Can anyone tell me the weight of a steel slab that is 3/4" x 31.5" x 42" ?
Thanks, Bill
Can anyone tell me the weight of a steel slab that is 3/4" x 31.5" x 42" ?
Thanks, Bill
The density of most grades of steel averages around 0.283 pounds per cubic inch, so your slab weighs about 992 lb.
-- Ed Huntress
Jeez. Hand slipped punching calculator buttons. That's 992 cubic inches, or 281 pounds.
-- Ed Huntress
Ed, Do you have a table of specific weights by alloy? All I have is a metric reference and it is not specific enough to be able to identify unknown material well. Steve
I haven't looked very deeply into it (I had the density of steel written on the cheat-sheet I keep with my engineering calculator), but here's a short list from Bal-Tec in lb./in.^3 and in metric:
-- Ed Huntress
Ed, Thank-you very much!
Bill L.
A steel plate one foot square and one inch thick weighs 40 lbs, for most practical purposes. Sometimes it's specified by that rule; your piece is 30 Lb plate. It's a handy way to estimate the cost of a piece in a scrapyard.
The exact density depends on alloy and carbon content.
Jim Wilkins
Mark Rand RTFM
I call it the "cannibalism of numbers" to help people remember--- It's when "two" ate "three"
Pete Stanaitis
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Ed Huntress wrote:
What's the largest that will fit in a flat rate shipping box?
USPS Flat rate boxes:
11" x 8.5" x 5.5" $8.95 domestic 13.625" x 11.875" x 3.375" $8.95 domesticAnd the new size
12" x 12" x 5.5" $12.95
You need to know the precise weight and volume, which rules out checking metal in scrapyards and very likely at home unless you are equipped as an analytical chemist (or a drug maker). The quick, traditional method for steel is to grind it and compare the sparks to known samples or a chart. For scrapyards bring a magnet and a small file.
Jim Wilkins
From Machinery's Handbook, 24th Edition, page 356:
Metal Density, lb per cubic inch Aluminum .098 Beryllium .067 Brass(80/20 cu/zn) .310 Bronze .317 Chromium .260 Cobalt .310 Copper .295 Cast iron .260 Lead .397 Magnesium .066 Manganese .268 Mercury .4892 Molybdenum .341 Nickel .308 Platinum .775 Silver .379 Carbon steel .283 Tin .275 Titanium .170 Tungsten .630 Vanaduim .221 Zinc .230
Interesting that tungsten is nearly half again as heavy as mercury. Explains the weight of those carbide inserts, huh? I wish they'd included uranium; it's really heavy, too. And magnesuim's weight explains why it's popular in aircraft applications.
Dan
You need to know the precise weight and volume, which rules out checking metal in scrapyards and very likely at home unless you are equipped as an analytical chemist (or a drug maker). The quick, traditional method for steel is to grind it and compare the sparks to known samples or a chart. For scrapyards bring a magnet and a small file.
I am kind of new to this but learned quickly to carry a small magnet around the garage sales. How does the file help? Would a battery-powered Dremel with an abrasive wheel be enough for the spark test? I bought some brass pieces and wanted to see if they were solid brass or just something plated. I ducked into water and measured the displaced volume. Then I weighed each piece and calculated their density. None of the pieces were close to the 8.5gm/cm3 that brass is supposed to be. The figure spread was such that I abandoned this procedure on future items.
If you can't file it, you can't machine it without annealing. It also cuts through the crud or plating so you can see the color underneath.
I didn't suggest a Dremel because you can't see the tiny sparks very well outdoors, and some junkyard smells make me nervous about starting a fire.
To measure density with any sort of accuracy you need a balance that will resolve to at least 1 part in 1000 and preferably -much- better. For a coin or washer this is about 0.5 milligram, assuming the displaced water weighs half a gram. You can do better if the sample is close to the weight limit of the balance.
You don't measure the displaced water, you weigh the part in air and then hanging in water. The difference in grams equals the volume in milliliters.
Jim Wilkins
If you can't file it, you can't machine it without annealing. It also cuts through the crud or plating so you can see the color underneath.
I didn't suggest a Dremel because you can't see the tiny sparks very well outdoors, and some junkyard smells make me nervous about starting a fire.
***OK, that makes sense.To measure density with any sort of accuracy you need a balance that will resolve to at least 1 part in 1000 and preferably -much- better. For a coin or washer this is about 0.5 milligram, assuming the displaced water weighs half a gram. You can do better if the sample is close to the weight limit of the balance.
You don't measure the displaced water, you weigh the part in air and then hanging in water. The difference in grams equals the volume in milliliters.
*** Not technically feasible here. Most of the pieces were of the order of 100 gm and my scale weighs to 1 gm. The water displacement was measured with a 12 cc syringe. Either way, the shapes are irregular and one is always wondering about air pockets. Some of the pieces I suspect are hollow. So it is a waste of time either way.I was fascinated to read in another thread about machinery which can analyze metal composition by "shooting it" - whatever that means? Does anyone know how this works?
I always think about an early chevy small block engine.
Wes
Probably a spark spectrometer. This used to be a really large chunk of equipment, they've got it down to something that's wheelable now. Google on "portable spark spectrometer". Uses an electrical spark against the test material to obtain a spectrum, a photosensor reads it, microcomputing does the rest. It's replaced wet methods of analysis in foundries and would be really handy for junkyards if they weren't so expensive. I keep hoping to find a pocket-size model...
Stan
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