[sendkeys]

Guys know of any tricks for picking out scrap steel for machinability? mostly im using square bar stock

Other then a file to test the hardness. As of now i been just using the "hit and miss" approach.

[HuFlungDung]

What I do is make a little cardboard template with square holes in it. Then I go down to the junk yard and try to make everything fit. If it fits, and fills the hole, then "yup, its square"

That help?

[nuplowboy]

You've already covered my suggestion with the file. Beyond that, there's not a lot of easy was to test steel. You might get ahold of some small pieces of various grades (1010, 1018, 1040, 4140, etc) to get a feel for how the file does on each. I don't know if there would actually be much difference, but maybe. Short of fancy chemical analysis, hardness is about it. Maybe a hammer and punch could show more distinction between hard, sort of hard, and soft.

[sendkeys]

thanks guys

[RotarySMP]

There is also a grinder test. You look at the sparks to determine whether it is a low carbon building steel or a high carbon steel.