Steel Bars vs Sheet cut offs

[ArmySoldier72]

Oh great knowledge holders of I Forge.....

I tried to search an answer but maybe i was not using the right words in search....

talking mild steel for this question.

 

If I have a piece of 1/4" x 1" bar 

and I have a piece of Sheet cut off 1/4" x 1" 

 

is there a difference? structurally?

If I put both into the forge and then tried to forge a bottle opener, would they forge the same?

If I were using them in a Mig welding project, is there a reason to use one over the other?

 

i know there is a difference in the sheet metal was sheered off and might have a ragged edge.

 

Thank you in advance.

ARMY

 

the pictures are not accurate... i know they are actually different sizes.

 

[JHCC]

In my experience, they work exactly the same. My steel supplier often has offcuts from heavy sheet and plate, and I've never noticed any difference in forging characteristics.

The biggest difference is that bar stock actually has a rectangular cross section, since it goes between rollers that make all four sides even and square. Offcuts do not, as the metal gets dragged out of square by the downward force of the shear. There can be sharp burrs or rough edges (as you note), and sometimes you even get a bulging surface when the offcut comes from the very edge of the parent stock. Just make sure to either square it up under the hammer or grind/file it smooth, and you'll be fine.

[ArmySoldier72]

JHCC thank you for the input.  I was hoping as much.

ARMY

Edited December 10, 2024 by Mod34
Removed @ tag

[JHCC]

You’re welcome. Just don’t use the “@“ with people’s handles; it's a quirk of the forum. 

[swedefiddle]

Quite a few Steel Suppliers sell by weight, Mild Steel and Mild Steel weigh the same per pound, regardless of shape. Sometimes they will cut you some slack because it may be a "Drop" or "OffCut".

Neil

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

11 hours ago, JHCC said:

In my experience, they work exactly the same.

Same here, just have to even up some edges of sheared cut offs.

There was a shop that fabricated a lot of plate using a CNC plasma cutter. They would have buckets full of odd shaped cuttings that they let me have for the taking. I really missed them when they moved several hundred miles away from me.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.~ Semper Paratus

[BillyBones]

I had some one once tell me that hex material is high carbon, i said that i am running 3/4" hex 12L14 at work. Hex, flat, square, round, sheet, is just a shape. Sheet or plate is just a really, really wide flat bar. 

[Mike BR]

It’s a good idea to grind off any heavy burrs; you can end up with minor cold shuts otherwise. 

[ArmySoldier72]

Thank you all for the input. 

I am heading back to my buddy's work this weekend... Their scrap pile is where I have gotten most of my material from. 

Boy they throw a lot of stuff in the pile for the scrap yard. 

I have told my buddy he should make some pallets of stuff for the auction. 

 

Now that I have your input, I plan to get another truckload of material.....

 

1 day I will finally make something other than storage racks and shop tool stands!!!   8-)

 

ARMY