Need help ID-ing steel bar (is is weldable)

You could cut off some pieces and just try welding to them, looking for any funny results. Or, cut off some pieces and try to harden them. If they don't harden by heating them to about non-magnetic plus a couple hundred degrees and quenching in water, then they are mild steel. If they do harden, write back and we can talk about ease of annealing and or tempering. Lots of guys talk highly of spark testing, but I'm not any good at it.

Pete Stanaitis

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Ignoramus27006 wrote:

This sure looks like O-1 ground stock. I'd bet money on it. Saw off a little piece, torch it red hot, throw it in oil or water and see if a file will scratch it. If it is O-1, don't weld it. If it is O-1, it's worth some bucks. Try sparking it. O-1 has dull red, small flowered sparks. Try a known piece.

I'd agree with what Tom said. Originally packed like that in 36" lengths would strongly suggest that the steel is ground flat stock, O1 gauge plate or equivalent. Bolt it together if you have to use it as a trolley*, but it might be better to put it to one side for when you need to make jigs or fixtures, then get some cheap black iron to weld up.

*Bolting the parts together with overlaps will be good enough for the intended use. If you want the ultimate in rigidity, then use a bit of Loctite on the mating faces as well.

Mark Rand RTFM

Judging from the description, it's obviously some form of flat ground stock.

The problem is that FGS is commonly available in 4140, O1, A2, D2, S7, and low carbon steel. The alloy is usually identified on the wrapper.

Ned Simmons

90.4% has got to be the worst feedback score I've ever seen for a seller who has completed a large number of transactions.

Chris

my understanding is that Barganland is a clearing house for retail store returns and shipping damaged items. If you buy from them and know this, it not hard to get a good deal. If you think its all new off the shelf stuff.... well it ain't and you will be disappointed.....

Just my 2 cents,, for what its worth...

They get about 1,000 negatives per month, last time I checked.

i

If that IS O-1, it would be a sin to use it structurally.

Yes... There was not much risk in buying those plates... I would never buy consumer electronics etc from them.

i

I wanted to make some milling gizmos out of them, such as chuck backplates, etc, would they work for it? Or is O-1 for cutting tools?

I am making a bridgeport mobile base right now and decided to not use those plates. I was fortunate to find some 1/4x5" x20' steel bar and some angle on Memorial day, so I have enough stuff to work with.

i

I have not yet figured it out, I spend most of my free time (eg free fromplaying with kids, guests etc) on making the mobile base. Which is already at the stage of fully welded up box.

[snip]

Keep for machining project.

Wes

Looking at their recent feedback seems to indicate that nearly all of their negs and neutrals are from people that are expecting more than is reasonable, given the descriptions of the items and the business that the seller is in. Caveat Emptor!

Mark Rand RTFM

Sure! The properties of un-heat treated O-1 are great for lots of stuff, it's pretty tough and stable. I use it for lots of such things. Did you figure out what it is?

Yes, I will definitely not use it for welding.

i

I looked at these bars again. I saw this web page

and realized that end markings are significant. Having realised thet, I found out that these bars have end markings that can be describes as "beige", or a mix of yellow and grey color. I am not sure what the above page mentions that would fit, but I thought that perhaps someone may know what the beige end colors mean.

thanks

i i

Hey Iggy,

Color coding of metal stock does not follow any "standard" like say a resistor or capacitor does. Each supplier will have his own code, and for his own purposes only.

Take care.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.

ps...I would also tend to think as others have that the piece you have is hardenable bar. It is not easy to tell exactly whether that would be air or oil or water hardening though.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There is no standard, unfortunately.

Unless you find the original seller, ther is really no way to tell what the color code is. It would make life too easy, if they would stamp it on the end, or stencil it down the side of the bar.

Kinda a pet peeve of mine, as I have a pile of stock that has batch numbers and cert numbers stamped into the ends, but I have no idea what the material is, as they did not bother to stamp it at the same time.

Cheers Trevor Jones

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Wes