Had a billet delaminate on me halfway through a twist last Tuesday

I was in my garage forge trying to make a fireplace poker from a random billet I picked up at a swap meet near Tulsa, and about three twists into the handle it just split open like a bad weld. Turns out the steel had some junk in it from the start, but I was already committed and had to grind it all flat and start over with a fresh piece. Do you guys always test your mystery steel before you start hammering, or do you just roll the dice and hope for the best?

2 comments

2 Comments

casey_lane731mo ago

Did you check if that billet had any sparks coming off it when you hit it with a grinder? I had a similar thing happen with a chunk of mystery steel I grabbed from a scrap yard in Joplin, turned out to be casehardened with a soft core and it just fell apart when I tried to draw it out. Now I always do a quick spark test and a bend test on a small piece before I waste my time on a whole project, especially if the steel looks like it has any rust pits or scale that could hide junk.

phoenix_adams601mo agoOG Member

Yeah, I skipped the spark test on that one because I was feeling lucky. Lucky like a guy who marries his cousin and hopes the kids come out alright. Now I got a paperweight and a lesson I could've learned for free.