mandoro Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Well, I've been looking at stock on various sites and whatnot and I see all the numbers and I don't have a clue what I am looking for. I've read a lot about 55120 and 1095 on here, but what else is good to use. Of course, since I am in the beginning I'm just going to take metal files and do what I want with them, but when I get established I'm going to start getting stock. I also read about people looking for blowers or whatnot as well. I had an idea. I am building the brake drum forge and instead of getting a blower I have two choices at home and I wanted to run them by yall. One is a Stanley fan:Stanley Fan and the other is a hair dryer. I'm not sure which will work, but one of them will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 The numbers are the AISI designated steel types. 10XX is a plain carbon steel, going anywhere from 1018(LOW carbon) on up to 1095 (High carbon), the numbers with a 52 or a 51 like 52100(ball bearing steel, GREAT for knives, not for swords) or 5160(GREAT for knives and swords), are steels with different alloys added. 10XX-plain carbon steels XX60-alloyed steels The second two or sometimes three numbers are the carbon content, the first two are the alloying elements. Those blowers from Stanley will work, except they might need to be baffled or slowed down somehow due to too much air. Hair dryers work great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandoro Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 Ok, so when I get up to knives and swords I'll remember that. I'm guessing that everything else you should use a tool steel? What are the numbers of good tool steel? Slowing down should be easy. There are speed controls on the side of the fan, if its still too fast, I can put clothes pin on the tubing I'm planning to use to make the air flow smaller. If I wanted to get fancy I could drills holes in the metal pipe and make a turnable stopper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 It all depends on what you want to make. For tongs I use mild steels. For things that need toughness more than hardness I use mid range carbon steel, and for things that need to be hard it's a decent high carbon steel. No point in making an S hook from 1095 . It just isn't required. Have fun experiment ! Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandoro Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 I guess that is what I was asking more than anything, ok cool. I wasn't real sure what metals were to be used for each kind of project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don A Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Check your phone book for the nearest steel supply. For all of your utility pieces (S-hooks, drive hooks, leaves, key chains, towel racks, furniture, etc., etc., etc.) you need to get hot rolled mild steel. This will actually be A-36. It is basically a reasonably low-carbon structural grade steel, but these days, it's kinda iffy what you're actually getting. A-36 is a strength rating (tensil strength, or something); the designation has nothing to do with carbon content. This is the same stuff you will get out of the "weldable steel" rack at Lowes, Home Depot, or Tractor Supply. Only thing is, you pay more than double at these stores compared to the steel supplier. You can get dimensions from 1/8" (maybe smaller) up thru several inches thick (by special order). They usually stock 1/8" thru 1" in 1/16-1/8" increments. You can get square, round, flats, angle, channel, pipe, etc. Also, if you feel the need and want to get fancy, the dealer I buy from will still order 1018 cold-rolled. They don't stock it, but it is available, and it does cost more. This is actually 10XX, as Sam said, simple steel with 18 points carbon... probably the closest thing to iron we can get that is affordable, accessable, and dimensioned. It is cleaner than A-36, so it makes for a better forge weld. It's also not got the black mill scale on the surface. Hope this helps, Don... who likes to hang out at the steel store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandoro Posted July 17, 2007 Author Share Posted July 17, 2007 Don, that helps a lot. I really appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Coil and leaf springs from autos/trucks are often 5160 and so make a cheap source of steel to practice bladesmithing on. (Note you do NOT want a strain hardened microalloy spring steel for blades) It's best if you can buy drops from a spring shop as heavily used springs can have micro fractures in them that will show up *after* you have spent several weekends on a project. Tool steels can have another system of desiginations like D2 or L6; these steels are often a lot more expensive and are generally reserved only for projects where you need the alloys to make them work/last. You might check for scrap steel guides at various smithing sites to give you a *GUESS* at what commonly found scrap is made from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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