Steel identification

I shall shortly be making a crankshaft for my new Whippet engine. Material specified for this is EN16T, a high tensile steel.

Having a rummage under the bench I found a couple of pieces which could be potential candidates. One piece has a red/yellow paint on the end - I take it some sort of colour code, anyone know recognise this as an identification mark?

Another piece is totally unmarked so is anybody's guess but is there a way of identifying it?

Alan

Parker Steel is the one I usually look at for colours

There are spark tests but don't know how closely you could tie it down by that method.

Colour codes are supplier specific so unless you know who it came from .... Many companies using only a limited range of materials had their own system too.

No way of identifying steel types in the home shop beyond the spark test rough classification. Bigger scrap merchants probably have a device to read off composition but even thats no help when it comes to heat treatment or tensile range status.

Clive.

Thanks, seems like I will be putting them back under the bench!

Have to source a bit of the required material.

Alan

Alan, plus 1 for Clive's post but what I do is mark all my stock so I know what's what, I don't use any commercial sequence just one that's developed for several reasons, one being where I served my apprenticeship all gauge plate had a blue stripe painted on it so I continued this and although Stubbs SS was stamped I used the same paint on the bar ends. Then acquiring several car touch up paints -- the ones with a small brush inside --- I used whatever was available for common steels I use. You only need around six colours so maybe small Humbrol tins would do ?

I do have a small problem to address -- I can never repaint the workshop door -- this has all the colour charts make on it !!!!

Cheers John

I have makes bits that have bought and I know what they are trouble is I have 'aquired' my stock (as in bits) over the years and most of is classified as 'steel'!

Alan

What size do you need? Someone might have a bit kicking around. I'd be surprised if EN8 woudln't do, there's not that much difference

There is a lot of difference. I have seen steering arms made from en8 snap like carrots! I always use en16t or 24t and so far none have ever broke.

I always mark offcuts with number stamps so I don't use the wrong steel for the wrong job.

Thanks for the ideas, I have found a source of the correct spec.

Alan

Edited By AJW on 17/03/2019 13:36:24

Hi,

I had to order a length of 16mm diameter EN24T from a supplier in Birmingham because it was out of stock at my usual suppliers. When I turned up the chap started rummaging around on a rack saying this might be it, he promptly went off to the office and came back with a small handheld gun which he pointed at said steel. A small LCD display clearly labeled it as EN24t and listed its chemical composition. I went away very impressed.

Sadly these things are £8000 plus. Given the way electronics is going, perhaps every home workshop will have one one day

Regards.

David.

Most scrap yards use these now, especially on stainless steel and ali-bronze.

Amazing, how on earth would that work!

Research required.

Alan

Just had a quick look, very interesting.

• X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyser: This is the most common method and the portability of the hand-held equipment allows Intertek to perform PMI on-site at our customers’ premises. The device scans the metal material and identifies its key elements. However, it cannot detect carbon and some lighter elements and is not suitable for identification of pure carbon steel materials.
• Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES): This method can detect almost all types of elements including carbon and lighter elements and carbon steel. Although not as portable as XRF analysers, the equipment can be transported to sites and used at high elevations with proper lifting arrangements.

Edited By AJW on 17/03/2019 23:28:37

Thanx for that. Lost mine years ago.

Downloaded for future reference..

If you can file a few bits off I can chemically analyse them in work and let you know compositions, should help you narrow down the possibilities.

Reading this post is another reason for putting an approximate location on your profile. There may be a local member willing to let you have whatever it is you need. I keep a lot of material in stock, all marked up when it arrives either by stamping of with a steel marking paint pen.

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Thanks for all your generous offers and suggestions, I have updated my profile as well.

I found an outlet locally that specialises in offcuts of all sorts who have come up trumps, EJ Alloys, located in Westcliff and very helpful.

Alan