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

I bought two identical 0.5x4x36" steel bars from "the worst seller on
eBay", a.k.a. Bargainland-liquidation.
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Here are the pictures of one of the bars:
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These bars are very rectangular, have sharp straight corners and are a
little brighter than usual steel. They are strongly magnetic, though
possible a little less than regular steel (not easy to tell).
Their color resembles various pieces like 3R EDM electrode bases that
I have, etc, that sort of thing. Not dull hot rolled iron.
I need something like these bars to form a part of a bridgeport base
on casters, however I am concerned whether they are weldable. I do not
think that they are stainless, but could they be of some alloy that
does not weld well?
i
P.S. I am not planning on having casters under the bridgeport, they
will be to the sides of the base and I will make sure that the base is
only 1" or so off the ground. The casters are rated for 2,400 lbs
each.
Reply to
Ignoramus27006
Loading thread data ...
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 ------------------
Ignoramus27006 wrote:
Reply to
spaco
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.
Reply to
Tom Gardner
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
Reply to
Mark Rand
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
Reply to
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
Reply to
Christopher Tidy
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...
bob in phx.
Reply to
Bob in Phx
They get about 1,000 negatives per month, last time I checked.
i
Reply to
Ignoramus21078
If that IS O-1, it would be a sin to use it structurally.
Reply to
Tom Gardner
Yes... There was not much risk in buying those plates... I would never buy consumer electronics etc from them.
i
Reply to
Ignoramus21078
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
Reply to
Ignoramus21078
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.
Reply to
Ignoramus21078
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
Reply to
Mark Rand
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?
Reply to
Tom Gardner
I looked at these bars again. I saw this web page
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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
Reply to
Ignoramus12714
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
Reply to
Brian Lawson
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
Reply to
Trevor Jones
Yes, very sad, all they could do is etch the code.
i
Reply to
Ignoramus12714
According to Ignoramus12714 :
[ ... ]
Sure -- they tell you *exactly* what alloy you have -- *if* you know which vendor sold them before they were cut down (not the eBay one, but the serious metal vendor). The problem is that each vendor has his own set of color codes. The color codes have *not* been standarized between manufacturers/vendors.
I could tell you what those colors mean from my Jorgensen steel book -- but there is no point unless you *know* that they were sold by Jorgensen.
Sorry, DoN.
Reply to
DoN. Nichols
That's unfortunate.
DoN, if we can pretend for a second that these bars were made by Jorgensen, what would they be then? The reason for my question is that someone mentioned that while there are some differences, many vendors have a lot of codes in common.
i
Reply to
Ignoramus12714

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