Sam Falzone Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 I'm looking to make some spring swages and other anvil tools. A friend of mine says he can get me some scraps of H13 steel. Would H13 be a good steel for spring swages and other tools like that? Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 H13 is difficult to forge to shape. Most people use it for punches and chisels used in hot work. Spring swages can often be made just by forging and quenching A36 (mild steel) Leaf springs and coil springs for cars can be forged and heat treated for use as spring tools. However, since most spring material can be hardened for other types of tools it gets used other ways. I love H13 for cutting tools used on very hot steel. I have a very thin chisel that I forged for cutting whiskers on wizard heads. So it is possible to forge but it has a very narrow working range. I lost a couple inches of my material because I over heated it the first go round. You have to calibrate your eye to the material and your forge. When H13 does get into forging range it is actually easier to forge than some other alloys. That is, you don't have to hit all that hard. I would take your friend up on his offer and then make holders for the H13 for punches chisels, and similar hot work tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbender Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 H13 makes wonderful hot work tools. Unlike Charlotte, I don't even try to forge, just machine the annealed stock and then heat treat to Rockwell C 50. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 H13 and S7 are solid gold as blacksmithing trading stock as both such alloys have a good high heat hardness and suffer not too much from blacksmith heat treating. As mentioned it's a great material for hot work cutting and punching, not so much used for dies, hammers, etc. If you can get it in reasonable sizes/shapes; get all you can and sell it by the piece at Quad-State to help pay for your trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Falzone Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 Okay ... H13 is great for punches, slitters and chisels ... not so great for swage dies. I like the idea of stockpiling it and selling it off at smithing events So what steel makes good swage dies? Would 5160 spring steel be a good choice? Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNewman Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 4140, 4340, or 1045 all make good swages. More the first two if you have sharp parts in the dies. The H13 will make good dies but is overkill and is much harder to both machine and forge. I have quite a bit of 4140 and some 4340 I would be willing to trade with you for some H13. I have over 30 pieces roughly 1" square 3" long 4340 you or anyone who wants to pick them up can have. These are hot cut off pieces that are a little rough but could be quite usefull. What sizes and shapes would you be getting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Falzone Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 4140, 4340, or 1045 all make good swages. More the first two if you have sharp parts in the dies. The H13 will make good dies but is overkill and is much harder to both machine and forge. I have quite a bit of 4140 and some 4340 I would be willing to trade with you for some H13. I have over 30 pieces roughly 1" square 3" long 4340 you or anyone who wants to pick them up can have. These are hot cut off pieces that are a little rough but could be quite usefull. What sizes and shapes would you be getting? Don't know yet. I'll keep you posted Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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