I've been offered some ar 400 plate. Can anyone tell me much about it?  If it is of sufficient thickness I was thinking I might try a hewing axe head. Any info on its forging/forge welding characteristics would be appreciated.

Greg Tucker

I know nothing of its hot working properties.

I have only heard of its use for Digger bucket teeth and target gongs for rifle shooting.

A brief google shows that it comes hardened and tempered, so presumably it can be normalised or annealed and then re-hardened after working.

Ask the manufacturers for the spec sheets or have a look for heat treatment info on their websites?

Alan

 

It is used for armor (and other hard use applications) - hence the AR designation.  Normally comes in prehardened condition and any hot work will affect properties.  Carbon is low, manganese and chromium are high.  I do not think it would make a good axe but you could certainly give it a shot and see what happens.

Abrasion Resistant, 400 is the brinell hardness (scratch resistance) and makes good wear steel for rock chutes and feeders.  Air hardening if I remember correctly, and I can tell you it is very hard.  I flattened a known good center punch on it marking an unmarked scrap for drilling at work, and all I did was take the scale off.  I decide to use a torch instead.  I have a few bars that dropped off of plate cuts, but I haven't tried forging em into anthing yet.  I'm thinking about testing them out as hotcuts.

I believe T1 is the stuff they use for armor plating.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, it is durable too. I've never seen the stuff crack except right at the weld after it is badly worn, and it gets 1 ton bolders dropped on it or thrown at it all day, every day at work.

plenty here about it  http://www.iforgeiron.com/search/?q=ar400

its not easy to weld needs pre heat & post heat bad ! welds like to crack cause of hardness 

Abrasion resistant AR 400. It is hard but it is also brittle. I have used tons of it for underwater dredge shoes and blade. Needs to be backed up with thicker section of mild steel to avoid breaking (so hard as to be somewhat brittle.)( when used in a high impact situation) Can be welded with 7018 in vertical position, other positions require pre-heat. 

IMHO this steel is too hard and brittle to make a good axe head. Not only very difficult to work even hot but too brittle at least in hard form. 

Edited August 13, 201510 yr by arftist

Most metals with manganese work harden with impact, so it will probably be difficult to forge.

Thank you gentlemen. I'll just make a shooting gong or two.