Anyone got a connection for steel analysis?

Salem Straub

Salem Straub

Joined
Oct 20, 2008
Messages
5,547
I've got about 250 lbs. of some steel that I'd really like to know the composition of. It is most likely 65Mn (1065 with 1% Mn) or 60Si2Mn (9260). It also could be as low as 55% carbon. If it's actually 9260 I would be quite happy. I don't know a practical test to find if it has that silicon in it...

So, do any of you know where the most cost effective place to send a sample for analysis might be?

Thanks in advance.
 
My brother works at a foundry and has access to this kind of testing equipment. I'll ask him if he'd be able to test some For you. If so ill get back to you in a couple days.
 
You may want to check with RichardJ. I remember he got some spectral analysis(if that's the term) done on John Deere plow blades.
 
Salem, I can do an energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis on a sample. It would give you what elements are present and ~% by weight. E-mail me if you are interested and we can work out the details. Love your stuff BTW.

Regards, Matthew McAlevy

Matthew_mcalevy@icloud.com
 
Thanks guys! Matthew, email sent.
Shane, thanks for the response, I will be keeping that in mind for sure.
After posting this yesterday I got off my metaphorical ass and did some more research, ended up sending a quote request to Fastenal, Metal Test, and a York related lab over in Bothell. Doubt if I'll hear back until Monday or Tuesday though, on those.
 
Yessir Paul, it is.
I'm sending a test sample out monday.
I forged a camp blade out today from it and am tempering now, will do a soft back draw and cut a bunch/ultimately destroy it to see what happens.
 
Salem Straub said:
Yessir Paul, it is.
I'm sending a test sample out monday.
I forged a camp blade out today from it and am tempering now, will do a soft back draw and cut a bunch/ultimately destroy it to see what happens.
Click to expand...

Hi Salem,
I had one of those tested several years ago, and it was 1055. I made it into a short sword, and it worked fine, and made a nice hamon. Yours might be something different though...
 
Semi-OT Back when I was a fencer I examined all the broken blades I could get. Poorly made , for sure , but they were 9260 .This has been a common automotive wheel spring material . Similar in use and HT to 5160. Youll have to watch for decarb more so than for 5160 because of the high Si .
 
From another forum...

These were the spectrometer results from the rail anchor ("clip") I sent to my buddy who works in the lab of a steel mill:

C: 0.51 | Mn: 0.80 | P: 0.01 | S: 0.03 | Si: 0.18 | Cu: 0.24 | Cr: 0.07 | Mo: 0.02 | Ni: 0.07 | Sn: 0.010 | V: 0.002 | Cb/Nb: 0.015
Click to expand...

index.php
 
Thanks guys. Rick, mine are similar to that but a little different in shape. I've seen many different results listed around the net for alloy on these. .51% carbon would be a drag, .55% would be better, .60% is what I'm hoping for.

The test blade I made today hardened well in oil and chopped through a 2x4 keeping a good shaving edge...
 
1050 makes a good camp knife, IMO. I've seen nice hamon done in it. I'd imagine it would rock swords, parangs and machetes. Kitchen knives?... hmmmmmmm... probably not.
 
So, I got the results back from analysis of this steel.
The results of two tests, averaged:
C .63
Mn .76
Si .15
S .012
Ni .31
Cr .11
Cu .24
V .031
W .001
Zr .01

So, it's not 9260- but, a pretty straight 1065. The manganese is not so high that a hamon would be out of the question...
I'm happy with the numbers.
That is just for THIS BATCH of rail anchors (track clips) others may well be different, I've seen posted results from other clips that were as low as .50% carbon (see above.)

I'll post the sword I forged from one, when I get it heat treated.
 
I have about 50 of those clips. I can't have them all tested but I'm can most likely assume its 1050 minimum?
 
This is the fourth batch I have seen tested, and all have been 0.5% carbon or more. If going for a hamon, carbon between 0.5 or 0.6 will make up for the higher manganese. In a wedge shape, martensite will form first in the narrow part of the wedge rather than evenly along the surface as it would in a rod. (Taken from Verhoeven.) Once you get to euctoid steel, or hyper euctoid steel, the hamon is resulting from low manganese first, and low chromium second.
 
Salem, Where did you send off your test piece to?? Looking for a place to do some springs I have. Have a request in at the local Fastenal but no response as of yet.
 
Chuck, a Bladeforums member kindly did this for me... I did send off several quote requests, Fastenal quoted me $120 or so, the cheapest commercial entity I spoke with was Metal Test Inc, (Google that, it's west coast) for IIRC $85.
 
Thanks Salem. I had someone offer a few years ago but I neglected the opportunity and never sent them off. Oh well I guess I will have to pay the big bucks or just deal with my own HT. Thanks again
 
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