Question about rebar

Alarion

Alarion

Joined
Nov 26, 2001
Messages
1,375
I could lay my hands on some rebar rods (the ones you put in concrete to make it sturdier, you know) a few days ago, and I'm now experimenting with them.
I spark tested them and seem to stand between soft iron and high-carbon file steel.
Hamered one end of one of them to a chisel, filed it and then heated it and quenched in water: it hardened to some degree, but not as much as I hoped.
Can anybody tell me which is the supposed content in carbon of rebar, and if it has any other alloy elements?
Is it any good for making blades?
Thanks.
 
I don't know if this is true for sure. But I was told several years ago that rebar is made from any scrap metal they can get their hands on. I was a concrete foreman for 15 years and not all rebar is the same. Some is real soft and easily bent and some is real brittle and impossible to bend without breaking. Myself I wouldn't fool with it for a knife, if I was going to use scrap steel I would rather take a chance with leaf springs. Just my opinion.

Bill ????
 
Bill bet me to it, but what he said.
I worked as a welder for 25yrs an
I hated to have to weld it. Sometimes
it welded up good & other times you
could brake it with very little force.
Its junk steel
 
Leaf spring is OK but if you're forging try coil spring. It's usually something like 5160 and hardens nicely in oil.
IMHO, Lynn
 
Rebar is the Bologna of metal. Anything you cant use to make something worth a damn is thrown in the pot.
 
I'll bear this in mind and I'll use it just for practice and experiments... and to make some arrow points (which is what I took it for) :)
 
Try the American made 60 grade and you will be suprised.It will harden in oil and make a fine Blade,Wayne Goddard is doing some experiments with it and Don Fogg has started mixing it and 1095 together for some of his Damascus.I have ben adding some into some of my Frontier style Damascus for color.
The 40 grade is the junk stuff and if it has no grade marks it will have everything thrown in the mix,so it can be hard or soft in spots.With a proper carbon adding fire and multiple folds to homogenize the steel the no grade should make you a fine blade.
Check out this guys work with rebar...He does allot of knives out of it and would be glad to answer any questions about it if you email him.
Bruce
http://pub42.ezboard.com/fcustomknifedirectoryforumfrm18.showMessage?topicID=224.topic
 
Bruce I worked as a welder
for 25yrs but I didn`t know
about the 60 grade,man I feel
dumb. You learn something all
time. Bruce your the man.
 
Sylvester,Don't feel dumb...I have worked with scrap iron for about 10 years and also thought that it was junk,Then I started talking with Ray about his knives using the rebar and he informed me of the different grades,so I tried some and it worked.So I have been adding it to the Damascus mix but haven't tried a blade from the rebar only yet..My Dad worked on the state higways in Oregon untill he retired and worked with allot of the rebar in the concrete forms and told me that the different grades gave different strengths to the forms and thus it definately cannot be all junk or the forms wouldn't hold properly ...
I agree you learn something new everyday..
Try a piece and see how it works for you,Contact Ray and he can tell you the best way to heat treat it also..
Bruce
 
Thanks Bruce, Still I have work with
steel a good part of my life I should
know about that stuff. Oh well:(
 
I don't know what a "grade 60" here in Italy may be, but I guess that all is needed to know is that there are different grades of rebar. By keeping my eyes open I guess I'll find out what I need :)
 
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