Going to get some steel

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beochie

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Jan 21, 2009
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I live is SW MI (kalamazoo) area and I'm going to Admiral steel near chicago. I'm flying out of ORD.(flying to Ak). flying out Fri and I'll be back Sun. I'll be in the neighborhood of Admiral so i thought I'd stop buy and pick up a bunch of:


HR 1084 Bars 1/8” 1-1/4” 60” these are 7 bucks a pop! does anyone want me to pick them up some? or anything else? I have a car so take it easy:D

do I need to have this stuff surface ground or can I just start making blades? sorry I'm a newb anything else I should know about it?
 
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Just so you know, those bars aren't annealed, and they will break drill bits. Don't ask me how I know :p
 
Mike,
You just saved me some serious frustration ! I was planning on ordering some of this for stock removal and until I can get a forge built would have no reasonable way to anneal so thanks a bunch dude !! :D

-Josh
 
I have some of that stuff and while I didn't make a knife with it yet I did use it for a couple of brackets that I drilled holes in and I don't recall it being that difficult to drill.

It is entirely possible that I used my cobalt bits on it which laugh at stuff that cheaper drill bits won't even put a mark in.
 
I use HF drill bits, because they're cheap and I've had one bit drill 40+ holes in mild steel before wearing out, and even then sharpen it up and it can do another 20. In this stuff, I can only get about one and a half holes drilled before they're squealing away. Maybe I'm using a bad speed or too much pressure, but that's just my experience with the bars.
 
My experience with the HR 1084 from Admiral steel is that it's got some hard spots, but the majority of it is soft. I recently got my shipment of it, and I've ground a few knives to prep for heat treat, and all but one drilled just fine, but the last one just spun and squeaked.
 
humm.. you guys have me wondering. This is really good steel to make knives with...right?
 
beochie said:
humm.. you guys have me wondering. This is really good steel to make knives with...right?
Click to expand...
1084 good
admiral 1084 HR not so good, I have found their HR to be thickly scaled so by the time you are down to good metal you have lost almost 1/16
I am now buying just about all of my steel from Aldo and Kelly Cupples

-Page
 
:(:confused: Looks like its back to square one. searching for a good steel at the right price. does aldo have a site or price list? any other input on admirals 1084 HR?
 
I'm working on a batch of 5 neckers from the Admiral 1084. The stuff drills harder than 1080 and the O1 that I have used in the past. The high speed drill bits weren't cutting the mustard so I used cobalt with much more success.
 
I have ordered steel from McMaster Carr, near my house so I can pick up. They have 1074 and 1095 both work very well. I have not been pleased with any steel I have ordered from Admiral, there always seems to be an issue.
 
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