# Santa brought me steel!



## chrisinestes (Dec 25, 2014)

It's probably a small percentage of people that would think a bunch of chunks of steel was a great Christmas gift... Probably a high percentage here.

I got 40-50 chunks of steel round bar, & I like it! They're about 1 1/2" dia. by about 18" long. They came by way of my brother, from a guy that got them from the estate of a machinist in Wyoming.

Word is they're highway concrete slab expansion joint dowel pins. The first pic is one of the dowels, the second pic is off Google and shows what they seem to be. 

Anywho... They're supposed to be good machinable steel. I have visions of cannon barrels dancing in my head... Any ideas for me what the alloy may be? 

Chris


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## bazmak (Dec 26, 2014)

If they are dowel pins you would expect them to be hi tensile but if they machine well then congrats.I wish you could post me one


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## vederstein (Dec 26, 2014)

People ask me what I want for Christmas, birthday, etc.  I tell them a block of brass.

I haven't received one block yet.

...Ved.


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## chrisinestes (Dec 26, 2014)

vederstein said:


> People ask me what I want for Christmas, birthday, etc. I tell them a block of brass.
> 
> I haven't received one block yet.
> 
> ...Ved.


 
 When I picked up the package, I knew immediately it was a hunk of metal, Brass was the first thing that popped into my head, but right after I opened it my bro said there's 40-50 more in his truck. I've had a few suggestions on some simple tests to check the hardness & alloy of it. I'll likely find a place that can test a piece so I know just what it is. 

 Chris


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## /// (Dec 27, 2014)

Chris, some scrap metal merchants have handheld PMI testers, you may be able to find one nearby and sweet talk them into a cheap test.


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## Swifty (Dec 27, 2014)

If you take a known piece of mild steel and hold it against the bench grider stone, you can make a note of the spark size, quantity and colour. Do the same with the rods and compare the results, usually if the steel is of a better quality the sparks are finer and more quantity. Being used for road join dowell pins, I would think that they are only a low grade steel, I have seen pins for floor slabs, and they weren't much better than reo bar.

Paul.


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## MCRIPPPer (Dec 27, 2014)

i would imagine its probly plain old hot roll cut to length for a dowel. hot roll machined ok in that it is soft, but it likes to gum up and rip off and make a rough surface unless you take a cut of about  >0.100 in. or have nice sharp tools.


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## MCRIPPPer (Dec 27, 2014)

looks alot like this. http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/fusion-bonded-epoxy-coating-steel-dowel_602524050.html


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## chrisinestes (Dec 27, 2014)

MCRIPPPer said:


> looks alot like this. http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/fusion-bonded-epoxy-coating-steel-dowel_602524050.html



Yep, looks like that. According to the DOT specs I read, it should (maybe) be ASTM A663, A615, or A36... I need to find out 'zactly what it is, so I'll get a piece tested.

 Chris


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## MCRIPPPer (Dec 29, 2014)

pretty sure A36 is most common.


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