Which General Purpose Grade of Machinable Steel?

[Turbo]

I want to buy a few bits of round bar that I can machine on my lathe. It will be used to make varied stuff but nothing needing to be super strong or hard. It will also need to be weldable.

Before I go searching for somewhere that stocks it, what grade do you folks recommend?

 

[My Old Landy]

EN3B is generally known as mild steel and weldable.

 

[Turbo]

EN3B is generally known as mild steel and weldable.

What's it like to machine?

 

[Brad93]

EN16 For shafts and the like. It welds okay.

 

[My Old Landy]

What's it like to machine?

Very easy but getting a decent finish can be tricky. I usually use hss tooling and emery as it picks up. A heavier cut with carbide is ok if you hit your numbers then you are good to go!