czbohunk Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 I have some 3/8 and 3/4 rod that are the braceing rods in a steel building is it any good for forgeing and what kind of steel would it be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Browne Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Take it that reo bar is mild steel, probably some sort of low carbon remelt. I use it for practicing techniques for projects before using better steel. As its probably remelt some of it could be heat treated but I would say its not worth trying and just use it for general use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Martin Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 3/8 round bar makes real nice long leaves, nails, hooks, and many other things. Just heat it up start smithing and see how it re-acts. Hopefully it'll be a mild steel that you can forge with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 There's no telling what rebar might be as it's made to a performance spec. Meaning that as long as it has a tensile strength equal to or greater than the specification and it can be bent cold to the specified radius it passes. Rebar can be anything from low carbon low alloy to high alloy tool steel, as long as it meets spec it's okay. A-36 is also a performance spec steel so you can find wild variations from batch to batch. As said, it's remelted VWs, ice skates and battleships. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgtwister Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 well not sure what you have there alot are talking about rebar but a few of the places i have worked that was steel buliding had tie bars in them some were galvinized and some were what looked like zinc plated none of them looked like mild steel make sure what you have before you put heat to it you don't want a trip to the hospital Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
czbohunk Posted October 5, 2008 Author Share Posted October 5, 2008 It's not rebar like used for concrete ,it's smoothed and a friend at work said it should be good steel,, the rod went from the floor to the celing form I-beam to the other I-beam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 I have some tie bar from steel buildings. It is nice stuff, forges smoother than A-36. My guess is that it will be similar. Use it for scroll work and such, it won't be good for tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateDJ Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 My steel supplier tells me most structural steel is a36 unless specifically specked for a particular purpose. As those are used for X reinforcement between the uprights it is likely they are A36. The amount of stress on them is not much and is all lateral stress instead of shear stress. Should be excellent forging steel if my informant is correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
czbohunk Posted October 8, 2008 Author Share Posted October 8, 2008 thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 "A-36 is also a performance spec steel so you can find wild variations from batch to batch." When will this myth die? I thought we killed it last week in another thread. A-36 has a specific formula and it is not a hodge podge of remelt steel. I think that people owe it to the Blacksmith community to check out information instead of just repeating everything they hear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_sandy_creek_forge Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Woody, **Please note I am not a structural engineer or professional metallurgist** I was looking at that table for ASTM-A 36. For the elements carbon, phosphorous, and sulfur, it lists a Max %. Doesn't this mean that the percentage of these elements contained in A 36 can be anything "up to" that amount. In which case, wouldn't it reason that you could get A 36 with 0.08% carbon and the very next batch could be 0.18% or 0.27% (the stated max for 1/2" bar) carbon? So while it doesn't have a wildly varying amount of whatever happened to get thrown in the furnace, there is the possibility for a significant variance from batch to batch, correct? Thanks in advance for help in understanding this. -Aaron @ the SCF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 **Please note I am not a structural engineer or professional metallurgist** Would those number not be the minimums for the spec? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quenchcrack Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 specs: They could be maximums or even the "aim" chemistry. Most mills have a specific melt practice to produce each product. They keep the chemistry of each heat within fairly narrow limits. This is done to assure the product meets the chemistry and strength specifications without having to experiment with each heat to get it right. Once again, let me assure everyone that re-melting scrap is the way most new steel is made. If the grade calls for it, it will be refined to a high degree and carfully processed to cleanliness levels far exceeding the original scrap. Even Basic Oxygen Steel processes use some scrap to mix with the iron that has been produced in the Blast Furnace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 I don't recall the thread that resolved this myth and without a link I can't check what you say. So, what I did was a google search on A36 analysis, no "formula" involved. I didn't read them all, just half a dozen or so and the only really consistent spec I ran across were minimum performance specs. 58,000-60,000 psi tensile and 36,000 yield. Both minimum specs. The analysis were very limited and pretty vague in all cases except for products labeled "Special" which carry close tolerances. Run of the mill ASTM A36 doesn't seem to have a spec for chrome, moly, lead, copper or any of a dozen other commonly found alloying metals. Different mills show different specs as well. From my own personal experience I've run across A36 that was hot short and from another batch cold short and one batch that sparked under the grinder like 1045 or so. However, I'll concede "Wild" variation may have been too strong a term. I guess it depends on what a person expects as opposed to what they get. Please repost your sources I missed the other thread. I'd rather know what's current (or where to buy my A36 anyway) than just think I know. Seriously, I'd rather be corrected when I'm wrong than go on being wrong and worse yet pass bad info. Thanks, Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Where are you? that could make a difference to the quality! "Junkyard Rules" apply until you have found out what it really is but if it is tying Ibeams together my guess is that it is going to be some sort of structural steel rather than mild. It would be worth cleaning some right down to metal to see if it is zinc coated in some way. Obviously if it is then apply all the safety rules governing zinc when working with it. Even if you can't ascertain exactly what it is what are you doing with it?? Does it really matter? This weekend I have to make some toilet roll holders and towel holders (at last something that isn't a big, utilitarian tool). I am not too concerned about the grade of steel I am using. Customers rarely specify the grade of steel to be used in bathroom fittings imho! Just enjoy hammering it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateDJ Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 "Junkyard Rules" apply until you have found out what it really is but if it is tying Ibeams together my guess is that it is going to be some sort of structural steel rather than mild. Just enjoy hammering it! According to the guys at: Quick Service Steel Co Of Oklahama City, Inc 1948 Se 44th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73129-7920, United States Phone: (405) 672-4557 Structural steel is all A36 unless it is specified to be different by the engineers. He tells me that the cross ties they sell are all A36. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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