[TheForge] 52100

[PlumDon at aol.com]

I have a very large quantity of this steel in 1/8 - 3/4" round that I sell.  
The directions I give with it follow: 
 
This high quality tool steel is the steel used in ball bearings and is much  
used by professional knife makers. It is a very tough tool steel and makes  
knives with excellent edge holding ability. This is a  high chromium, tough  
steel that resists corrosion. It is well suited for chisels, repousse tools,  
tongs, hot cutters, fullers and many forming shapes. Makes great, rust-resistant  
tongs. The smaller rods make the toughest hooks, tie-downs, drifts, etc., I 
have  ever used. Great for pins for hinge barrels. This steel makes quite 
durable  punches, etc., without any tempering. Just grind to shape. But tempering 
is  better

52100 steel is a high-carbon chromium alloy steel, which,  because of its 
versatility, is used in a variety of mechanical  applications.  In the annealed 
condition this steel is comparatively easy  to machine, yet very high hardness 
and abrasion resistance can be developed by  heat treatment to make the steel 
particularly suitable for applications  requiring extreme wear resistance.  

Carbon: 1.04%; Chrome:  1.5%; Manganese: .36%; Silicon: .23%

The steel needs to be worked  at a relatively high heat. It will not move at 
red. High orange to full yellow  is best. Do not let it go to white as it 
will, like most high carbon steel,  begin to crumble. Work rapidly when at right 
heat as it does not last long.  

Best to anneal when done shaping. (But if I am in a hurry for a  chisel, I 
cut a lot of corners and it still seems to work fine). Heat to  critical 
(non-magnetic) and place in a container of vermiculite. Depending on  the size of 
your piece, it may take several hours or overnight to cool.  

To harden, heat to 1600 degrees, about a low orange (make sure it  is 
non-magnetic) and quench in oil. For chisels or similar edge tools I heat  only the 
working ends with an oxy-acet torch. Temper between 375 and 450,  depending on 
the hardness desired. A toaster oven or kitchen oven works well for  this. 
Clean all oxide off the piece so you can see the tempering color after  heating.  
Hold temp for about 1 hour and let cool for 2 hours in still air.  Leaving it 
in the oven is good.  Repeating this cycle of multiple tempers  two more 
times will add to the durability of the edge. This steel also responds  well to 
cryogenic and other more sophisticated heat treating techniques. But  just using 
standard heat treating techniques will provide a very hard and tough  edge. 

The rods have come from a major tubing manufacturer where  they are used for 
mandrels.
 
Don Plummer
 



**************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL 
Home.      
(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)