Joel OF Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 How do folks, Can anyone recommend me a suitable steel to use as a "depth spacer" under my 25kg Anyang? E.g if I had a bit of 25mm (1") square bar that I wanted to forge down to 20mm (3/4") square I'd put a 20mm depth spacer on my bottom die so the bar couldn't be forged down to anything less than 20mm. I've heard of H13 and that it's good for punches & fullers, is that the sort of thing that would be good for my use? I'm more of an artist than blacksmith and know virtually nothing about tool steels. I don't really want to be forging/hardening/tempering my own depth spacers from some sort of tractor axle that I'm never going to find, I just want to ring up a specialist steel supplier & buy some short lengths or a local tool maker and get some bits of scrap off-cuts. Cheers for any input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dks119 Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 I use mild steel. get close without kiss blocks and lighten blows as I contact blocks. hence, I assume, the term "kiss" block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 I agree. Mild steel, I'd prefer to chuck a worn one in the scrap bin than smack my dies into a cold piece of high carbon or alloy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 Yes you don't want hard kiss blocks to damage your dies!!!!! Far better to need to replace a worn kiss block than a set of dies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 Yeah, mild steel I make them wide and completely across the bottom die for maximum volume and area to stop the top die but soft enough to not damage it. I agree, KISS means you use as light blows as will move the target material. At least you have a self contained, they have wonderfully good control. It's a little trickier with a 100 yr old mechanical. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel OF Posted June 30, 2017 Author Share Posted June 30, 2017 I'm senseing a theme developing here... Cheers me dears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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