Good home heat treat steel for....

[Mer2112]

Hi,

I'm looking for recommendations on a good steel for making the following:

I want to make some small screwdriver type tools and prybars.

What is a good home heat treatable (one brick forge) steel?

I've searched around but no one has info on this application.

Any help and guidance would be great.

Thanks,

Eric

[mete]

You could use the most recommended knife steels for beginners - 5160 or 1080.

[twistedneck]

Here is a twist, what steels wouldn't work for this application?

Name some steels that are not hard enough, are crack prone, difficult to heat treat, have a propensity for decarb in the surface, have low toughness, etc..

[Mer2112]

OK,

I ordered some HR 1075/1080 from Admiral:

http://www.admiralsteel.com/shop/

One of the things I want to make is my own version of the little Stanley "Wonder Bar". You know, that little 7" pry bar that's so handy. That sounds like a really easy introduction to grinding and heat treating. (It's not really knife related so I apoligize for that)

Since this is not really an edge holding application and more of a strength one, how would I temper it? I'd assume the heat until a magnet does not stick and quench would apply for the first step, right?

Thanks for the help

[Galloglas]

For beginners? O1 or 5160. Both are stupid proof (almost) for heat treat and both are available in lots of different stock sizes so you have lots of options whether you are forging or stock removing.

I like low alloy steel for beginner project as that is what I started on but really (as has already been said) any of the simpler 10XX steels will work just as well...it's all in what you wanna start with.

Brian

[hammerdownnow]

Good question And I think it fits right in to knife making. A knife is a tool, right? Some tool makers should chime in shortly. Great post. If you plan on marketing your version, experimenting and making the tool an "all it can be" custom is a worthwhile endeavor we all can learn from. I wanted the forum handle "Crowbar" when I first started up here, but it was already taken, because thats what I wanted to make. A knife that could be used as a crowbar. For the ultimate I think some kind of spring steel would be the best, like 5160. Just guessing here, but, maybe treat it like making a chisel. Heat it up and quench just the tip. Sand it quick and watch the colors run up to the edge (tip). Let the body air cool to spring temper. Do several test pieces. Let the color run to tip edge on each piece to bronze, then to purple, then to light blue and test the heck out of each to distruction.

Someone correct me if I am blowing smoke.

[hammerdownnow]

I always thought a prybar and a ballpeen would make a suitable substitute for a Bowie and a tomahawk.

[Jeff Pringle]

Now that is one funny set of photos
I agree 1070-1080 is a good choice, but for ultimate prybaritude, what about one of the jackhammer bit steels, like S7? A bear to forge, though - and I don't know how easy it is to heat treat.
A good heat treat would be more important than steel choice.
I"m thinking with 1080 a deep blue spring temper would be what's needed...

[H.T. Ryerson]

I agree that S7 would be the ultimate choice for that project- short of CPM3v

S7 grinds like butter and heat treats easy IF you have a kiln. If you have to check for critical with a magnet, then a simple steel like the 1080 is the way to go.

PS: sounds like a neat project. some process shots would be cool!

[TexasJack]

Probably doesn't mean much, since he already bought steel, but O-1 should make the short list.