[TheForge] Steeling a GCI anvil

Sat Mar 29 18:55:01 2003

Hi Jim:

Good info all and much appreciated.

As these ASOs, mine anyway, is a throw away, too heavy for a good door stop
and too light for a good boat anchor I figured there was nothing to lose.

Quenching is indeed the biggest challenge, process wise for sure.

The steel I'm going to try for the face is (go ahead cringe) 1" grader edge.
Not because I think it's superior in any meaningful way, I just have plenty.
There's also the matter of availability in Alaska. The chance finding good
tool steel, let alone an exotic without paying a premium, special order
price + shipping is about nil.

There's a good chance this stuff won't need much in the way of heat
treating. I've welded and torched it a lot over the years and it doesn't
seem to anneal nor lose much in the way of impact and resistance. If you
want to grind it you'll either go through a lot of disks/stones and time or
do it at red heat and be miserable. If this doesn't work I haven't lost
anything but some time. What the hey, it might even work and can make
something useful from ASOs.

Frosty
------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.

----- Original Message -----
From: "jim wallbridge" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 29, 2003 10:27 AM
Subject: [TheForge] Steeling a GCI anvil

>
> --
> One problem with this (assuming that the steel plate is something
> like O1 or W1 or 2) is that IMHO the time between the start of
> cooling and the transformation will be too long to get martensite and
> also the "austenizing" process is such that less than ideal
> properties will result.  A better approach  would be to use a high
> nickel brazing alloy having a liquidus above 1800 F and then doing
> the heat treating as an separate step.  I would also suggest using a
> steel with greater hardenability than O1 or W..  Would the maximum
> hardness capability of 4340 (HRC 45 with a temper of 400 F) be
> acceptable? Alloys that would be better as regards hardness are
> 50B60, 5160, 51B60, 6150, 6160 or 9260 but none of these is readily
> available.  The mass of grey cast iron (GCI) hanging off the steel
> will significantly reduce the cooling rate of the steel strengthening
> the need for higher hardenability than the first choice of oil or
> water hardening tool steel.  The air hardening tool steels would also
> be suitable but I have not included it in the above because of their
> cost.
> Hope this is of assistance - e-mail me if you have any questions on this.
>
> jim
> (James ME Wallbridge P. Eng.) Libertarian, Metallurgist, Wood & Metal
> Worker, Fly Fisher,  Resident of Calgary,  Canada's new head office
> location of choice.   Permission is hereby given to use any or all
> information herein, as an attributed quote, unless the body of the
> message states otherwise.