What Steal Is This?

[Jim L.]

I was scavanging below a new bridge and came across some some cut offs. It was rebar and marked "S-19." I'd heard/read somewhere that new regs required improved standard for bridge work, and was wondering if the stuff were blade worthy.

Jim L.

 

[MSCantrell]

Odds are 1,000,000 to 1 that it ain't bladeworthy.

A good rule of thumb is, if it's from a tool that cuts things, it'll probably make a good knife. If, not, probably not.

 

[Phil Dwyer]

What is the diameter? If its 3/4" then it might be a 6 (not an S), because 619 would mean 6/8" (3/4") and 19mm.

I used to think rebar was always just junk steel. When I saw the welding majors at a local community college making their cold chisel/welding hammers out of some I was surprised. I talked to one of the instructors, he said they hardened up just fine.

 

[Brad Richardson]

when i first started heatin and beatin i used a railroad spike because some one said they would make a good knife and after all the time spent molding and grind this little jewle to the perfect shape I began to try to heat treat this extremly soft peice of garbage. the moral of this story is simply this, know your steel or you'll wish you did

 

[Gary Mulkey]

You will find that most rebar is made from whatever steel is in the scrap pile. Some of it will be low carbon, some high and everything in between. The only exception to this that I am aware of is the high tensile rebar which will be marked schedule 40, 60 etc.

Gary

 

[inuumarue]

The only similar codes I could find with S-19 would have more to the code on either side. For both of the codes that contained S-19, the highest Cwt% was .38 to .43.

 

[Jim L.]

Thanks Guys. I figured if nothing else, I could practice my forging. Spark test shows some promise. We'll see.

Jim L.

 

[Shoki]

What is the diameter? If its 3/4" then it might be a 6 (not an S), because 619 would mean 6/8" (3/4") and 19mm.

I used to think rebar was always just junk steel. When I saw the welding majors at a local community college making their cold chisel/welding hammers out of some I was surprised. I talked to one of the instructors, he said they hardened up just fine.

We always made our slag hammers out of cheap, disposable, garbage stock (rebar) because those hammers wear out real quick, get reground, and eventually thrown out or re-headed. Sure, they harden enough to whack the slag off of a stick weld but I wouldn't use rebar for making any other tool.