Forging unknown tool steels

[Soonerlongbow]

Through work I have access to a decent amount of used steel. In particular very large stretch bolts that are essentially useless after removal. I believe they are tool steels, but even that is mostly a mystery. These bars range in thickness of nearly an inch all the way out to 1 3/4, with some nearly 6ft long if whole. Most are cut in half for what they are used as in their secondary life.

Thoughts or ideas?

[just_a_hunter]

You'll have to forge one out, quench it in oil and see if it hardens by doing a file test. The file will slide off without biting in the metal...

Todd

[Soonerlongbow]

Thanks. These things are THICK and if useable a single should provide ample material for more than a couple tools.

[gudspelr]

If you don't want to forge it down to test and have the ability to cut a slice off, I'd go that route. Some people call them "coupons" and do testing with their steel that way. You can have a thin cross section and not waste forging it. Then heat up and quench like you normally would and see what you get. Since its mystery steel, if it ends up hardening nicely, id cut several coupons. Then you could harden them and try different tempering cycles and see where each ends up to give you a good idea moving forward with a knife.

Jeremy

[Soonerlongbow]

This could get interesting! Especially if I can grab a couple of the big bars.

[Soonerlongbow]

Now just a quick idea. Could I use several of these coupons to forge into a billet similar to a Damascus or Japanese style steel?

[Steve Nuckels]

If you have doubt if it is high carbon try using one of the smaller sized pieces and heat it to non-magnetic quench it in water, then put it on the anvil with a little of the quenched end hanging over the edge of the anvil and hit it with a hammer.  If it is carbon steel it should break cleanly.
Good luck

Steve
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Potomac Forge
Member, W.F. Moran Jr. Foundation
ABS Apprentice Smith

[gudspelr]

As for a Damascus type look, probably not. The way the patterns are developed is by having two different steels that etch differently. By taking several pieces of the same steel, you most likely won't see any pattern development-it would be like taking several pieces of 1080 and forge welding them together.


Jeremy

[Soonerlongbow]

Thanks for all the information guys! The bars are large stretch bolts used to hold hydraulic fracturing fluid ends to their power end. To say they are dense and strong stuff would be an understatement!