Darkking415 Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Hello guys, so recently my dad picked up some steel at an old garage sale, and he got a very large coil spring and 2 long heavy drill bits, both of which are marked with the word Thor is fancy cursive. I have heard that both springs and drill bits are quality steel, but i was wondering if i could get help with some exact identification on the steel and info on how to heat treat it. Thanks! "for reference the the coil is about a half inch thick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccustomknives Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Heat treating for what? The drills would be suitable for punches, the coil spring is really to small for anything but puches unless you want to forge weld. The spring looks pretty modern, probably 5160 but that's a shot in the dark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkking415 Posted May 1, 2013 Author Share Posted May 1, 2013 I had heard the drill bits would be suitable for knives, but i am not sure. I guess i meant their quenching medium and how to temper them. And for the spring, is there a way to test if it is 5160 or something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 There is not a shop test to determine wot a steel is,,,,,if you really want help, look in the knive making lessons on this site,,there in the first lesson I believe is a way to see if the spring will make a blade and how to heat treat it. And the heat treat stickies tell about heat treat most anything...and the bars likely do not have enough carbon for a blade...but you can find info on here about spark testing to determine that. See why I am not going to try and rewrite everything you wish answers for in this little box? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkking415 Posted May 1, 2013 Author Share Posted May 1, 2013 I understand, sorry about that, my first post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Welcome aboard glad to have you. If you'll put ypur general location in your header you may be pleasantly surprised at how many IFI guys live within visiting distance. Frosty the Lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkking415 Posted May 1, 2013 Author Share Posted May 1, 2013 Well, i did a spark test on those drill bits, and they would seem to be either high speed steel or high carbon steel, so i guess that is good news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 HSS is generally NOT good for knives unless you have the skills and the equipment to work and heat treat it *correctly* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Being star drills they may be an S series but probably not HSS. Frosty the Lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkking415 Posted May 2, 2013 Author Share Posted May 2, 2013 Yea, i did a few more tests, and i dont think they are HSS, their sparks were to long and to yellow, and after heating and quenching them in water than brine "no oil on hand" i found that while a file did skate off them, they did form cracks, so im going to go out on a limb and assume they are oil quenched high carbon steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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