What can I do with this piece of metal?

[Chelonian]

Hi, I recently found a large piece of metal in the basement of our house. It is 6 feet long, 1.5 inches in diameter, and weighs 35 pounds. I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas for what to do with it. Here are some photos: (next to a 2lb ball-pein hammer for scale )

 

 

I wasn't sure what type of metal it was, so I tried spark testing it. Does it look like it would be hardenable? Here's a photo of the sparks:

 

If you have any ideas, please let me know! Thanks.

 

[bigfootnampa]

The sparks look good, but... you need to compare with a known steel sample.  It could be an old axle or some such thing.

[ThomasPowers]

I see some bursts; but am not sure of your testing method.  Can you cut a section off and try forging it to say 1/4" thick and quenching it in water and trying WEARING PPE to break it in the vise?  As to what you can do with it there are several million possible answers, BE SPECIFIC!  (You can look up an early example of a lobotomy involving a rod and some explosives for instance.)

[Chelonian]

I'm mostly wondering if it would work to make hammer heads. Unfortunately, the only vise I have is a small Wilton machinist vise, and I'm unsure if it would handle being pounded on too much. I guess I might be able to try it in the vise if the piece was really thin. Is there any other way to test the brittleness? My spark testing method was a 3/4in cut-off wheel in a Dremel at 30K RPM.

Thanks!

[ThomasPowers]

Don't pound on the wilton!  You could also bridge it on a piece of stock and hit it with the hammer in the bridged area. Or try filing it after it's quenched.  If the file skates and not just digging in a decarb layer; then it will harden enough to make tools needing basic hardening.

Note that not all hammers are hardened; some are soft on purpose---*specifics*!

[Chelonian]

That's a good idea. I'll try that next time I get the forge going. (might not be for a while because the weather looks awful for the next few days here) And then I'll post the results. Aren't most general forging hammers hardened and tempered?

Thanks!

[ThomasPowers]

Yes they are; but you didn't tell us "general forging hammers"; just hammers....and unfortunately my mind reading laser satellites had an unscheduled upgrade and will be down for the foreseeable future.

[SFC Snuffy]

I annealed a 3 lb. engineer's hammer, painted the head blaze orange, and put it on a handle that had the word "ANNEALED" burned into it. I use it for punches, top tools, and my guillotine tool. Not really necessary, but I like to think I'll get less mushrooming on the tools by hitting it with a softer hammer.

So even if your hardening provides inconclusive results, there are still plenty of things to be made from the stock you have. It might be better if you look at what tools you DO have, what tools you would LIKE to have, and provide specific inquiries after you try hardening a sample.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

On 11/9/2018 at 11:59 AM, Chelonian said:

I might be able to try it in the vise

Just draw out one end to about 3/16-1/4 thick, heat it to non critical, quench it in water then lay it over the edge of the anvil, hit the overhanging piece with hammer. If it snaps off there should be enough carbon to harden & temper.

[Chelonian]

I got the forge going today, so I cut a piece off the end of the rod (not exactly fun with a hacksaw ), and tried hardening it. I tried breaking it, but even when I was hitting it quite hard, it didn't break. So I cut a groove into it, and then tried hitting it again. This time it did break: (don't worry I didn't break it in the vise)

I then tested the hardness with a file, and it pretty much just skates it. I did manage to eventually round off a corner after about a minute of filing, but I don't think it was biting much.

[ThomasPowers]

Skates a file, breaks rather than bends: hardenable.  Use for items needing its hardness/toughness.