Lump of steel I.d

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Paddytray

Settler
Jul 11, 2012
887
0
46
basingstoke
My boys found this I was wondering if anyone knew what it was . And what steel it maybe ?
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rancid badger

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
you're going to need to put up some much better photo's than that to get a chance of an i.d.. Well unless its some sort of agricultural component or whatever.

How thick is it? Is it solid? Hollow? etc etc:news:

It really could be anything from a bit of trailer/tractor/plough etc to a lump of lorry.

With nothing more to go on, it's almost certainly just mild steel.:confused:

good luck regardless

Steve
 

Paddytray

Settler
Jul 11, 2012
887
0
46
basingstoke
Yeah sorry my boy decided to turn the hose on the chickens . It's 75 cm in lenght 8 cm in width and 1.5 cm thick
emuguzuh.jpg
guvuru3a.jpg


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rancid badger

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
That's a bit better;)

Well, it looks like its been clamped into something at the narrow end,and the edges of both sides appear to have been knocked about a bit but whether this was caused in use or after becoming separated from its original housing is debatable.

It might have come from a forklift or similar equipment? Where was it found? as in; was it a rural location, roadside, etc?
 

Paddytray

Settler
Jul 11, 2012
887
0
46
basingstoke
Our area has been flooded out recently and they had to dig new roads this came up with the soil . Semi rural area well the outskirts of Basingstoke .

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Paddytray

Settler
Jul 11, 2012
887
0
46
basingstoke
Yeah more than likely mate . Here I was thinking I may have steel to knock an axe up . Lol Learner

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Mesquite

It is what it is.
Mar 5, 2008
27,889
2,940
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~Hemel Hempstead~
Try filing it!!

If it files easily then it will most likely be mild steel, if it skates across without biting then it will be carbon steel and good for an axe

That would be right if it's hardened steel.

It can be carbon steel and easy to file if unhardened, example being the number of files made into knives by filing once they've been annealed :rolleyes:
 

Paddytray

Settler
Jul 11, 2012
887
0
46
basingstoke
I'll cut a bit off anneal it then let it sit . Then heat it back up and harden it put it in the oven for 2 hours and see how hard it is .

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Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
looks like the side supports on the bed of lorries (particulary a ''middle'' one on the lorry bed), the tapered end slots into a fitting on lorry.
 

Dave Budd

Gold Trader
Staff member
Jan 8, 2006
2,895
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Dartmoor (Devon)
www.davebudd.com
definitely agricultural I would say, but I couldn't tell you what it is! I doubt its anything other than mild steel, but if it is then it could be a medium carbon spring steel. A spark test is the quickest way to tell, but it can be a bit subjective especially if you aren't used to reading them.

Cut a slither (5mm thick) off the end, get it red hot and plunge it into oil. Place it in a vice and smack it with a hammer. If it snaps then it is good enough to take an edge, if it bounces then you've got a low end medium carbon steel which will most likely be ok for axes, if it bends then its just mild. I say to try this because if you harden in oil and then temper, you don't know how hard it got if any; if you harden in water and it preferred oil it could shatter; if it bounces with oil quench then try water and see if it then snaps; if you harden and then try the file then the surface may be behaving differently to the inside (en45 for example is a great spring steel but the outer 0.5-1mm often doesnt harden).

If it is mild then i'm sure you'll find a use for it. If it is spring steel then it would take a bit of work to change the size to something useful for axes by hand, but doable. If all else fails you could still make an axe by folding it around and firewelding a higher carbon edge into it :)
 

Paddytray

Settler
Jul 11, 2012
887
0
46
basingstoke
Cheers dave I should have remembered the vice and whack trick . Forge welding is something I'm yet to try but does appeal to me . I just need to pull my finger out and build a bigger forge . It's on the to do list .

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