1018 for a beginner?

B

bwitty

Joined
Dec 5, 2003
Messages
103
Would 1018 1/4" x 2" bars make for good steel for a beginner to try his luck at stock removal? I found a place that sells them in 12 foot bars for 18 bucks apiece.
 
I don't think 1018 has enough carbon to harden properly. There's no point in going to all the work of grinding a blade if its not going to be usable when your done. You can get O1, 1095, 1084,5160 all for cheap, and end up with a very good knife.
Also, that size isn't really the best unless you plan on making big knives. I would recommend a blade in the 3" range for your first one, and 1/8" thick stock is plenty for that. Longer is harder to grind properly, and the heat treat gets more complicated too due to warping etc.
 
You could get it for tossing it into damascus, or for welding onto billets that will go into the forge.
 
I think that price is too high. You should be able to find it for around $0.20 per pound at a scrap yard. Each one of those bars should weigh about 20 pounds, so just less than $1.00 per pound. I would try to find some 1070 to 1095 for that price range and then you could make a hardenable blade out of it too.
 
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