I have an opportunity to pick up some chunks of A7 tool steel drops. I have looked on line and can't find the information on how brittle it is. So my question is how would this steel work as an improvised anvil? I know this is the place to ask.

Thanks

What will be the heat treat on the drops; or do you have access to high tech heat treat?

"A7 air-hardening, medium-alloy, cold-work tool steels are high carbon alloys comprising cobalt, chromium, vanadium and molybdenum. A7 tool steels have better wear resistance and low toughness rating." AZO website

So a fancy alloy---over 2% carbon! that is very wear resistant but not very impact resistance.  Would not be my choice for an improvised anvil unless it was tempered way back and heat treat definitely requires ramping furnaces, (tempering temp to get RC 57 is 1000 degF)

I take it that since they are drops they will be annealed. If so, use as is.

 

There isn't much high tech around here so if it's not annealed I will leave it be. Thanks for the responses.

Try annealing one by tossing it in the wood stove when you fire it up, and just leave it in there after you go to bed so it cools slowly.

Here is some info to read so you can make an educated decision.

https://www.hudsontoolsteel.com/technical-data/steelA7

https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=6223

I misunderstood, it is S7. 16"x7"x7" or 16"x8"x8". I am trying to get more information, price and hardness.

so you want to use a  non impact tolerant steel for an impact tool ?  good luck

No sir, I am not trying to be hard headed. This is what I found on the Hudson tool steel sight, S7 Shock-Resisting Tool Steel is an air or oil hardening tool steel that is characterized by very high impact toughness. 

That is why I asked. If it's not suitable I will move on. Thanks

Ive made quite a few axes out of s7, and in my experience, it is quite a tough steel, it dulls faster than some steels, but if HT'd properly, it takes a lot of force to chip it. I was splitting some oak in my shop into kindling with an s7 hatchet i made and i missed my target, absolutely nailed the concrete floor, took a nice little chunk out of the floor but didnt touch the steel.

Take that for what its worth. 

Edited February 23, 20188 yr by Will W.
Typo

8x8x16 is 290#, so even annealed it would be better than some HF ASO.

I am confused this started about A7, not talkking about S7 which IS a shock resistant steel they are no where near the same thing at all

Sorry for the confusion. I probably should have started a new discussion. I appreciate the responses and info.

On 22/02/2018 at 7:06 PM, Laynne said:

I misunderstood, it is S7. 16"x7"x7" or 16"x8"x8". I am trying to get more information, price and hardness.

@Steve Sells initial mis-identification as A7, it is actually S7 that Laynne is looking at, I believe. 

Actually it was Laynne that mis identified it: Title of Laynne's Thread: "A7 tool steel:    First  post in this thread, first line: "I have an opportunity to pick up some chunks of A7 tool steel drops"

We answered based on that and it was later that Laynne posted "I misunderstood, it is S7" (and Steve's next post was only a couple of minutes after that one and so he may not have refreshed the thread and seen it before hitting submit.)

And I'd think S7 would be a lovely alloy for an anvil, courtesy of interloy.com: "S7 toolsteel has exceptional impact properties plus the highest hardenability of shock resisting grades of tool steel.It also possesses good softening resistance at high temperatures which gives it hot work capabilities."

S7 is fine.....  I will  but out now

 

A block of 250# (+/-)  S7 is worth many hundreds of dollars, USD.  Perhaps worth even more than the going rate for an equiv. weight London pattern anvil, depending on location. Especially if you have the paperwork to prove it's S7.  

If all you want to do is hammer out approximate knife shapes and then go make love to your grinder, a 250# rectangle of S7 might be the best anvil in the world.  If you want to have a more versitile anvil, I'd sell the S7 and buy a 100# London pattern PLUS a few other nice tools with the extra money from the sale.