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Rebar is what students make tentstakes from when they "want to forge but don't have a project" at my shop. Free stock and the stakes are sold dirt cheap no guarantee.

Usually what happens is we get a wind while camping and I lend out my re-bar extra long stakes to folks. Don't recall ever not selling all of them to the folks who used them at the end of the event; some folks want to buy the ones others are using too... Pays for forge fuel.

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From my experience, I wouldn't cross the street to pick up some free rebar. You can't depend on how anything will turn out.



I wouldn't turn down anything given to me for free even if I had to walk across the street. Pat, I'm just not too picky when I consider all steel I get to be a teaching tool. If I question it's worth for forging, I don't use it for anything I plan on taking too much pride in. Since my funds are often low, I am never too proud to take what I'm given. Who knows, maybe one of those friends will surprise him with some really nice steel one day.

I can always find a use for garbage iron. Tent stakes, hmmmm, Good idea Thomas! Thanks!

Mark
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I get a endless supply of rebar from friends, and I'm finding that it is difficult to work some pieces and others work fine. Is there a way to grade or test the pieces to separate the bad from the good? Thanks TC


There are some grades of rebar which are consistant and high strength. Then there is cheap junk. I don't know much about the metallurgy of rebar but I would asume you could spark test it and find some consistency. A quick google search may give you the carbon contents of the better grades of rebar.
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I like it for tent stakes too... the deformations (ridges) make them cling to the earth well. I make mine fancy with both ends drawn out and the thinner end curls like an elephant trunk and twines around the shaft to make an oval eye. I also use it for litter spikes and crack hoes (you know for the weeds growing up through the patio cracks... not that other kind). I like it for belt buckles and camp hooks too... though I forge out all the deformations for these so that it looks nicer. It makes good nails, though not too efficient as it is a bit overlarge for nail stock. My stock is all bought new and seems pretty dependable so far, a little harder and stronger than mild steel. Lately I have been making some nails from spring steel (old dump hay rake teeth) and they are wonderful for use in hardwood especially logs (which I have a lot of around here).

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I had made a comment in another topic "it's good to be mates with the owner of a scrapyard" my mate would let me swap out rebar and any of my other scrap for his m/s with a 20% markdown That is 100kg of mine for 80kg of his. That way we both win!

So try to find an aproachable yard and make a deal! :D

P.S. rebar makes nice jimmy & crowbars.

Ian

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I had made a comment in another topic "it's good to be mates with the owner of a scrapyard" my mate would let me swap out rebar and any of my other scrap for his m/s with a 20% markdown That is 100kg of mine for 80kg of his. That way we both win!

So try to find an aproachable yard and make a deal! :D

P.S. rebar makes nice jimmy & crowbars.

Ian

I will try the pry bar idea! thanks
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Some times some texture improves a project. I made a log basket with the hoops to hold the logs out or rebar. The roughness helped hold the logs in place.

The lower end stuff really is very inconsistent. It is just remelted anything so even in the same bar one bit might be a remelted gear box, the other end of the bar could be a remelted car door. The two are completely different steel but acceptable as it is sold only to be used to add strength to concrete.

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Some times some texture improves a project. I made a log basket with the hoops to hold the logs out or rebar. The roughness helped hold the logs in place.

The lower end stuff really is very inconsistent. It is just remelted anything so even in the same bar one bit might be a remelted gear box, the other end of the bar could be a remelted car door. The two are completely different steel but acceptable as it is sold only to be used to add strength to concrete.



Noted contents, noted location, 'nuf said !
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Bottom line is that rebar is unpredictable in what they used to make it. As the result it is ok for quick tent stakes, the ridges can cause cracks that can cause a product breaking. For production work predictability and reproducibility of production steps, as well as quality control calls for new steel.

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Where do you think "new" steel comes from?What is it that makes it new?
I worked in a high end aluminum extrusion plant for a while and the "High end" products all came from scrap just like re-bar does.
The difference is how that scrap is processed and what is added to make it a particular alloy.
Everything started as degreased bulk scrap which was melted,sampled and then poured into large ingots called "pigs" which were marked with the lab results.The pigs were sorted and then loaded into a second furnace where the metal was again sampled and things were added to bring it up to spec for the jobs at hand.This main furnace was then tapped and the contents were split and sent to two different alloying furnaces where it was further refined by adding whatever was needed,mixed continuously and then the furnace was tapped to a continuous pour area where up to 30 foot long cylindrical billets of the needed alloy were cast in pits using water cooled chill rings.
The company (VAW aluminum) started with scrap and made highly refined billets of closely monitored alloys which were either extruded in house or shipped to other plants for use there.

It pretty much all starts with scrap these days.The "pure" form of any metal is just another element added to bring the alloy up to spec.
You`d probably be amazed to find out what pure aluminum(or iron for that matter)goes for.They kept it under tight security at the plant I worked at and went to great lengths to track it`s use and who had access to it.

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Usually what happens is we get a wind while camping and I lend out my re-bar extra long stakes to folks. Don't recall ever not selling all of them to the folks who used them at the end of the event; some folks want to buy the ones others are using too... Pays for forge fuel.

what do you normally charge? if you don't mind telling. I camp in a VERY windy location every year.
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Cost depends on the size, length, and complexity of the stake---but as I said these are usually learning projects by students so since the stock is free it's usually around $2 a piece.

Since you could make them yourselves with a campfire for a forge and a couple of rocks (hammer and anvil) it would be rather a waste to have me make them for you as shipping would probably exceed the cost of the items.

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Cost depends on the size, length, and complexity of the stake---but as I said these are usually learning projects by students so since the stock is free it's usually around $2 a piece.

Since you could make them yourselves with a campfire for a forge and a couple of rocks (hammer and anvil) it would be rather a waste to have me make them for you as shipping would probably exceed the cost of the items.


Sorry, I wasn't being clear. I meant what are you charging customers? I do plan on making several sets extra for my camping trips
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I’m with Bob, “new steel” I guess would be smelted iron ore from the ground, nearly all steel today is made from scrap. It is cheaper, easier, faster, safer, more convenient, better for the environment, etc.
Once a car/refrigerator/bicycle/lawnmower/broken wrench becomes liquid they’ve definitely lost their former identities and become “steel”. At this point it’s easy to separate the impurities and add whatever is needed to create any type of steel required.
I work at a steel mill where about 85% of our finished product is rebar; some of it is poor quality by the customer’s request. But by far the majority is good steel going for things like DOT projects, Nuclear, Wind Turbines, etc. that must meet certain specs.
Each Mill puts identifying marks on their finishing rolls, so every revolution that mark is made on the bar, the distance between marks depends on the size of the roll, about 3 feet is our average.
Here’s a link that explains it pretty well.

http://www.dot.state.il.us/materials/rebarguide.pdf

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i guess it depends on what you are doing, If you making something that is not critical or experimenting with shapes its ok. You wouldn't want to put a lot of time in it. I use it for handles on barn doors and such, some quick pices for making decorations for eyes and such. I don't turn down any steel at this point. Its getting very hard to get it for free anymore. If you are making something nice you buy it.

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$2 for a "good" one and sometimes as low as $1 for one made from old rusty rebar forged by a new "apprentice".

They are mainly to lead the folks into buying other stuff from me as it gets them used to buying from a person rather than a catalog...interesting to watch their faces as they realize that "custom" means they get to get *EXACTLY* what they want!

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