L6 or 15N20

SteelSlaver

SteelSlaver

Joined
Feb 17, 2007
Messages
3,375
Alright I am a steel snob, but, here in the Pacific Northwest, there is some big timber and saw mills. A gentleman I met at a small street fair where I have a booth every year is the head saw filer at one of these mill. He took one of my cards and emailed me a while back and offered to drop me off a couple saw blades, when he stopped by my town next. These are huge band saw blades a bit over 1/16" thick and about 12" wide. The teeth are not bi-metal but are heated upset and filed and hardened. They came in cut in 4' lengths. I have about 60' of the stuff. (How could I refuse). He told me as they wear he re-upsets them, sharpens them, off sets the teeth. Etc. I think he uses a electric heater to heat them for forming and hardening. He had his wife along when he stopped to drop them off and I only had a bit of time to talk with him. I think if I was to make him a knife more blades would appear.

My Question is how do I tell if they are 15N20 or L6. Is there a simple method or do I need to have them analyzed. I do have some access to a PMI gun. Which should tell me almost everything but, the carbon content. Should I be able to tell bu the nickel content alone? Any other things I should look at in the PMI results.
 
Have it tested....But

98%+ chance they are 15n20. I have yet to find a saw blade that has been made from L6.

The 15N20 that Kelly Couples sells is from large band saw blade.
 
Jim- What Don said :)

I had a similar situation, and got the exact same thing. The stuff I got turned out to be 15N20. The problem for me, was figuring out how to work with it! LOL

The stuff I got is real close to 0.070" thick and fairly hard, so it does NOT like to be cut on my band saw. If I had a shear then I'd probably be set.

I haven't done much with it because the stuff I buy from Kelly is sheared to exact size, and is nice and clean.

If you've got access to a stout shear, and possibly lots more of this steel, it would very likely be worth it to get a coupon of the steel tested.

Might be a hell of a source for you! :)

EDITED to add: The pieces I got are 12" wide without any type of brazed or cemented, sintered tooth inserts... that's why I got it tested. Also, they are rusty because after the mill sheared them to 5' lengths, they simply pile them up outside of the saw-filers' shack. Getting it tested let me KNOW it's good stuff, but dealing with the size and the rust.... as opposed to a bucket full of nice, clean, 1-1/2" X 6" pieces from Kelly....has kept those big pieces sitting idle.
 
Last edited:
We get a lot of those bandsaw blades up here too. Plum Creek sends them to the scrap yard by the truck load... They are all 15n20. I used to buy them for scrap price and cut them up for my damascus. Then I met Kelly Cupples. He shears his stuff up for me to 1 1/2x6" pieces and ships it to me in a flat rate box. The price he charges makes it hard for me to justify driving to the scrap yard to get it!!
 
Get a piece specced then make a deal with yer local waterjet owner :-) Worked for me!
 
Next time they start a new blade, it should have Uddeholm marked right on the blade before it gets worn off.
Cut some pieces with a torch and spherodize them in your oven.
Grind off the torch slag.
Cuts great with any old band saw.
 
Jim
Send me a small piece and I'll get it tested for you. Like everyone else said, it probably won't come back L6(never had a saw blade that did) but instead will be 15N20 or 1070.
Matt Doyle
 
hmmmm looks like i need to make a phone call to my brother in law . He is in charge of the saw s at one of the largest lumbermills . Saw blades hmmmm im on the phone lol
 
well my brother in law says im SOL but they use giant round blades small ones are 36 inch high carbon and other circular blades have a 6 ft diameter and about 1/3 of a inch think really hard steel im thinking L6 but if he getts me some which he said he will try ill have him find out the company and model #of the blades then just contact them to find out the type of steel they are. he says some of the blades they bolt and weld on new teeth as needed till the blade wears out and the area where the blade bolts on becomes worn or fatiuged.
 
If you can find a steel yard with a shear have them shear it for you. I did 1200lbs for $270, cut into 1, 1.25, 1.5 and 2" widths. I just left them in full blade width and cut them to length as I need them. Just get a quote from the yard before you have them cut it. i had one guy charge me $150 to shear up 2, 6' lengths i got from admiral. That hurt. But live and learn eh.
 
Thanks guys and I will cut out a piece and sent it to Matt. We have a shear at work and I could probably use it, but, if the stuff is not soft how hard would it be on the shear. If I busted the shear on a home project they would not be happy. I would probably shear most of it to 1 1/2. It will cut 3/8 mild steel and 1/4 stainless. I am hoping for 15N20 for damascus work. Thanks
 
The shear I had it done on would handle 1" mild. I did shear some on my own with a smaller shear that would only handle 1/4" mild and it did just fine. I can't guaranty that your shear at work will do but it should. If the cutters are aligned properly and are reasonably sharp it will pop them off no prob. I have not had anyone turn me away from having this sheared. And they don't want to break the machine either. JMHO
 
Our shear is maintained and inspected regularly by the machinist, so it should be fine. I will ask if I can use it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top