Un workable steel

[Richard Harris 5Participant @richardharris5]

If you are near Shropshire, come stick it in my forge for half an hour and then come back the next day, it should anneal reasonably well (although I've never done anything this thick in it before).

If you're unable to machine it, I'd make the assumption that it cannot be any grade of mild steel and must be a medium carbon or high carbon steel that has for whatever reason hardened to some degree. If carbide won't cut it – I think this must have been fully hardened. I've work hardened tool steel bad technique/blunt HSS tooling before but carbide just eats through it.

I have seen ceramic tooling cut hardened steel on youtube – make sure you have your fire extinguisher at the ready!

The idea of sticking it in a fire is a good one, if it's a big enough fire with enough coal around it it should reach critical temperature without the need for any air input, then you can just leave it there overnight.

Most people don't like mystery steels because of this but I can't deny the appeal of picking up things for next to nothing! My dad had an 8x8x2 inch block of steel from years ago that he just found – it's now a nice bench anvil. Not sure what it is but it's certainly higher than mild steel.

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

Why not get it cut into strips about 10mm square and 100 long, and sell them on e-bay as indestructible tool bits?

Oh, I don't know how you would get it cut, though …

tim

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