Axles

[Batmanacw]

What kind of steel would they make these old axels out of? I've got a few axels out of an old manure spreader too. I'm too poor to turn down raw materials. Lol!

One was so hard my bandsaw couldn't bite into it so I used them for torch cutting practice.

I figure they would make decent stub shafts or arbors. Maybe jack shafts for sproket drive components.

 

[SLK001]

They are usually high carbon steel - maybe something like 4140. And they are hardened, so to be easily turned, you'll have to anneal them. Put them in a fire and take them to red heat, then cover them with ashes as they cool. Once cool, they will be as soft as butter.

 

[Batmanacw]

They are usually high carbon steel - maybe something like 4140. And they are hardened, so to be easily turned, you'll have to anneal them. Put them in a fire and take them to red heat, then cover them with ashes as they cool. Once cool, they will be as soft as butter.

I've turned plenty of 4140ph. Do you think it will be much harder than that?

 

[SLK001]

PH 4140 can be around 35-40R in hardness. 4140 can be hardened to a much higher hardness. Don't know what you have, or what hardness they are. You're going to have to see if you can turn them.

I also wouldn't flame cut them, but would use an abrasive cut-off disk to cut them.

 

[Ischgl99]

I found this page that gives some good info on axles. I don't know if what you have is the same, but it's probably similar.

Tech Info | Dutchman Axles

Dutchman designs and manufactures replacement and custom rear ends, hi performance front and rear alloy axle shafts and has a large selection of off the shelf components including ring & pinion gears, Eaton and Wavetrac limited slip positraction carriers and differentials, full spools, billet...

dutchmanaxles.com

 

[C-Bag]

I have a wrecking bar made out of an old axel like those and it’s 100x’s better than the ones you buy like in HomeDump or Tractor Supply. Great breaking up rock or cement, prying up old fence posts, popping plant root balls out of the ground etc. I’d also only cut it with a cutoff blade on my angle grinder. Hard and tough!

 

[K30]

The full floaters I don't know they could even be thru-hard. I can tell you c-clip axles are harder than woodpecker lips. They're intended to run bearing rollers directly on the shaft for the most part, if that tells you anything.