May 28, 201412 yr I have a few sections of band saw, about 12" wide X 1/8" (if I remember correctly) by about four feet long. No idea what alloy it is, and have yet to find anything definitive through google. Can anyone point my nose in the right direction?
May 28, 201412 yr Author Maybe so. But if it isn't and I treat it as l6 it won't be have the same. Maybe I should cut a sample and give it to my friend who does ndt. Maybe send it to one of his pmi guys. Or I could just be less hard headed and test it myself. Sorry for just rambling and thinking aloud
May 28, 201412 yr Without knowing the manufacturer and date it was manufactured and part number--- NOBODY knows exactly what it is. Without testing. "Junkyard rules" apply. Remember *NOTHING* prevents a manufacturer from changing which alloy they use 3 times a day---unless their documentation specifies a specific alloy for that specific blade. Spark spectroscopy is one method of finding out the details on an unknown alloy.
May 28, 201412 yr Author So essentially hit it with a grinder and compare sparks to that of a known alloy, correct?
May 28, 201412 yr maybe. try and see. Seeing that it was free, what do you have to loose by trying a few tests in your shop?
May 28, 201412 yr Actually I was referring to a method to accurately determine alloy content where you clean a surface and make a spark off it and then evaluate the frequencies giving the elements it contains---fancy piece of equipment. see wiki---http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_emission_spectroscopy You are thinking of the spark testing for carbon content---doesn't usually tell you what other elements are present!
May 28, 201412 yr I've got a bunch of this steel. One piece had the Remanent of Udderholm stenciled on it. After some web sloothing I found that it was basically 1070 with a little more manganese (if I recall correctly). That made sense because the test blades performed like 1070. I use the stuff for Damascus, machetes and throw away work knives. L-6 is never used in band saw blades, at least I have never ran across a manufacturer that listed it. It isn't the best steel, but good practice. I can be a little challenging to anneal (due to the extra manganese?) but not killer.
May 30, 201412 yr Odds are it is 15N20 steel by Uderholm as posted above. Basically the same as 1070-1075 except there is 2% nickel added and that accounts for the brightness. A great steel in blades, Damascus and very easy to heat treat.
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