Junkyard Steel ID Guide Needed

[Crunch]

Hello, all, I have few questions:

1. Somewhere here I found, but now cannot find again, a page that talked about parts commonly found in junkyards and what types of steel they are typically made from. I am a new 'smith and this info would be real useful to me. Can anyone direct me to that page, and/or any similar pages?

2. I'm also a woodworker (Roy Underhill's books on making tools, especially woodworking tools, are what originally got me interested in blacksmithing), and I would like to try making some simple tools like a froe, chisels (especially heavier firmer and shipwright's chisels) and maybe eventually a broadaxe and other edged tools. For making very hard chisels that could be sharpened super sharp and that would hold an edge (if not be very tough), I am under the impression that I would need a tool steel with a very high carbon content. Can anyone tell me what types of things I might find in a junkyard that would have the appropriate amount of carbon (and other alloying elements) for this?

3. Alternately, should I simply buy some new A2 or O1 steel and use that instead, to eliminate some unknown variables? And if so, can anyone refer me to good, economical sources for such steel?

Thanks for reading my long post and thanks in advance for any help.

[Larry H]

here is a list from "Warrent?" , north Texas blacksmith assoc. from the Metal Artist forum

[Frank Turley]

I've used junk steel, but more often, I will buy water hardening drill rod in 3' lengths from www.travers.com. For example, a length of 1/2" round is currently $12.99 plus shipping. This is a plain carbon steel with good edge holding properties. Travers also carries oil and air hardening drill rod. Two other big suppliers are MSC and McMaster-Carr.

[Rich Hale]

There is some information in the bps on this site: click on pages, then original series, then look at bp00002

[Woody]

message me with your email address and I will send you the list I have compiled over the years.

[Glenn]

BP0002 Junk Yard Steels

[Crunch]

This is great information, fellas. Thank you for your help.
Jeff

[Timothy Miller]

Take all of this with a grain of salt. There is sometimes variation between manufactures and substitution of alloys. Also some of those alloys list are suggested uses for that type of steel not what was used. Nothing beats having known samples to test against. If you can find a bunch of the same steel you can do some experiments to find proper hardening and tempering temps. I have over the years gotten a handle on a few scrap steels. But if you want to make good quality wood working tools new know steels would be a better choice.

[David Einhorn]

...... I'm also a woodworker (Roy Underhill's books on making tools, especially woodworking tools, are what originally got me interested in blacksmithing), and I would like to try making some simple tools like a froe, chisels (especially heavier firmer and shipwright's chisels) and maybe eventually a broad-axe and other edged tools..........

The desire to make my own woodworking tools is how I first became interested in blacksmithing.

Another good book on tool making for woodworkers is:

Tool Making for Woodworkers by Ray Larson

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964399989
• ISBN-13: 978-0964399983
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• http://www.amazon.co...for woodworkers
  

[John McPherson]

One smith who instructs at John C. Campbell refers to common recycled steels as RTS & NTS, short for Rusty Truck Spring and Not Too Sure. You know what it probably ought to be to do the job it did, but not what it actually is. Modern manufacturing steel usage is normally assigned by a performance based Specification Grade number (ex: A36, or A53 Grade 'B'), not SAE alloy number (ex: 1018, 4340, 52100, 8630) as it was a half century ago, or simple alloy number (O1, A2, M2) from a century ago.

If you are doing this as a business and not a hobby, you have to talk and act like one to get respect. Like any other ISO facility, when you buy new stock, you can demand product with a lot number attached, and a matching mill chemistry sheet or CMTR (Certified Material Test Report) upon delivery. Yes, this costs more than junkyard mystery metal, but your time is worth more than some third world villager making tools for subsistence farmers or trinkets for the tourist trade. Business skills hold more folks back than trade skills.

If you want to spring for a hand-held XRF analyzer (only $25K, plus shipping and handling), you can test any alloy simply by grinding a dime sized clean spot, point and click. That is what the bigger scrap yards use, and all the major steel fabricators, because for them it pays for itself in constant use. Cozy up to a new BFF that has one with some hand forged work and/or donuts in exchange for the occasional ID. http://www.niton.com...is-right-for-me

[ThomasPowers]

As already mentioned Junkyard steel lists are more suggestions than hard and fast rules. Shoot I've even had a low alloy strain hardened leafspring show up in my scrap pile---can't be quenched hardened!

And as mentioned if you are going to tell a customer "It's made from 5160" you better be *SURE* that's what it is and not guessing.

[Francis Trez Cole]

After reading through the list again one hit me as sure hammers according to the list are made of L6 I dough it. If so why are the hammer making blacksmiths using it. The most important thing to remember it is a guide. Not cast in stone. If you want to be sure and make consistence tools get you metal from a reputable source. You will spend more time straighting out springs than its worth. Not to say I do not do it when I have extra time.

[ThomasPowers]

Such lists are often based on steel manufacturer's suggested usage which tends to be based on the *best* alloy for something; not the cheapest that will do. Unfortunately most manufacturing is based on "the cheapest that will do". And so we get a disconnect.

Also when we tell a customer "it's probably 5160"; they will often drop the "probably" when talking to others and misrepresentation can creep in.