or forge or is it just not very pretty when finished? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Many think of 52100 as a Super 5160. Its just harder to work from the chrome, and hard to find in blade friendly sizes.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommerr Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 52100 is used for ball bearings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bamboolongbow Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 52100 is OUTSTANDING! My opinion is based on personal use rather than forging and knife making. The marples style blade that PJ Tomes made for me from 52100 is my daily user. The knife has great edge retention and the edge durability is fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martensite Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Ed Fowler uses nothing but and has spent most of his bladeforging life pushing 52100 to it's limits.He has two books that take you through the basics of every step he uses to make his blades and there truly works of art and made to be used every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverado6x6 Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 I have a crude first time project of a new very large industrial SKS bearing race that I have split, heated and hammed straight. Its really hard to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Gotta watch the large bearing races as many of them are case hardened mild steel. Patrick was a metallurgist for Timkin and can probably still quote chaper and vers on what they used if he wanders by.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
short swing Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I have a coffee can full of about 1 inch bearings... could that be case hardended?? Would it be simpler to split in two, pound. Or pound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 The ball bearing balls are not case hardened only some of the larger races. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucegodlesky Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 I have a mess of 1 1/2" x2" thick roller bearings which are case hardenedNeed to make a really big slingshot for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Mulholland - Tetnum Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 i use this often but it is really hard to work by hand and i stary with new 3/4 round stock and it eats up grinder belts even when anealed after you harden it dont drop it before tempering it will shatter in to glass like fragments but it dose produce a nice blade if done right and this steel is NOT forgiveing if you messup over heat or hit to cold the peice is ruined Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob sutton Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 i talked to an engineer from timken bearings and he told me the ball bearings are 52100 and the spherical " barrel shaped roller bearings " are 52100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(M) Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 maybe i'm just weird, but i used a car bearing race to make a nice knife blank, one of the first things i *tried to* make. Seemed easy to work with, I split it with a bolt cutter while it was hot then hammered it to shape. I dunked it in water, and then promptly snapped it in half with 2 fingers. learned my lesson there..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Water? <shakes his head> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(M) Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 yeahhhh working on another one now. going to use oil this time and i'll make sure to temper it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John R Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 I stack large spherical roller bearings next to my American Star anvil. Keeps the anvil on good behavior, it does want to be pounded on via 52100. A side note: For the machine shop, a large bearing stripped to the outer race makes a nice round parallel for set up on the vertical milling machine table, as the sides of the race are ground parallel. A large outer race is also handy for tramming the mill spindle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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