odd steel bar identification

[chester dylan]

i found a 400mm length of 38.3mm od highly polished round bar at the scrappy today at first i thought it was stainles as it was in a pile of rusty bars and had slight rust marks where it had been lying on rusty metal but when i got it to the scales to pay for it i checked it with a magmet and it was just as magnetic as mild steel any idears what it might. Iv checked it with a file and its tougher than mild but not hard. It looks like it might be a shaft from a hydrolic ram but it looks like its been cut with a band saw.

 

[MattH]

Chrome or some sort of alloyed?

 

[AndyStobbs]

Some stainless is magnetic

 

[BrokenBiker]

it could be stainless...i dont know why people think that all stainless is not magnetic...

 

[premmington]

309 comes to mind

 

[chester dylan]

i only thought it was the naff end of stainless that was magnetic ie kitchin sinks washing machine drums etc
is 309 free macheing?

 

[BrokenBiker]

any ferrous stainless steel is magnetic...

 

[TechnicAl]

309 is rarely found in bar........its a weld metal really
Magnetic stainless can be 410 or 430 but if work hardened a stong magnet can be attracted to 304(L) or 316(L)
Shaft material is often En24T
its not chromium plated is it?

 

[Davidcardiff]

Is the sawn end starting to rust
Sounds like chrome rod for hydraulics like you said

 

[chester dylan]

dont think its chtome plated only parts that have any rust is where its been sat on rusty steel it has a very strong atraction to a magnet and is its self slighty magnetic theres a faint marker pen mark maybe a 2 then - 4 maybe its en24t as you say Al thanks for racking your brains guys

 

[Windy Miller]

Is the sawn end starting to rust
Sounds like chrome rod for hydraulics like you said

I have some round bar form a scrappy that I suspect is part of a hydraulic cylinder - what's it like to machine?

 

[AndyStobbs]

I have used car shock absorber rods as starting stock for bits. It machines ok on Indexable tooling. Not much fun cutting it with hacksaw ,sets your teeth (dental type) on edge.

 

[Davidcardiff]

Not too bad with insert cutters
Knurled quite well too
You have to work the steel positively a bit like stainless
But never had it work harden on me like stainless

 

[ronan]

Not too bad with insert cutters
Knurled quite well too
You have to work the steel positively a bit like stainless
But never had it work harden on me like stainless

The 300 series austenitic stainless can be bad for workhardening, letting a tool rub or using a dull tool can be the end of a job.

 

[Maker]

i only thought it was the naff end of stainless that was magnetic ie kitchin sinks washing machine drums etc
is 309 free macheing?

Working a non-magnetic variety of stainless can make it magnetic. A stainless sink will be more magnetic in the corners where it has been worked more.

any ferrous stainless steel is magnetic...

All stainless is ferrous.

 

[Screwdriver]

I recently mistook a square bar of cold rolled steel for some exotic alloy. My guess is CRS tends to be lightly oiled which keeps it a bit shiny compared to other steel stock.

 

[AndyStobbs]

All stainless is ferrous.

Is it, I thought duplex was a different animal or something.

 

[BrokenBiker]

so did i

 

[Screwdriver]

Ferrous just means it's got some Iron in it. Not all ferrous materials are magnetic.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Ferrous just means it's got some Iron in it. Not all ferrous materials are magnetic.

i know that but i thought things like duplex had no iron in it but was still called stainless steel