People keep using mild steel for tools that need to take a hit

I see guys on here making punches and chisels out of hot rolled round bar, then wondering why they mushroom after one use. Pick up some 1045 or 5160 spring steel if you want tools that actually hold an edge.

3 comments

3 Comments

wrenstone2mo ago

And honestly, even 1045 needs proper heat treat or it's almost as bad as mild steel. I've seen guys skip the quench step entirely, then wonder why their punch folds over on the second hit.

margaretf402mo ago

Ngl I watched a buddy try to harden a 1045 drift in a campfire and it bent like a wet noodle first swing.

verab2810d ago

Had a buddy try to salvage a worn out chisel by rehardening it in his garage forge, but he let it soak too long and it ended up soft as butter. @wrenstone nailed it about that quench step being the real make or break moment for everything. Took three more tries and a bucket of used motor oil before he finally got a tool that wouldn't fold on the first impact.