Strange metal

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I made a little version of a traditional tool today, something that appears to have barely changed, if at all, since the mid 19th century or earlier, except it is now factory made rather than blacksmithed.

I 'blacksmithed' mine as I wanted the same coarse appearance as a Victorian one.

The metal I used was rather odd. It was heavy as steel and had a few (apparently) rust flecks, but looked slightly greyish. It was magnetic, jumping off my hand when I waved a small speaker magnet over it. it could have been stainless but it was as bendable as mild steel, easy to bend and re-bend and showed no work hardening even when beaten with an 'ammer, yet when hit with the hammer it took a lot of bashing to create flats on it. I was able to drill it 1/16" where it had been flattened with no sign of work hardening. I tried oil-blacking it and instead it went grey-green. One or two spots picked up some silver solder and flux off the bit of tile I heated it on, very unlike stainless.

All in all i suppose it is stainless steel but it really doesn't behave much like one. It can't be a very hard aluminium alloy as it is so magnetic.

Any ideas?

[Peter KroghParticipant @peterkrogh76576]

That sounds like old wrought iron. Pure iron with fine carbon that is mechanically included, not in chemical solution. I hard to find the stuff anymore! If you acid etch the rod, fairly heavily, and it shows a linear structure like lots of wires bundled, then you've got wrought iron.

Pete

[VicParticipant @vic]

A spark test may indicate what it is. Sounds like it may be some kind of 400 series stainless.

"400-series sparks are similar to 300-series sparks, but are slightly longer and have forks at the ends of the sparks"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spark_testing

 

Edited By Vic on 10/09/2016 19:23:02

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

unobtainium or scrapbinium at a guess.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Perhaps nickel or a high nickel no chrome stainless as used for cutlery.

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

Put us out of our misery Neil – what does your little tool do?

Rik

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Monel perhaps?

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Monel:-
"Cold working can increase the magnetic properties while solution annealling can render the item non magnetic until it is cold worked again."

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

RJ may well be onthe right track. Green colour flagged it up for me as possibly a copper alloy.

 

According to goggle it should work harden – and its magnetic properties are interesting. Reaction with nitric acid is used to identify, or discern from

 stainless steel or steel.

Edited By not done it yet on 11/09/2016 08:15:30

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Grinder test– dullish red = wrought iron.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Spark test is either wrought iron or stainless, a single long-thin 'leaf' from each spark. If there's any final fork (400 series) it's barely there.

But not wrought iron, it would black and show colours when heated.

It must be a stainless, but one that is remarkably easy to work.

As for the mystery tool, come to MEX and see it at work

Neil

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

Inconel or Nimonic?

Michael W

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

Posted by John Stevenson on 10/09/2016 19:45:07:

unobtainium or scrapbinium at a guess.

I take it those ores are not very nice to work with? I can't seem to find unobtainium anywhere. Scrapbinium always get a poor surface finish and odd sizes. I prefer machining sponge, as it is the only material that can be both round and square with a bit of heft.

Michael W

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

You know what i think this is?

It looks just like Meccano axle, but 3/32" instead of 5/32". Which probably means it is a cheap stainless.

Neil

[Geoff TheasbyParticipant @geofftheasby]

Have you checked it for radioactivity?

Geoff

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Posted by Michael Walters on 11/09/2016 10:17:37:

Posted by John Stevenson on 10/09/2016 19:45:07:

unobtainium or scrapbinium at a guess.

I take it those ores are not very nice to work with? I can't seem to find unobtainium anywhere. Scrapbinium always get a poor surface finish and odd sizes. I prefer machining sponge, as it is the only material that can be both round and square with a bit of heft.

Michael W

You should try quantonium, that can be round and square (or neither) at the same time

[Raymond AndersonParticipant @raymondanderson34407]

If it is remarkably easy to work as Neil says then, it's certainly not Inconel or Nimonic. They are a lot of things but "easy " isn't one of them.. I don't even know of a Stainless steel that is "remarkably easy to work " not even 303. Maybe even just a rubbish alloy used for parts of a toy. Don't suppose you will ever know for sure, need a lab for that.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Could it be a Maraging Steel, as used to make ultra-centrifuges and golf clubs?

No doubt Neil would think of an ultra-centrifuge as being a "Traditional Tool". They were much used in the past to make ye olde enriched Uranium.

Dave

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

North Korea for a source?

[VicParticipant @vic]

Maraging steel was also used in the grabs that failed during the partial raising of the Russian Submarine K-129 in the 1970's.

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