High speed steel?

G

Gossman Knives

Edged Toolmaker
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Apr 9, 2004
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My neighbor gave me a piece of high speed steel made by Steelcraft Tool company. It's used as a cutter. My question is what is it, M2? It's hardened, how can I go about annealing it?
Scott
 
M2 is certainly the most common HSS. M42, the common high-cobalt HSS is around, too. I have some M42 drills at work with a bright finish and they have a slightly gold color. Not sure if that's the steel or just heat coloring. It's too light to be TiN.

Aaanyway, assuming it's M2, Crucible says:

1600F, hold 2 hours, slow cool 25F/hr max. to 1000F, then air or furnace cool. Hardness BHN 217/255.
Click to expand...

Hope that helps.

-Allin
 
For someone without serious heat treating equipment, the best bet is to try and grind it into something useable without ruining the heat treat thats already been done. Annealing it takes some pretty good equipment, and heat treating it again takes some pretty good equipment (ie electronically controlled oven)
Don't know what to do about drilling holes. I suppose carbide bits and a sense of humor. To me, this is a case where a free peice of steel costs an awful lot ;)
 
Thanks for the info guys. I may or may not do anything with it. Just curious as to what it was.
Scott
 
But now you do have "serious" heat treating equipment. In fact, I'd venture a guess that very few around here have a commercially made "Atmospheric Oven Furnace for Hardening, Tempering and Drawing" such as you do. All you need is a pyrometer for that beast. (Oh, and a larger propane tank too.)
 
Razorback
Just Grind it !! heh if it is M-2 it is already Rc 63 super tough . don't anneal it just work it hard . keping it cool while you grind it .better get some ceramic belt's and carbide drill's . they are your only chance to cut it .
if nothing else make a blade out of it to use/ torture just to see what it can take . you may come over to the other side :)

if you don't want to use it send it to me i love grinding this stuff .
 
It'll be a bear to grind, but most HSSs have a high Mo and/or W content, giving them good red hardness so that with care you can grind them without ruining the heat treat.
 
jiminy said:
But now you do have "serious" heat treating equipment. In fact, I'd venture a guess that very few around here have a commercially made "Atmospheric Oven Furnace for Hardening, Tempering and Drawing" such as you do. All you need is a pyrometer for that beast. (Oh, and a larger propane tank too.)
Click to expand...
Where can I get a pyrometer? How large a propane tank?
Scott
 
This is the piece. It was used on a piece of cutting equipment, I think my neighbor said to cut other steel, not sure if that's right. :confused:

m2cutter.jpg


Scott
 
Hi guys! i'm trying to source M42, M35 steel or bi-steel that i can use in making knives and blades. I'll appreciate all your help to find a good source. Best regards
 
Terry, this is a 7 month old thread. The foto's probably been removed.

Gunner, instead of resurrecting a half dozen old threads and smearing your request for help on every thread that said M2 or M42, why didn't you just start a new thread?? :confused:

Try Crucible Steel for M2 or M42. They've got it listed.
 
I never did do anything with that piece. :rolleyes: It got put aside and forgotten about. I've been to busy to bother with it.
Scott
 
Take a baseball bat and cut a slot down it.Epoxy the cutter in it and sell it at the next knife show as a high-tech battle axe.
 
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