September 14, 200916 yr It makes great hot cut tools in my experience. Forge and grind to shape, heat to non magnetic and air cool in front of a fan. Cool frequently during use in water . I suspect crowbars vary in both quality as a tool and as a source for useful steel. The hot work tools I have made from them have been exceptionally tough.
September 14, 200916 yr Usually a medium carbon "tough" steel rather than a high carbon "brittle steel". But a lot of old hand made ones were made from what ever was handy so junkyard steel rules apply! (Rule 1: Test before you spend the time making something from it!)
September 14, 200916 yr Manufactured bar are "usually" something like 1045. But, having said that, I have to admit I've made 100's of thousands of larger ones from almost any heat-treatable steel, 1045, 1080, 4140, and all sorts of things. Whatever I could get cheap that would work. So yeah, junkyard rules.
September 14, 200916 yr I used to buy the smaller ones at yard sales to make into punches and such. They were cheap and worked well. The big ones seems folks always wanted way to much for them so didn't manage to pick up to many of them but they all appeared to work well for tool making.
September 15, 200916 yr Author Thanks for the info. I got a large crowbar for $2. so I thought it would be a cheap source of tough steel. Bob
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