Help identify metal

[ducdon]

It looks a bit like CRS but is not. Dull grey exterior. Machines very easily. Not hard. Small curly chips when taking small cuts, longer curly ones when taking a heavier cut. Good machined finish. The machined ends were rusted but not the exterior diameter. The center hole appears to be there from the manufacturer. Possibilities please?

 

[Susquatch]

Hmmmmm

Density?
Ferrous? (magnetic)
Spark colour and size?

 

[ducdon]

Yes it is magnetic. Looks and feels like CRS, similar in weight but is much more free machining. I did not try grinding. It's 3 inch OD and 1 inch ID. The ID does not appear to be machined in any way. Could it be stress proof or ductile iron. I've never seen either? Some sort of busing material?

 

[Susquatch]

I don't "think" it is ductile iron. Ductile iron isn't as brittle as cast iron, but it doesn't machine like that does either.

 

[whydontu]

really looks like hollow bar or maybe seamless mechanical tubing. Not ductile iron, di doesn't machine in curls, it makes tiny chips like cast iron. Could be centrifugal cast, one of the valve manufacturers I deal with makes their valve bodies from cast steel from Spuncraft

Experienced Centrifugal Casting Foundry | Spuncast | Watertown, Wisconsin

Spuncast is a centrifugal casting foundry in Watertown, Wisconsin. Our metallurgical services deliver specialty steel & customized industrial solutions to our customers.

www.spuncast.com

finished product

Hy-Grade Valve Inc.

Precision Engineered Check Valves

hy-grade.com

 

[Tom Kitta]

Hmm, could be leaded stuff for free machining but I feel its CRS in the 1018 variety or similar. More free machining stuff is rare. It feels like stuff hydraulic cylinders are made off - looking at cut made.

 

[ducdon]

It could be 1018 CRS or a free machining variant. It does have the right appearance, But have you ever heard of it in a hollow bar form? I've never seen hydraulic cylinder material, but can't imagine it being made with a 1 inch thick wall.

 

[Susquatch]

I've never seen hydraulic cylinder material, but can't imagine it being made with a 1 inch thick wall.

Hydraulic cylinders come in a multitude of sizes and applications. The majority are used in 3000 psi systems and have different IDs and flow rates to handle the various loads. But extremely high pressure cylinders are out there and I have no problem imagining higher pressure cylinders with inch thick walls.

That said, I don't think that's what you have. I think @Tom Kitta 's comment on this was probably just intended to say they might use the same material. Just a guess.

 

[Chip Maker]

A strong possibility it's "obtainium". Much more common and easier to source than "unobtainium"!

 

[trlvn]

I think it was on the Rolling Metal Youtube channel that he used to call it "scraptonium"!

Craig

 

[historicalarms]

I know if I had 6 ft of it I could turn it into a dandy cannon in a couple hours....looks like DOM that i use a lot with extremely heavy wall, thickest wall I have is .600
Edited to add; the Dom pipe i have cut has a different chip characteristics than plain CRS. Long pigtails from CRS break easily at any point you want to break them with a simple snap but DOM steel cuttings are small springs when they leave the tool , they will stretch without breaking.

 

[hovercraft57]

the metal is resulfurized steel great for machining no good to weld

 

[Dabbler]

if it is so free machining it might be annealed 1018 or 10L14 - the difference is how much heat is cerated when taking an aggressive cut. 1018 will make a blue chip if you machine it very fast, but 10L14 wongt generate as much heat ehn machining it.

To be sure, get a piece of annealed 1018 and see if it machines the same. You will see the similarities (or differences) immediately.

 

[ducdon]

Happy New Year everyone and thanks to everyone that replied. A selection of metal cutoffs recently came my way so I took some of the suggestions to heart and set up a test. I did a fresh sharpen on a brazed carbide tool bit and tried a test cut on all the different types compared to the piece I asked about. The samples were marked as to what they were. The test was a facing cut of .030, same speed and feed on each sample. Then evaluate the finish, chips and hardness on each sample.
1018 CRS, DOM tube, 4140, 4340, Orvar, Telcut 40, 303SS, 316SS, 416SS. My conclusion is as some of you suggested 1018CRS. I'm still puzzled by the center hole, obviously created at manufacture. It's not even round. My experience has been limited mostly to CRS and aluminum so it was interesting and I think I learned something. I also tried the spark test but I'm not sure it told me much.
THANKS

 

[Susquatch]

Happy New Year everyone and thanks to everyone that replied. A selection of metal cutoffs recently came my way so I took some of the suggestions to heart and set up a test. I did a fresh sharpen on a brazed carbide tool bit and tried a test cut on all the different types compared to the piece I asked about. The samples were marked as to what they were. The test was a facing cut of .030, same speed and feed on each sample. Then evaluate the finish, chips and hardness on each sample.
1018 CRS, DOM tube, 4140, 4340, Orvar, Telcut 40, 303SS, 316SS, 416SS. My conclusion is as some of you suggested 1018CRS. I'm still puzzled by the center hole, obviously created at manufacture. It's not even round. My experience has been limited mostly to CRS and aluminum so it was interesting and I think I learned something. I also tried the spark test but I'm not sure it told me much.
THANKS

It was fun..... For the rest of us anyway...... Lol!