Was told it was some O1 tool steel  (A guy selling his fathers shop since he passed)...but unsure. Trying to identify for certainty before use....

Going to show a spark test

I just lightly touched the steel with grinder.....but hopefully it shows enough

 

Project001.mp4

below post is a mp4 below picture

 

first pic is mine, second is online 01 spark demo

The sort of deeply pitted, "red" rust, ... visible in the first pictures, ... is not something I would normally associate with "tool" steel.

And the thing about "spark" tests, is they are subject to MANY variables.

( Wheel Composition, Speed, Pressure, Temperature, etc. )

When you do both tests side-by-side, a lot of those variables are eliminated, ... but comparing your results to an online IMAGE, raises more questions than it answers.

I know 01 rusts easily.  As they say you need to be careful with your knives made from it after....

Is there another way to verify?

Thank you for your response

The only way to tell for certain is to call a few big commercial scrap yards in your area and ask if they have a steel testing gun, and how much they would charge to have it tested, or send a sample out for analysis.

1 hour ago, CMS3900 said:

The only way to tell for certain is to call a few big commercial scrap yards in your area and ask if they have a steel testing gun, and how much they would charge to have it tested, or send a sample out for analysis.

thank you

O1 is a very common alloy. Look the plates over really good, I have had some that were stamped with the alloy, although most places now use color codes on the ends--they are not standardized unfortunately. 

Other than that , take a slice off of one and do a quickie heat treat it. O1 will get glass hard, and in thin sections it will air harden. I used a lot of it when I was the tool maker for a machine shop. 

What are the sizes of those plates?

1" x 4" x 18"

1" x 5" x 18"

3/4" x 6" x 18"

I was told it was oil hardened or something along those lines....not a direct qoute... but $$$ of what looked like what they paid, and some other scribbles where/are on the pieces...Not sure if thats what they paid or what...but prices and sizes match Metaldepot's order list...but I think these are standard cut sections for O1....but I am far from knowledgeable on this. 

I never worked with O1...but do a test piece....im very curious.

2 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said:

O1 is a very common alloy. Look the plates over really good, I have had some that were stamped with the alloy, although most places now use color codes on the ends--they are not standardized unfortunately. 

Other than that , take a slice off of one and do a quickie heat treat it. O1 will get glass hard, and in thin sections it will air harden. I used a lot of it when I was the tool maker for a machine shop. 

What are the sizes of those plates?

 

If you know what company they came from , ask them what alloy they use that color code for.