[TheForge] Re: cold drawn steel

[Scott Lane]

>For what it is worth, I don't know of any steel products that are "rolled"
>cold.  The "proper" designation for the material is "CF" which stands for
>Cold Finished, and the hot rolled material is first descaled and then drawn
>through a die to the finished size just like wire, and becomes work hardened
>in the process.
         Wrong.  It is rolled.  I did it at the steel plant.

>Once it is heated past critical temperature, there is absolutely no
>difference from the "hot rolled" variety. I have forged many pieces of CF
>steel up to 4" dia., and once it is hot it forges exactly the same. It only
>acts kinky when you are trying to bend at a dull red, then the stiff spots
>show up.
         Wrong.  The surface of cold rolled is compacted during the rolling 
process.  I've had to check this in the micrographs while cold rolling 
stock at the steel plant.

>I have found that the quality of the cold finished bars tends to be inferior
>to the hot rolled material, that is, I suspect the mill takes the bars that
>are too ugly to sell in their "as rolled" condition, and sends them through
>the cold finishing in the hope of making "sellable" product.
         Wrong.  It is the same stock off the line.