Why would steel come as pickled and oiled?

[J. Pitts]

I'm assuming that 6150 annealed and "P&O" means that.

 

[Destraal]

I would guess that it's because pickling removes mill scale and oiling helps prevent rust.

 

[mete]

You guessed right !!

 

[james terrio]

I don't know the official industry standard for pickling, but I do know that a 48 hour soak in regular white vinegar really helps make mill scale a lot easier to grind off. Doesn't seem to matter much if it's low- or high-alloy steel, it makes life easier.

I also know that PG means precision-ground and it's definitely worth a few bucks more per bar to buy it that way, if it's available. No scale, no pitting to grind away, just bare clean steel that's a dream to work with. You'll save more on belts and labor than what you pay extra for PG stock, every time.

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

I thought it was so you could put it on a sandwich - or a salad.

 

[P.Brewster]

Mild steel is P&Od for appearance, and to facilitate welding, laser cutting, etc.