Kaylee Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 When I picked up my anvil, I was given a lot of scrap steel. Most of it I was told what it was from, and thus have been able to narrow down a range of what these pieces are actually made of. That said, I have 4 pieces I believe to be QT-100, also known as ASTM a514. I've found spec sheets for this, but as a514 comes in grades B, E, F, H, P, Q, and S, and I'm not sure which grade I have... I'm left to guesswork unless I can track down someone with a mass spectrometer. There may be one at my work, but I'm not sure I'd be able to get a chunk analyzed anyway... so why fret? My question though remains regarding the uses. Being that it's considered a high strength steel, with good impact-abrasion resistance, would it be a potential candidate for making tools, ranging from hardy tools to punches, hammers, or dies for texturing? If so, what are the things that you know of that I'd have to watch out for? I already know it's going to be very hard to move under the hammer. The spec sheet I found for a514: http://usa.arcelormittal.com/globalassets/arcelormittal-usa/what-we-do/steel/plate/plate-product-brochures/A514-AND-T-1.PDF The spec sheet I found for 4140: http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=6769 I don't know enough about metallurgy to really understand these sheets without translation, so I come to those here who would be better equipped than I to answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 Translation is : Its Mild steel with amounts of Mn, Chrome, Si and Moly. Can be brittle if not properly heated post weld. will not harden, it may work harden. a few of the possible grades show additions of Nickel as well as variation on amounts of the listed alloy elements.. make hammers, and tongs.... not sure how long texturing dies will hold up, but if it is free try anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 6, 2016 Share Posted May 6, 2016 I don't generally consider mild steels tooling steels; lots of cheap 5160 out there to learn on and then the high alloy for the tools that require high hot hardness when you get good. (H-13 or S-7). Jackhammer bits are generally around 1050 steels and can often be bought "worn out or broken" from tool rental companies for a pittance. I forged the broken off end of one into a hardy 25 years ago and am still using it---generally have to touch up the edge after each class but a quick zip on the grinder beats dressing a hammer face any day. 1050 will also make hammers if you can find some in a proper size. Truck axle is also decent hammer stock and should be available. I have some HSLA from a polaris missile sub that so far has ended up mainly as a weight on my workbench as it's good steel; just not what I need. (scrap from the University's welding engineering testing of it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaylee Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 Yeah, I was given a bunch of random pieces for free. Nice to know what I'm getting myself into, and I hadn't seen anything by searching the site. Thank you Steve and Thomas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Random ramble: We often run into a mindset that a great alloy must be good for blades; where in reality a great alloy is great for what it was engineered for: e.g. 1002 is a great alloy---for ornamental work; great plasticity under the hammer; slow to work harden, etc. Over the years I have learned trying to force an alloy to do what it doesn't want to is generally a huge waste of time and fuel. Better to set it aside and use something more suitable. (I don't care how cheap I can pile up coil and leaf springs they are not worth the hassle to use except where I need their properties and then they are perfect!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 And where would one acquire said 1002?! 1018 is hard enugh to find Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 I could tell you but.....Actually I ran across some when they were getting ready to tear down the old welding engineering building and I was helping to clean it out. Their old sample library had some odd stuff in it, each heavy bar stamped with the alloy (2345 for instance????) And then there was the 4 ought stuff for sale for a while... Really almost anything is available if you are willing to buy a 20000 run of it and PAY for it...(I'm cheap, I'll take drops, scrap, etc) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 I feel ya on the cheep thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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