I watched this with no real need beyond basic understanding, but i find someone offering even esoteric knowledge so clearly and jargon-free is irresistible. Really well presented; my thanks!
I'm not much of a metalworker, but always wondered what those numbers meant. Many thanks for a concise, helpful and informative explanation. Well done.
Real informative. Nicely presented. I like the cards with the numbers plainly written. Easy to follow being able to see the numbers as you spoke about each one. Thank you.
" I like the cards with the numbers plainly written. " Inspired, possiby, by Bob Dylan's 1965 'video' that accompanied his song "subterranean Homesick Blues" He used flashcards to, perhaps, imprint the lyrics in our minds... Seemed innovative then, but probably had precedent in silent movies? It is, good, though, in that the data is front and centre, we're not distracted by a presenter turning to a board behind him...
Good info! This is the system I learned when I started my T&D apprenticeship back in '77. But there seems to be a bunch of trade-names and letter/number combinations for todays 'designer' alloys.
There have always been trade names used by steel producers. Some l can think of just from using them . Graph-Mo (O-6) from Latrobe Steel. They also had Graph-Air (A-10). Both graphitic tool steels with excellent machinability. Hy-10M. An oil hardening die steel. Mirralloy. A TG&P shafting steel. Carpenter 158 (P-6). Oil hardening mold steel also used for machinery parts. Then there are the non ferrous metals. Having both trade names and common names. The Ampcos, Mic 6, German Silver (copper-nickel alloy) and others.
@@mpetersen6 Yep, we used to buy so much we'd get a trailer direct from Carpenter. 16ft lengths of A6 Vega, S7 Bearcat, O2 Stentor, A2 Air-Wear, etc. Crucible has own their trade-names too. CPM-123-xyz is what I'm seeing a lot of now. And it seems todays designer knife-makers have their own alpha-numeric code which I haven't figured out yet.
we used 4340 for the axles on our drums for head and tail pulleys on our elevator belt unloading conveyors due to it's added toughness over 4140 . we used the higher grade as used in the mining industry for durability . thanks for an easy to understand , well explained video !!
I work in a forge shop as a designer, brand new to the industry. I’ve got a whole list of different kinds of steel with their densities which I use for calculating weights among other things. This was pretty informative.
I get good results from using 1045. A good general use metal is especially popular for CNC Turned components. Another positive of this metal is that it can be hardened to well over 50 Rockwell in either Water or Oil.
Thank you for such a well presented description. This is so refreshing in a vast sea of Hype, BS and Content theives that simply repost with a usually very inacurate Ai voice over. I will be forwarding your link. And Yes, I have subscribed. I very seldom do.
I just clicked on the video and I don't know if it's good or not, but I just want to send some appreciation just for posting the video and trying to share the knowledge 🎉
The SAE system is pretty straight forward What annoys me is when you deal with "older"? Machinists they use "trade name " like "silver steel" so I cant make quick decisions on steel as I have to look up the trade name THEN we get on to the Japanese system it would be really nice if there was ONE system
Many other STANDARDS have very different specs. for specific purposes that do not fit into the SAE system . Not all specs are based on the content but on other qualities .
I knew an ( old machinist ) that could look and listen to the steel and tell you what the content was and if he needed to know the amount of carbon the grinder could tell him that . Sadly the old machinist are gone for the most part and the new breed of cnc college born people who cant fix anything without an analysis
Great job! I worked with various alloys during my career as a product developer and with all the ones you clearly explained here. Most of the steels I used needed wear resistance and impact resistance. As with any metal, the more exotic the alloy, the higher the cost and lower availability. I used the Machinery's Handbook as a guide for material selection for years. As with many resource materials today, it is available in digital form as well as print.
Fantastic, I don't have anything to do with steel apart from day to day life but your clear and concise description made an interesting video on a subject that has always been at the back of my mind when looking at different uses of steel, thank you, have a good day.
Very well done, thank you. These videos are becoming a rarity on YT. Videos that are practical, useful, and helpful take a backseat to flashy, "sponsored", overly-produced marketing material made to promote and commercialize the channel.
As a former toolmaker - we used a lot of Bohler's 476 tool-steel - came in black coarse finish - that had to be removed first. It gave off a very definite 'stink' while machining and bright purple shavings - quite unlike anything else.
I saw this video, and thought,"Oh, a toolmaker. Tool and die, progressive dies, plastic injection molds?" No, literally someone who makes hand-tools, which is cool. I've been in the precision tooling trade for 40 years, and S-7 is my favorite tool steel. Take it up to 58Rc, double draw, cryo treat and it'll last forever. 😃Terrible rust resistance, though.😐
Great stuff but I would have liked to see something about music steel AKA spring steel. I guess a complete video would go on for days.😃 Thanks for this video...its a great introduction.
I've always wondered if you could use one of those Xray spectrometers that gold dealers use to verify precious metals on steel? Machines like the XRF spectrometer or the Sigma Metalytics verifier can not only tell you the percentage of gold, but the percentage of what other metals may have been alloyed with it. Most often copper, silver, palladium, or zinc. And in the knife world you hear all sorts of numbering systems. Plus the word magnacut steel gets touted as top of the line.
XRF will pick up the other elements of interest in steel such as nickel cr mo si mn and tramp elements such as S and P and others (with varying degrees of accuracy at low percentage levels) but EF cannot pick up the most important element carbon. Some of the tools will try to basically guess what grade of steel it is given the ranges of other elements but for example, if you had a 4145 steel the tool might guess it as 4150 or 4140, but it doesn’t actually determine the Carbon you need a different tool for that.
You left out M tool steels. Usually called High Speed steel used as a cutting tool. Probably one of the most important tool steels out there. M2, M3, and M42 are common. As for 5160, it's spring steel very common in leaf springs (6150 in coil springs) and if you're into knife making, 5160 is a nice material for sword blades. Been involved in manufacturing and metals my whole life, although carbon steels are more on the rare side. We work mostly with steels like Alloy20, Incoloy800, CD4, Duplex 2205, H-loy C, 440C, Nitronic50, 316L, Ferralium 255, etc., although 9310 and 8620 are not uncommon for pivot pins. Bottom line, it's nice to see other people out there who work with their hands AND their minds to make things. 🙂
You are right, the M series is very important. I inadvertently left it out of my non-exhaustive list since I don't use it as much as some steel. Someone once gave me a piece of M50. What can you tell me about that one?
@@jasonlonontoolmaker that would be high carbon, high vanadium bearing and tooling steel used where fatigue strength is needed. Punches and dies in my experience are the usual uses but for a blacksmith the wear resistance, toughness and strength at high temps might make it a great hot tool candidate.
Question: Just noticed ceramic ball bearings are now being used in bicycle racing carbon wheels. What future does ceramics have in the Machining Industry?
Look for the channel called "Hambini" and look for his videos on bearings, specifically ceramic ball bearings and their applications in cycling. You'll find that they perhaps aren't all you may think. The hardness of the bearings can cause more issues with galling in the races, for instance.
His use of the term ‘tenths ‘ for the determination of the carbon level is colloquially appropriate and correct. Except the high carbon Cr bearing steels all steels are under 1%of carbon content so by saying a steel is a tenth of A ( ie 1) percent he is saying it’s a 1/10 of 1 percent - which is how it’s understood. absolutely no one ever describes the carbon content in terms of hundreds of percent except maybe some chemistry professors. In some places it’s just referred to as ‘points’ such as 25 point steel. Ie 1025 Another way to describe it would be to say 1025 steel is .25 wt% carbon
Sure, but if we're talking about, say, 1018 steel it doesn't have 18 tenths of a percent carbon. So for people without that specialised knowledge (which is still unclear to me from your explanation) it's ambiguous and confusing.
@@dielaughing73 think it’s just a quirk of English language how sometimes we say things that are imprecise especially when it comes to fractions of a percent, but the meaning is understood. A lot of steels are just the tenths ~ .2.3.4.5 . obviously in the machining world tenths hundreds thou 10 thou is critical but the chemistry callout terminology, for steel is more relaxed because people are not mixing up a batch of steel on the spot , but just eluding to standard stock such as 1018. I’ve never heard of anyone reference the carbon in hundredths but everyone is free to Ask their supplier to provide them with 2 tenths carbon steel and 8 hundredths carbon steel.
Very interesting. Is there a list somewhere of all the first digit steel type designations? Knife manufacturers sometimes indicate the steel used in particular knives, it would be interesting to be able to decifer these. Similarly, there is a a designation system for aluminium alloys. Is there also a deciphering table somewhere for that?
Here is a link to a list of the first digits of the AISI / SAE carbon and alloy steel system I talked about in the video. www.theprocesspiping.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sae-aisi-table.png
A36 steel usually references the specification ASTM A 36 it was purchased to , not the particular grade of steel however, it’s usually around 1020 1025 steel. That specification is driven by minimum mechanical properties not so much chemical limits, so the manufacturers have some flexibility as long as they meet mechanicals . It’s about the most entry-level steel one would purchase unless they wanted something softer like 1010 steel.
I've been involved with BMX since the late 80's and 4130 has always been the absolute standard for frame selection, nothing else has ever done including Titanium (high tensile strength but low sheer strength) or aluminum (requiring a thicker wall diameter to accommodate strength). the closest to match 4130 chomoly has been 7076 T6 Aluminum, the same thing commercial airplane frames are made of
My mountain bike is machined out of T6. Pole Vikkela. Made by a Finnish company that just went out of business. I also hail from the 80s bmx days, and the chro-moly frames. I had a Hutch Trickfox. Got stolen from me, and I regret it to this day.
@@jamisonr I used to have a GT Dyno with white Skyway mags, still miss that thing. the BMX frame I have now is 4130 and only 4lbs made by a British company called Total
@@MCPEMadEnder916 almost positive my mags were skyway. They were purple. My brother had a GT, can't remember the model. The other big brand i remember from back then was Haro. I pretty much only do downhill MTB. Haven't been on a 20 inch bike in 30 years i guess.
@@jamisonr I don't get along with larger wheel size bikes, been riding BMX for 30 years. can't do a lot of what I used to in my younger days but I still have fun
"write the grade on the steel..." Assumes your workmates can read... I marked a piece of material "tool steel, do not use" quite clearly, but one of the fitters ignored, or failed to read the marking, cut the material up to use as spacers... Then complained he found it hard to work... He'd selected it because it was a short piece of material, easy to carry to the saw... that it was expensive didn't matter to him...
.18 is “eighteen hundredths”, .5 is “five tenths”, .02 is “two hundredths”, to be most Clear on this. Good video, OP. Does anyone know if an x-ray gun analyzer would show the Grade, in the field? Thanks :)
@@sofiad5524 xrays are good for spotting density inconsistencies that’s why medical use is common but are ionizing radiation, and exposure to high intensities can be hazardous to health, causing damage to DNA, cancer, and at high dosages, burns and radiation sickness. Blasting a X-ray gun around a job sight would not only tell you nothing about the composition of steel but subject everyone to harm, (backscatter). But what do I know I’m just a simple engineer…. 😊
interesting. Another quick method of alloy identification is to use a X-Ray Fluorescent Analyzer (XRF). A handheld unit can be purchased for ~$12k and will give you the grade in just a few seconds. Also handy for figuring out what the alloy is after any identifying marks have been removed.
Great information, great presentation the only thing I disagree with is 4140 being relatively inexpensive. The price of any type of steel is out of control.
12L14 is a low carbon, free-machining steel. The addition of lead aids in it's machinability. Machinable and weldable are terms to describe different properties of steel, and are used to describe different grades of steel, but are not part of a specification.
Interesting and consise presentation, thanks a lot. I'd like to go deeper into this. Are there any (official) tables / standards available that provide detailed information on chemical composition of the grades, based on these 4 digits? I mean that just a glance and some memory should be enough to see that this grade will be fine, and the other one won't work. Getting through the masses of datasheets with % range of each element is not what I need or like. Any hint, please? Or how to ask google to get the links quickly? Thanks in advance.
very well presented and explained, good clear speech, unusual for Americans, good clear diction, thanks for taking the time to explain this somewhat baffling subject.
@@jasonlonontoolmaker I like the other comment too, no crap, no awefull dreadful music, just simple facts. if only other you tubers could learn this simple lesson. suppose I must dream on. thanks for your reply
It is an American system that is also recognized abroad, but there are also other systems in Japan, the UK and other places. You can find conversion charts various places.
To figure out what steel I have I always look at the mill report, for example Farm Report; cloudy with a chance of rain Mill Report; Hot and noisy with a chance of being hotter and noisier
I think you'll find the main 'element' in carbon steel is 'Fe' Iron - the carbon content rarely goes above 1% and only up to 2% for knives and specialist cutting tooling.
VERY plain and simple. No noise, no crap. WELL DONE!
That is a great complement. Thanks!
Oh and no annoying Intro
I watched this with no real need beyond basic understanding, but i find someone offering even esoteric knowledge so clearly and jargon-free is irresistible. Really well presented; my thanks!
Glad it was enjoyable!
Same here!
Very well done. Like another person said, no obnoxious music or jarring graphics. Just good information well presented. Thanks.
Masterclass on how to present information correctly and concisely. Thank you!
One of the best short intro to steel types I have seen. Super cool. :)
Glad you liked it!
I'm not much of a metalworker, but always wondered what those numbers meant. Many thanks for a concise, helpful and informative explanation. Well done.
Glad it was helpful!
Real informative. Nicely presented. I like the cards with the numbers plainly written. Easy to follow being able to see the numbers as you spoke about each one.
Thank you.
" I like the cards with the numbers plainly written. " Inspired, possiby, by Bob Dylan's 1965 'video' that accompanied his song "subterranean Homesick Blues" He used flashcards to, perhaps, imprint the lyrics in our minds... Seemed innovative then, but probably had precedent in silent movies? It is, good, though, in that the data is front and centre, we're not distracted by a presenter turning to a board behind him...
Brings me back to late 70's apprenticeship in Detroit.
Excellent presentation, the other comments say it all. Clear, concise, no crap.
An object lesson in presentation; no fluff, no guff and absolutely on point. Thank you for taking the time and trouble. Bravo !
Thank You! I learned something that I should have learned 60+ years ago.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you from Ukraine. Before this video I knew of Soviet Union steel marking. Good and simply explanations.
Good info! This is the system I learned when I started my T&D apprenticeship back in '77. But there seems to be a bunch of trade-names and letter/number combinations for todays 'designer' alloys.
hahaha ya beat me to it ! Exactly
There have always been trade names used by steel producers. Some l can think of just from using them . Graph-Mo (O-6) from Latrobe Steel. They also had Graph-Air (A-10). Both graphitic tool steels with excellent machinability. Hy-10M. An oil hardening die steel. Mirralloy. A TG&P shafting steel. Carpenter 158 (P-6). Oil hardening mold steel also used for machinery parts. Then there are the non ferrous metals. Having both trade names and common names. The Ampcos, Mic 6, German Silver (copper-nickel alloy) and others.
@@mpetersen6 Yep, we used to buy so much we'd get a trailer direct from Carpenter. 16ft lengths of A6 Vega, S7 Bearcat, O2 Stentor, A2 Air-Wear, etc.
Crucible has own their trade-names too.
CPM-123-xyz is what I'm seeing a lot of now. And it seems todays designer knife-makers have their own alpha-numeric code which I haven't figured out yet.
Very good short intro to a Big subject.
Thanks.
we used 4340 for the axles on our drums for head and tail pulleys on our elevator belt unloading conveyors due to it's added toughness over 4140 . we used the higher grade as used in the mining industry for durability . thanks for an easy to understand , well explained video !!
I work in a forge shop as a designer, brand new to the industry. I’ve got a whole list of different kinds of steel with their densities which I use for calculating weights among other things. This was pretty informative.
Glad it was helpful to you.
I get good results from using 1045.
A good general use metal is especially popular for CNC Turned components.
Another positive of this metal is that it can be hardened to well over 50 Rockwell in either Water or Oil.
Never saw a video of this channel, but i liked how it was explained, always had this doubt in my mind but i never had actually searched for it 😂
Jason, great and enriching video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. The world needs more people like you!!
Thanks for the kind words! Glad to hear it was useful to you.
Not a machinist, surprised such low percentages could make so much difference in performance.
-- Thanks for the quick education. ---
Very welcome! Yes, a minute difference in carbon content makes a big difference in performance.
Thank you for such a well presented description.
This is so refreshing in a vast sea of Hype, BS and Content theives that simply repost with a usually very inacurate Ai voice over.
I will be forwarding your link. And Yes, I have subscribed. I very seldom do.
You're very welcome!
I just clicked on the video and I don't know if it's good or not, but I just want to send some appreciation just for posting the video and trying to share the knowledge 🎉
Very interesting. It would have been a bonus to understand how the spark stream can roughly tell you the type of steel. That is real wizardry
That would be an interesting video!
The SAE system is pretty straight forward What annoys me is when you deal with "older"? Machinists they use "trade name " like "silver steel" so I cant make quick decisions on steel as I have to look up the trade name THEN we get on to the Japanese system it would be really nice if there was ONE system
Many other STANDARDS have very different specs. for specific purposes that do not fit into the SAE system . Not all specs are based on the content but on other qualities .
I knew an ( old machinist ) that could look and listen to the steel and tell you what the content was and if he needed to know the amount of carbon the grinder could tell him that . Sadly the old machinist are gone for the most part and the new breed of cnc college born people who cant fix anything without an analysis
Yeah, silver steel, kite, keewatin, high speed. We used to colour code and stamp the steel stock .
Try German steel
Great job! I worked with various alloys during my career as a product developer and with all the ones you clearly explained here. Most of the steels I used needed wear resistance and impact resistance. As with any metal, the more exotic the alloy, the higher the cost and lower availability. I used the Machinery's Handbook as a guide for material selection for years. As with many resource materials today, it is available in digital form as well as print.
Good introduction to a few basic steel types
We use a few different more specialized types in our product (engineered steel chains)
Yes, just to be simple you guys use an 'S' or a 'T'. Or perhaps a number like 60 or 80. And they're interchangeable..
Fantastic, I don't have anything to do with steel apart from day to day life but your clear and concise description made an interesting video on a subject that has always been at the back of my mind when looking at different uses of steel, thank you, have a good day.
Very well done, thank you.
These videos are becoming a rarity on YT. Videos that are practical, useful, and helpful take a backseat to flashy, "sponsored", overly-produced marketing material made to promote and commercialize the channel.
Lovely very informative delivery. I agree No Musak, or other unnecessary noise distractions. Well done good tradesman like presentation.
Glad you enjoyed it! It's gratifying to see that you don't have to do what "they" say you have to in order to produce a popular video.
As a former toolmaker - we used a lot of Bohler's 476 tool-steel - came in black coarse finish - that had to be removed first. It gave off a very definite 'stink' while machining and bright purple shavings - quite unlike anything else.
Excellent! Always wondered. Thank you. Now, please, do stainless.
Great suggestion. I am considering a basic metallurgy series. What else would you like to see on those lines?
And then there's my FAVORITE: 12L14. 0.15-0.35% Pb makes it a joy to machine, especially for novices such as myself. Thanks for the excellent vid.
First rate! Thank you very much. Simple and easy to follow. I know it gets more complex, but this is a great start.
This was really straightforward and helpful, thanks so much for taking the time to make this video.
Thanks for the very informative video!
You are welcome!
Excellent job. You could be the only person that has explained this this well. Is sheet the same numbering and what is better to machine/turn?
I saw this video, and thought,"Oh, a toolmaker. Tool and die, progressive dies, plastic injection molds?" No, literally someone who makes hand-tools, which is cool. I've been in the precision tooling trade for 40 years, and S-7 is my favorite tool steel. Take it up to 58Rc, double draw, cryo treat and it'll last forever. 😃Terrible rust resistance, though.😐
Wow next time I buy knives I’ll be so much more informed. Thank you😊
Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Very informative.
Thank you Ron Swanson of the steel world. I enjoyed this
4140 & 4150 steels are used in gun barrels. Good stuff.
... Bad stuff.
@@Hertog_von_Berkshire, let me guess, you're a stainless barrel aficionado. They're cute, but, Melonited 4150 barrels will make stainless go bye-bye.
Great stuff but I would have liked to see something about music steel AKA spring steel.
I guess a complete video would go on for days.😃
Thanks for this video...its a great introduction.
Excellent video - well done and well explained. Great presentation style.
Glad you liked it!
I loved milling P20, beautiful characteristics.
Extremely handy information. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for making things come into view.
I recall the old days of referring to mild steel as either St37, Fe37 or En1A.
I've always wondered if you could use one of those Xray spectrometers that gold dealers use to verify precious metals on steel? Machines like the XRF spectrometer or the Sigma Metalytics verifier can not only tell you the percentage of gold, but the percentage of what other metals may have been alloyed with it. Most often copper, silver, palladium, or zinc. And in the knife world you hear all sorts of numbering systems. Plus the word magnacut steel gets touted as top of the line.
XRF will pick up the other elements of interest in steel such as nickel cr mo si mn and tramp elements such as S and P and others (with varying degrees of accuracy at low percentage levels) but EF cannot pick up the most important element carbon. Some of the tools will try to basically guess what grade of steel it is given the ranges of other elements but for example, if you had a 4145 steel the tool might guess it as 4150 or 4140, but it doesn’t actually determine the Carbon you need a different tool for that.
Great video, thanks for posting
You left out M tool steels. Usually called High Speed steel used as a cutting tool. Probably one of the most important tool steels out there. M2, M3, and M42 are common.
As for 5160, it's spring steel very common in leaf springs (6150 in coil springs) and if you're into knife making, 5160 is a nice material for sword blades.
Been involved in manufacturing and metals my whole life, although carbon steels are more on the rare side. We work mostly with steels like Alloy20, Incoloy800, CD4, Duplex 2205, H-loy C, 440C, Nitronic50, 316L, Ferralium 255, etc., although 9310 and 8620 are not uncommon for pivot pins.
Bottom line, it's nice to see other people out there who work with their hands AND their minds to make things. 🙂
You are right, the M series is very important. I inadvertently left it out of my non-exhaustive list since I don't use it as much as some steel. Someone once gave me a piece of M50. What can you tell me about that one?
@@jasonlonontoolmaker
Don't think I've ever worked with that steel.
@@jasonlonontoolmaker
I looked it up. Looks like it's a bearing steel similar to 52100.
@@jasonlonontoolmaker that would be high carbon, high vanadium bearing and tooling steel used where fatigue strength is needed. Punches and dies in my experience are the usual uses but for a blacksmith the wear resistance, toughness and strength at high temps might make it a great hot tool candidate.
Would chrome-vanadium fall under a special type of tool steel?
Very interesting. I'd be interested to know about other alloys especially for marine use. Many thanks. From Ireland.
Question: Just noticed ceramic ball bearings are now being used in bicycle racing carbon wheels. What future does ceramics have in the Machining Industry?
Good question.
Look for the channel called "Hambini" and look for his videos on bearings, specifically ceramic ball bearings and their applications in cycling. You'll find that they perhaps aren't all you may think. The hardness of the bearings can cause more issues with galling in the races, for instance.
This was a very informative and interesting video, thank you.
that was awesome! thanks!
Thanks, have always wondered how it works.
Nice presentation.
His use of the term ‘tenths ‘ for the determination of the carbon level is colloquially appropriate and correct.
Except the high carbon Cr bearing steels all steels are under 1%of carbon content so by saying a steel is a tenth of A ( ie 1) percent he is saying it’s a 1/10 of 1 percent - which is how it’s understood. absolutely no one ever describes the carbon content in terms of hundreds of percent except maybe some chemistry professors. In some places it’s just referred to as ‘points’ such as 25 point steel. Ie 1025
Another way to describe it would be to say 1025 steel is .25 wt% carbon
Sure, but if we're talking about, say, 1018 steel it doesn't have 18 tenths of a percent carbon. So for people without that specialised knowledge (which is still unclear to me from your explanation) it's ambiguous and confusing.
@@dielaughing73 think it’s just a quirk of English language how sometimes we say things that are imprecise especially when it comes to fractions of a percent, but the meaning is understood. A lot of steels are just the tenths ~ .2.3.4.5 . obviously in the machining world tenths hundreds thou 10 thou is critical but the chemistry callout terminology, for steel is more relaxed because people are not mixing up a batch of steel on the spot , but just eluding to standard stock such as 1018. I’ve never heard of anyone reference the carbon in hundredths but everyone is free to Ask their supplier to provide them with 2 tenths carbon steel and 8 hundredths carbon steel.
@@andrewc9902 hey, at least we're talking about decimals and not sixteenths or thirty-seconds
that pretty well covers my needs. Thanks.
Glad to help
Let's here it for 01, D2 ,D6 ,A2 and W2!
Nice Liam Hoffman Leather Apron in the background!!
You know it! I have a pre production prototype which has served me well for several years.
Great info! Glad I stumbled upon this video , subscribed so I can learn more.
Welcome aboard!
@@jasonlonontoolmaker Thanks!
Very interesting. Is there a list somewhere of all the first digit steel type designations? Knife manufacturers sometimes indicate the steel used in particular knives, it would be interesting to be able to decifer these. Similarly, there is a a designation system for aluminium alloys. Is there also a deciphering table somewhere for that?
Here is a link to a list of the first digits of the AISI / SAE carbon and alloy steel system I talked about in the video. www.theprocesspiping.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sae-aisi-table.png
Missed 3 common steels in my shop... A-36, 1144, and 12L14
12L14 ,12L15 the screw machinists' best friends
A36 steel usually references the specification ASTM A 36 it was purchased to , not the particular grade of steel however, it’s usually around 1020 1025 steel. That specification is driven by minimum mechanical properties not so much chemical limits, so the manufacturers have some flexibility as long as they meet mechanicals . It’s about the most entry-level steel one would purchase unless they wanted something softer like 1010 steel.
Dude, thank you for this!!!!
I've been involved with BMX since the late 80's and 4130 has always been the absolute standard for frame selection, nothing else has ever done including Titanium (high tensile strength but low sheer strength) or aluminum (requiring a thicker wall diameter to accommodate strength). the closest to match 4130 chomoly has been 7076 T6 Aluminum, the same thing commercial airplane frames are made of
My mountain bike is machined out of T6. Pole Vikkela. Made by a Finnish company that just went out of business. I also hail from the 80s bmx days, and the chro-moly frames. I had a Hutch Trickfox. Got stolen from me, and I regret it to this day.
@@jamisonr I used to have a GT Dyno with white Skyway mags, still miss that thing. the BMX frame I have now is 4130 and only 4lbs made by a British company called Total
@@MCPEMadEnder916 almost positive my mags were skyway. They were purple. My brother had a GT, can't remember the model. The other big brand i remember from back then was Haro. I pretty much only do downhill MTB. Haven't been on a 20 inch bike in 30 years i guess.
@@jamisonr I don't get along with larger wheel size bikes, been riding BMX for 30 years. can't do a lot of what I used to in my younger days but I still have fun
Thank you for sharing. Opens a lot.
Glad it's helpful for you.
US standards of generally available steels . There are many other special steels available around the world .
You are right! Perhaps I should do a series of videos on steel names and numbers?
great explanation. thank you
Thanks. Very informative. Curious though, I buy A36 steel for various projects. What does the A and the 36 stand for. Also, what is AR500 steel?
Very informative. Rule number 1 which I never seem to follow! write the grade on the steel
"write the grade on the steel..." Assumes your workmates can read... I marked a piece of material "tool steel, do not use" quite clearly, but one of the fitters ignored, or failed to read the marking, cut the material up to use as spacers... Then complained he found it hard to work... He'd selected it because it was a short piece of material, easy to carry to the saw... that it was expensive didn't matter to him...
@@boblawson1006reading is a conscious act for some people :(
Then promptly chuck the other end and turn off the lable! 😉👍
Hundredths of a per cent, not tenths.
Yes, thanks for the correction!
.18 is “eighteen hundredths”, .5 is “five tenths”, .02 is “two hundredths”, to be most Clear on this. Good video, OP. Does anyone know if an x-ray gun analyzer would show the Grade, in the field? Thanks :)
I bet you suck at parties.
@@sofiad5524 xrays are good for spotting density inconsistencies that’s why medical use is common but are ionizing radiation, and exposure to high intensities can be hazardous to health, causing damage to DNA, cancer, and at high dosages, burns and radiation sickness. Blasting a X-ray gun around a job sight would not only tell you nothing about the composition of steel but subject everyone to harm, (backscatter). But what do I know I’m just a simple engineer…. 😊
@@sofiad5524you mean a LIBS unit? Yes, I believe so. Very expensive tho
Thank you for the great video. Safe to say there are no naming standards.
interesting. Another quick method of alloy identification is to use a X-Ray Fluorescent Analyzer (XRF). A handheld unit can be purchased for ~$12k and will give you the grade in just a few seconds. Also handy for figuring out what the alloy is after any identifying marks have been removed.
@@lancedoyle5026 XRF can not detect carbon level, thus can not be used for plain carbon steels grading.
Good video ~ very informative.
Great information, great presentation the only thing I disagree with is 4140 being relatively inexpensive. The price of any type of steel is out of control.
Thank you sir for explaining this system!
Most welcome!
Thanks for valuable information
Well done. Sincere and clear
Great! Thanks for the info.
Awesome explanation. Thanks!! What's 12L14? Where does high machine ability steel and weldable steel com into the mix...?
12L14 is a low carbon, free-machining steel. The addition of lead aids in it's machinability. Machinable and weldable are terms to describe different properties of steel, and are used to describe different grades of steel, but are not part of a specification.
Great video!
Great explanation. Thanks!
Really useful, thanks ! I am however thinking of Bob Dylan's 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' for some reason.
Great Job!😊😊
Very informative. Thank you.
*6:15** XRF tester? I was thinking of getting one if they are reliable for testing alloys.*
Could you do a video on stainless numbering? 300 series like 304, 316. And the hardening ones like 15-5 and 18-8.
Interesting and consise presentation, thanks a lot. I'd like to go deeper into this. Are there any (official) tables / standards available that provide detailed information on chemical composition of the grades, based on these 4 digits? I mean that just a glance and some memory should be enough to see that this grade will be fine, and the other one won't work. Getting through the masses of datasheets with % range of each element is not what I need or like. Any hint, please? Or how to ask google to get the links quickly? Thanks in advance.
Subscribed, great useful video as I'm a welder
Nice presentation
very well presented and explained, good clear speech, unusual for Americans, good clear diction, thanks for taking the time to explain this somewhat baffling subject.
Thank you kindly! I take this as a supreme complement, and am glad to know the video was helpful to you. Regards, Jason
@@jasonlonontoolmaker I like the other comment too, no crap, no awefull dreadful music, just simple facts. if only other you tubers could learn this simple lesson. suppose I must dream on. thanks for your reply
@@hrxy1 I totally concour - this should be the superb standard to follow.
Great information! Is this system used worldwide?
It is an American system that is also recognized abroad, but there are also other systems in Japan, the UK and other places. You can find conversion charts various places.
Very clear and useful .
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for making the video, i liked it!
Great video thank you !!!!!!!!
Good to know we a steel worker
Great video!
To figure out what steel I have I always look at the mill report, for example
Farm Report; cloudy with a chance of rain
Mill Report; Hot and noisy with a chance of being hotter and noisier
I think you'll find the main 'element' in carbon steel is 'Fe' Iron - the carbon content rarely goes above 1% and only up to 2% for knives and specialist cutting tooling.
D2 Steel was used to make the heavy stamping dies in automotive factories…pressing panels