INFO

Cold rolled steel, composition 12L14.

A very easy to machine leaded steel.

Gunner

Confronting Liberals with the facts of reality is very much akin to clubbing baby seals. It gets boring after a while, but because Liberals are so stupid it is easy work." Steven M. Barry

Just a guess:

Cold Rolled Steel, 0.12% Carbon (not really hardenable) 0.14% Lead (for making it more easily machinable.)

I think that 12L14 is the US designation for that steel (though I'm not positive of the carbon content -- though it is rather low at least.)

Good Luck, DoN.

The first digit identifies the primary alloy element, in this case 1 stands for carbon steel (tell you why in a moment). The second digit tells us the percentage of alloying element, in this case 2%. The letter tells us the alloying element is lead (if it were nickel, tungsten, vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, or manganese, the first number would have told us that, but lead isn't one of the alloying elements directly called out in the SAE standard, so the letter is used). The 14 tells us it is fourteen points carbon (0.14%). That says it isn't hardenable.

Gary