Thread: Which steel for QCTP

Hi Al,
I think mild steel will be fine for a home shop tool post, and a lot cheaper to source. If it was for a industrial application you would probably want something that could be hardened because of the abuse it would get.

Dave

Thanks mate.
Looks like another trip to Edcon next week.

Al

Hi Al,
I thought you would have got a few more replies, maybe some guys are away at the moment.
I am not sure what size your tool holders will be, but keep in mind the steel out of 40mm square box trailer axle. You can sometimes pick them up for near nothing at garage sales etc, and you will get a far few holders out of just one. Also if you have a trailer place around you could always ask them for any off cuts/old axles. Even if they are bent it wouldn't matter as your only needing them 75mm long or so long.

I have picked up a few over the years and use the steel from the for different projects, it's a lot cheaper than buying it.

Dave

Hi al,
I would have replied but I would like to know as well. It's a good question.

Phil

Originally Posted by Dave J

Hi Al,
but keep in mind the steel out of 40mm square box trailer axle. You can sometimes pick them up for near nothing at garage sales etc, and you will get a far few holders out of just one. Also if you have a trailer place around you could always ask them for any off cuts/old axles. Even if they are bent it wouldn't matter as your only needing them 75mm long or so long.

Dave

Dave,
What grade of steel are trailer axles likely to be. Are they better than Mild Steel?

I've got a few caravan trailer axles, unfortunately they use rolled corners.

Not sure about boat/box trailers, some manufacturers would use hollow section. Caravan trailers use a medium tensile steel, something like 1040, 1045. Both of these can be flame hardened I think.

The conventional wisdom is that better steels don't improve rigidity, but do allow hardening, which is about surface protection. I've read that numerous times on forums anyway. I've used mild and it seems fine. No need to knock your stuff around.

I was at a farm clearance sale down the road here last year . I picked up three new tandem trailer 40mm square axles for $10 each , a big pile of new 3/4" plywood sheets for $16 , a near new 8 amp 24 Volt battery charger for $5 , and some bags of stainless steel bolts for $8 a bag .

The neighbour bought most of the stainless steel bolts . No metal work machinery there , but heaps of other stuff sold for almost nothing .

The trailer axles seem to be mild steel, I ran a file on them and the file easily.

For cheap steel ..go to farm clearance sales

Mike

I was sitting in the wings as well Dave.

When I made my pretend Hardinge tool post I used 1214. I guess because it is like butter to machine and why make a job more difficult than it needs to be if you are not sure it's going to be successful. When I made it I only had my 1/2 horsepower No.O mill.

The end product worked better than my expectations and I've often contemplated replicating the thing in another material. Maybe cast for the body and maybe 1045 / 4140 for the holders. In my shed 1214 rusts when I look at it and it's too easily dented.

BT

Originally Posted by Metmachmad

Dave,
What grade of steel are trailer axles likely to be. Are they better than Mild Steel?

From what I know they are just mild steel. Some caravan axles maybe different, but all the ones I have come across are mild steel.
Also years ago I had a 50mm round axle machined and they just said they use mild steel, so I got the mate who worked in steel to get me a piece for a good price and took it there to be machined.

Dave

Originally Posted by Dave J

From what I know they are just mild steel. Some caravan axles maybe different, but all the ones I have come across are mild steel.
Also years ago I had a 50mm round axle machined and they just said they use mild steel, so I got the mate who worked in steel to get me a piece for a good price and took it there to be machined.

Dave

Yeah I think it depends on the type of axle "some" is what I should have wrote.

I understood what you where sating and agree. The ones I had here where old caravan ones and where just like box trailer axles. With the off road caravans and the technology going into them these days, I am sure there would be different axles out there.

Depending on what job your doing, the corners might be able to be cut off yours as part of it.

Dave

Old trailer axles (20-30 + yrs?) were made from Durax (old BHP des..) later called 1045 I think?
Newer axles are made I think from ordinary "merchant Bar" someone probaly knows better than me. But 20yrs as blacksmith in a heratige park (2nd apprentership, hasn't stopped yet!) has taught me you can't treat modern merchant bar like the old mild steel we grew up on! Quench above critical? temp, particuarly if you have forged it, try and bend it and it will break! If anyone wants an explantion as to "why (I think)it is so" I'll do it in another post.
BTW We have made many servicable 2/12 lb forging hammers (they are hardened & tempered) from my 1985 trailer axle that broke a couple of years ago.
Graeme

Hi Graeme, I was going to say welcome to the forum until I saw your join date, so your an old member. LOL

I would be interested in a thread about it all if you have the time, no hurry.

I know we are getting off track here with axles, but for tool holders pretty well any trailer axle would do the job. If you do find they are a bit hard to machine, throw them on the BBQ for a while and cool slowly in heat beads or something like that to anneal them, or in an open fire and get them out the next morning.

Dave