DaveI Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 I have a 7ft length of 3/4 X 3/4 bar stock of 4143 steel. I have no idea what to use it for. Knives, cutting tools, hammer(small), etc. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 no good for any cutting tool., too small for anything except a tack hammer, save it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 It would make some smaller drifts. That is more a tooling alloy, 43 points carbon is not a blade alloy. (100 points = 1% carbon so compared to 1095, 95 points; or 1084, 84 points; it's in the lower middle carbon steels.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 It'd be good trading stock. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rashelle Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 Punches, drifts, small hammers, chisels, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 how do you figure a chisel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazer Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 I would probably use 4140/4143 for a chisel or a hardy, but that's just me. I agree that it's more suitable for blunt tools rather than edged ones, but when I make a chisel I tend to leave a small flat rather than an edge, so edge retention isn't a concern. I'll admit my bar for what steel I use in my top tools is sometimes set by what I have on hand in the right size. So while it's not the best option out there I think we can agree that a chisel made of 4143 would be better than one made of mild steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 I always thought 4143 steel was good for some blades. "C.4143(JUS) - Low alloyed cold work tool steel. Used in files and other cutting instruments. High working hardness, but very little corrosion resistance. When heat treated properly makes very good utility knife blades." http://www.zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=c.4143 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rashelle Posted February 12, 2021 Share Posted February 12, 2021 Steve I've been using 4140 and 1045 for hot and cold chisels since I started. I believe in one of Mark Aspery's workshops he said he was using sucker rod that was along the lines of 4130 for the hand tools. I could be wrong it's been a few years. Either way 4143 is slightly .03% more carbon then 4140 and I've been using that successfully, it should be fine. I was on a s-7 kick for hand tools for awhile, till I looked at my hammer faces and was promptly saddened then thought of all the effort it was making the tools. Then I realized awwwwwwwwww hammer softer then anvil, tool softer then hammer. (The hammers I been making are also 4140 or 1045 except hardened.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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