Bearing steels, Shneeberger linear guide ways

[Weitzel]

Hi All,
I was lucky (I think) to acquire about 400lbs of high carbon bearing steel. These were linear bearings (guide ways) for the Z axis of a large horizontal mill machine, a StarragHeckert 1600. They were manufactured by Shneeberger, a linear bearing and metal manufacturer in Germany who, from my understanding, makes their own steel.
My question is, has anyone listening made knives from linear bearing steel, or specifically Shneeberger bearing steel?

 

[Weitzel]

P.S. I'm located in Iowa if anyone near is interested in pounding on some free samples of this steel, I'm only equipped to do stock removal at the moment.

 

[Tinbasher]

I used a much smaller piece to make a blade and heat treated it like 5160 and it came out ok.
Cut a small bit of and get someone to heat it up and quench in oil and see if it hardens.
No idea who made the stuff I used.

Richard

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

What are you going to do with steel having holes in it?

Many bearings are 52100, but those could be some other steel.

The company doesn't make its own steel, but may have a proprietary steel made by a mill in Germany ( or elsewhere). Contacting the company may help.

You would be only guessing, but a standard high carbon HT process would be where to start.
1500F for 5 minutes
quench in fast oil
temper twice at 425-450F
Test edge for chipping or rolling

 

[Natlek]

What are you going to do with steel having holes in it?

Many bearings are 52100, but those could be some other steel.

The company doesn't make its own steel, but may have a proprietary steel made by a mill in Germany ( or elsewhere). Contacting the company may help.

You would be only guessing, but a standard high carbon HT process would be where to start.
1500F for 5 minutes
quench in fast oil
temper twice at 425-450F
Test edge for chipping or rolling

This is quote from theirs site

SCHNEEBERGER linear bearings are normally manufactured from tool steel No.1.2510 or 1.2842. The hardness is between 58 and 62 HRC, or min. 54 HRC for certain corrosion resistant models (material No. 1.4125). The whole SCHNEEBERGER rolling element range is made generally from bearing steel No. 1.3505. The hardness is between 58 and 64 HRC, or min. 56 HRC for corrosion-resistant models.

The guideway is made from 1.2842 hardened tool steel with a hardness of 58 to 62 HRC . If the user needs corrosion-resistant guideways, 1.4034 tool steel is used. The rolling elements - balls or rollers - are made from hardened roller bearing steel in hardness 58 to 64 HRC.

 

[Robert Erickson]

Too bad there are holes.
Although, if you had a forge press you could clad both sides after filling the holes with powdered 1095 and squash them down. Maybe they'd want these for an episode of Forged In Fire
At any rate a google search of those steels came up with:
1.2510 is similar to O1, 1.2842 is similar to O2 and 1.3505 is similar to 52100

 

[Weitzel]

Thanks guys, you had better luck than I finding info on their site.
I'll probably cut off some chunks at the holes, it'll be about a 5lb cube, probably cut that in half again and try to anneal it, it's all hard right now, a file skates off it. The two rails were originally 12ft long, I cut them in half with a 4-1/2" angle grinder.
Hopefully i can get someone at the company to tell me exactly what it is but if not at least I have a lifetime supply to figure it out