advice for a noobie chainsaw user

[wyk]

It's what the engineer trying to drill it said

 

 

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It wouldn't matter much either way - both would be very hard once tempered - even some 4000 series steel can be hardened enough to give your tools a tough time. An easy way to tell what it is yourself tho, is to polish some of it. If it takes any luster, it's a high carbon steel like 5160 etc. If it never shines - it's D2. My D2 knife looks like it's made of tin, even once sharpened.

 

Otherwise, you can do a spark test: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D094eBa4S7c]Metal ID - Spark Testing - YouTube[/ame]

[chrismechanic]

I would be surprised if it were D2 - that is an air hardening tool steel like M2. Grinding on it is not any fun. Most bars are 4100 series steels. That bar might have been made with 5100 series, which adds vanadium; a common practice since the 60's on lorrie leaf springs. It would make it significantly harder than 4100, but not raise the costs considerably. 4100 can get to an HRc of 55 at most, usually in the 40's. 5160 can see up to 60 RC on that scale. I have a made a few bowie knives with 5160(and some folks wonder why I feel comfortable contouring pop up pistons by hand).

 

 

Forgot to add - I do have a knife made of D2 with a 5" blade. I have to use a W2 file to contour it before I sharpen it.

 

nice work on the knive

[chrismechanic]

I was told he couldn't do the oil holes though, they apparently need drilling with some special bits?

 

 

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i would say thats becasue the plasma cutter would fill them, i wonder what he is going to use?

chris

[wyk]

i would say thats becasue the plasma cutter would fill them, i wonder what he is going to use?

chris

 

Lasers! PEW PEW PEW!!!!

Look what it does to STar Destroyers!

 

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmoldX1wKYQ]Laser Weapon System (LaWS) - YouTube[/ame]

[wyk]

nice work on the knive

 

Cheers! It's 7mm thick at the guard, but is very light and quick in the hand. Bowie knives were basically derived from old Sheffield butcher's knives.

[Eddy_t]

I will when I get it back, but it is a really old bar, the first numbers stamped on it are 1109 (wyk will understand those numbers) but it's stamped with c43 on the other side if that means anything?

 

 

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[wyk]

I will when I get it back, but it is a really old bar, the first numbers stamped on it are 1109 (wyk will understand those numbers) but it's stamped with c43 on the other side if that means anything?

 

 

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1109 is an odd one, but can be hardened to 60HRC if I read this data sheet right. It is basically considered an industrial steel for bars and tubes, structural stuff as well. It doesn't have enough carbon to hold an edge well for knives. But it has enough to harden well. It would be widely available to any manufacturer, and dirt cheap.

 

Most chainsaw bars are made from Molybdenum steel - it has all the properties you need in a bar, is very strong for it's weight, and is used extensively in the auto industry = widely available, cheap and easy to make. I have heard from a mechanical engineer that Stihl's bars are likely made of 6100 series steel. Lorrie sprigns are made of 6160 steel. So this would also be widely available and affordable in large stock. The added vanadium in 6160 vs 5160 allows it to harden a bit more than 5160 and adds even more shock resistance. I am told it is a great steel for swords.

Edited November 5, 2013 by wyk

[Eddy_t]

1109 is an odd one, but can be hardened to 60HRC if I read this data sheet right. It is basically considered an industrial steel for bars and tubes, structural stuff as well. It doesn't have enough carbon to hold an edge well for knives. But it has enough to harden well. It would be widely available to any manufacturer, and dirt cheap.

 

Most chainsaw bars are made from Molybdenum steel - it has all the properties you need in a bar, is very strong for it's weight, and is used extensively in the auto industry = widely available, cheap and easy to make. I have heard from a mechanical engineer that Stihl's bars are iley made of 6100 series stihl. Lorrie sprigns are made of 6160 steel. So this would also be widely available and affordable in large stock. The added vanadium in 6160 vs 5160 allows it to harden a bit more than 5160 and adds even more shock resistance. I am told it is a great steel for swords.

 

1109 is the stihl part number, for the 090g, but when I rang stihl, they couldn't find any reference to that number, so I'm guessing it's a contra g bar

 

 

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[wyk]

Almost forgot to add - D2 tool steel is usually HRC61-62 or so... It also is a high speed steel - so it retains that hardness well above 400*C, which is about the temp a grinder may get out of it. It has a buttload of carbon in it - 1.5% - roughly 10X more than 1109 steel. So, if you use a d2 drill bit, it will eventually heat up that 1109 to where it will definitely be lower hardness than the D2... assuming your equipment likes that sorta heat... er...

[wyk]

1109 is the stihl part number, for the 090g, but when I rang stihl, they couldn't find any reference to that number, so I'm guessing it's a contra g bar

 

 

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Hah! In other words, it may well be 6160 steel. Good luck with that.