Where can i get steel analized

Robert Mayo

Robert Mayo

Joined
Oct 13, 2005
Messages
1,236
A friend gave me a box of flatstock. I checked it to see if it was hardenable by heating ,quenching and smacking it on my anvil, it broke in three pieces. I am thinking it is a 10x steel but would like to know the steel type for sure before using any for knives. Can anyone tell me where i can get it analized. Thanks for any help you can provide.
Bob
 
I don't think you can analize steel. Even if you could, I don't think it would be very pleasant. :eek:

Now if you wanted to analyze steel, that would be a whole different story...
 
heisler said:
I don't think you can analize steel. Even if you could, I don't think it would be very pleasant. :eek:

Now if you wanted to analyze steel, that would be a whole different story...
Click to expand...

That's pretty bad... funny, but bad!:D :barf:
 
Robert,

If you google "metallurgical laboratories" you can find places for analyses. They run anywhere from $25-75US per sample. If you were to write Chuck Bybee at AlphaKnifeSupply, he might tell you where they have theirs done.

Also, a guy here, "mdoyle" has done analyses for some folks here. He has access to a guy in the lab where he works who helps him out. You might use "search" here and pull up his profile to get in contact with him.

Hope that helps. Sorry I can';t provide with a lab name.
 
Well, it would break. You have hardened the steel to a hard, fragile, glass-like structure, but you didn't temper the steel as a second treatment. After heating to cherry red and quenching, polish and reheat to the colour of straw and quench again. Now smack it with a hammer.
 
Andrew, the idea was to make sure it was hardenable. Low carbon steel would not have broken. Hence, it has potential. Determining proper tempering temps is now the next step in the proper sequence for using "mystery steel". Personally, I admire Robert's desire to know just what he's got by having an analysis run.
 
fitzo said:
Andrew, the idea was to make sure it was hardenable. Low carbon steel would not have broken. Hence, it has potential. Determining proper tempering temps is now the next step in the proper sequence for using "mystery steel". Personally, I admire Robert's desire to know just what he's got by having an analysis run.
Click to expand...

Mike thanks for the info. You are right on i know all about tempering but unless you know what you have how could you possibly tell a customer what type of steel it is made of. And do a proper heat treat on it.
Bob
 
heisler said:
I don't think you can analize steel. Even if you could, I don't think it would be very pleasant. :eek:

Now if you wanted to analyze steel, that would be a whole different story...
Click to expand...

Have you never heard the old saying! If you got nothing to say say nothing at all:jerkit:
Bob
 
I'm lucky enough to be a short distance away from "Michigan Tech" , they use a spectrograph (?Fitso?) to analyze everything from minerals to steel for free at their lab. Check your tech school,college etc. before shelling out a bunch of coin.
 
The instrument I got to use when I analyzed metals (1970) was called an "Xray diffraction spectrograph", David. I was doing powders fro tungsten carbide/cobalt and tantalum/tungsten alloys.

There are more methods nowadays but I would not be surprised if it wasn't similar. A current technique is called "Xray fluorescence spectrography".
 
Robert,
Send me an email and I'll help you out. (with the analyzing that is! You're on your own with the analizing!!!)
Matt Doyle
 
Thanks for being gracious about me volunteering your name, Matt. :thumbup:
 
fitzo said:
Andrew, the idea was to make sure it was hardenable. Low carbon steel would not have broken. Hence, it has potential. Determining proper tempering temps is now the next step in the proper sequence for using "mystery steel". Personally, I admire Robert's desire to know just what he's got by having an analysis run.
Click to expand...

Oh OK, I got the wrong end of the stick.
 
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