Changed my mind about using old files for tool steel

Read a metallurgy paper from a university that showed the carbon content can vary wildly, making heat treating a gamble. Anyone have a reliable source for known steel stock they'd recommend?

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3 Comments

henderson.val6mo ago

Yeah, that paper lines up with what my old shop teacher used to say. He'd show us two files that looked identical, but one would crack every time during a quench. @emery_miller20 has a point about McMaster, their spec sheets are solid. For bigger stock, I've heard good things about Admiral Steel, they seem pretty strict about their chemistry. Takes the guesswork out for sure.

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emery_miller206mo ago

Totally get that! I've had good luck with McMaster-Carr for small pieces, they list the exact specs. Makes a huge difference for getting a proper heat treat.

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rileyfox6mo ago

My first attempt at heat treating was a mess. Used mystery steel from a scrap pile, ended up with something you could shatter like glass. Learned the hard way that knowing the metal matters more than the temper chart.

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