Philip West

60Si2MnA is one in case you haven't seen the specs http://www.316l-stianless.com/Spring-steel/A11603-60Si2MnA.html

It does especially on thin stuff. we weld chisel sockets on a mandrel that's set in the anvil. Like in this woodwrights shop/ peter ross video. welding the socket starts about the 8 minute mark but this is a one piece socket and blade not two piece like yours. http://www.pbs.org/video/2365386383/

Great video, Im just curious do you have a preference using your mandrel like that inside the socket over using a mandrel mounted in your hardy?

Alan, I also wanted to add something. We all know what welding 5160 to itself is like with all that chromium. This steel only has a trace amount and it welds to itself just fine. We have made a bunch of bag axes out of it in the traditional bow tie method. just bend a small piece of the steel over itself for the bit instead of adding one and weld it up..makes a tough as nails axe..In fact the first time we ever made a axe with one is when I found out how much this steel hates water I felt the "PING" all the way to my teeth, cracked half the blade off right at the level it went into the water..Thats when I started digging.. This little axe was made from one..

Welcome, we have access to a lot of RR steel through a friend who owns a scrap yard. A few family members who work for the RR and they let me know what publications to look in to find stuff like this. That is some very tough steel

That stuff is not regular 1060 it has a decent amount of alloy and hates water. It's actually 60Si2MnA http://www.316l-stianless.com/Spring-steel/A11603-60Si2MnA.html

We use cold blue a lot with low layer patterns like in Damascus axe's..Also helps bring out cable pattern real well.

Seems like everyone is out of stock of almost everything right now..

good coal is a wonder to forge with..Im lucky to have easy access to it where I live but your right. Bad coal will make you want to throw your forge away

Just a couple of pieces. A adze forged from 1060 and a, well for lack of a better term a "Danish" hawk..Wrap and weld hawk with some Danish flair. Mild body and W1 cutting bit

thanks

Figured that it might. thanks

Ok Im no dummy when it comes to forums but neither my profile or settings sections gives me a place to change my user name to my real name as asked. can someone help me out? thanks

Oil would be a no go, just too much and too large a piece of steel(250#). It would take a 50 gal drum to prevent auto tempering Im afraid. Not to mention a flash fire the size of a car hood. I know what the books say about oil, but theres just no way..I wish it was 4140 to be honest then I would not be worried because we quench large sections of 4140 in water all the time. It only has to be a couple of inches of the face hardened. I may pass on it but I kinda het to because the price is so good. Anything over say 2 1/2" thick(4140,4150 etc) that we have ever tried to harden in oil always ends up about 6-10rc softer in the middle of the face than the edges. and that's fast oil out of a heat treat kiln. A polymer quench would probably work but cant swing that either.

Thinking of doing a home quench of a very large section of 4340.Appx 10"x 6"x 13" the ability to heat it and lift it is not a issue. Even have a creek close by for a large volume of moving water.. Ive quenched a lot of 4140 and 4150 in water when doing large sections(but not this large) with never a problem. Ive never done 4340 though..I was thinking since its such a large section that a moving water quench would be the way to go. What say you?