pjakkur Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I have been looking in forums about materials that i can forge which has high carbon and usually there are mentioned that a leaf and coil springs are best scrapyard metals to find because it is most often made out of i think 5160 steel which i understand has .60% carbon in... but what about other car parts like axles or crank and cam chafts? or bering chase´s?? Balls from realy big ball berings? i have lieing around some very big leafspring´s (from a trailer) is that usable? Hardox used in truck platforms? i just cant find any good jeep springs or small leafsprings finally has there been any post´s created on steel contents and what the number means? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Olivo Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Your dealing with junk steels so in order to know it is really lots of testing your going to have to do or lots of money to send it to a lab to find out. Now this being said you can make tons of good tools out of unknown steels. I myself have made some very usable tools and knives out of truck coil springs, truck and car leaf springs, garage door springs, car axels, truck axels, steering shafts, piston shafts. large springs off grader equipment, ball bearings, and pins from some large equipment. The best advice I received many years back was to think about what the part was originally used for and what stresses it would have to undergo during normal use. This will help you pick out steel that will meet your requisite requirements for tooling or knives. Though I agree you should just buy known steel and work with it if your trying to get the most from it. I buy steel when making something for some one else much more predictable outcome. Found steels will do but be prepared to brake things and to reheat treat others. When they are mine thats fine a little time to redress or make a new better one. Plus my father in law is a mechanic and gives me springs and shafts for free. and to your last question there are tons. Google it and look at the knife making class 100 thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Junk yard and rr steels reference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjakkur Posted January 5, 2013 Author Share Posted January 5, 2013 thank you guys for the info and thanks a ton for the link Glenn i know that i should buy steel to work with but here in Iceland we have a bad habbit of putting everything that is sold into icelandic and in the translation it intend to change the meaning of the wordsfor example "tool steel is called i think macine steel here" and the contains of the steel is not given, atleast not in theyr website. other thing is for a nation of only 300.000 there are only 2 importers of steel adn i dont intend on begin the 3rd lol... so i searge every forum that i can find to build up my knowledge and use a scrap for stock as i am a mecanic and theese things are kind of thrown away. And for the last thing Stephen ive tryed to google and i have been reading usualy my last resource is to ask so if i would have found what i am looking for i wouldint have asked i understand the fustration of beging asked the same question over and over, but for a guy that dosent speak the language fluently or cant write it perfect the serge engens are kind of crap tools to use.... i apologise for your inconvenience if there are any and just keep looking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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