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Any good use for 304 stainless?

Srgt. Hulka

Lighten Up Francis
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Oct 8, 2014
    4,039
    12,381
    Shreveport, Louisiana
    This is going to the scrap yard unless I can think of something quick to do with it. Any ideas? The scrapyard offered me 40 cents a pound. It’s probably 1000 pounds.

    IMG_4030.jpeg
     
    I thought it was 403. The scrapyard guy checked it with his cool gadget, and said it was 404.

    Edit: He’ll, I’m second guessing myself now, 304 I believe. Not 404.
    I was thinking maybe you meant 440 because 404 and 304 come in sheet form, it would make more sense if rods were 440 . I could be way off though .
     
    Are you a knifemaker or know a knifemaker? 404 is one of the toughest grades of stainless steel, very similar in hardness and carbon content to D2 tool steel and would form very rugged and wear resistant blades and arrow broadheads.
    This was my first thought, but I don’t know any blacksmiths or knife makers.
     
    I’d keep all the bars and be welding up all sorts of shit with that for years. Then scrap all the rest. It’d be nice to donate it to a local high school welding shop, if such a thing still exists anywhere. But yeah if you don’t have a desire to weld up some stuff up, to the scrap yard it should go.
     
    Are you a knifemaker or know a knifemaker? 404 is one of the toughest grades of stainless steel, very similar in hardness and carbon content to D2 tool steel and would form very rugged and wear resistant blades and arrow broadheads.
    If it's either 304 and 404 they do not harden with heat treat . 440 is knife/tool steel .
     
    If a magnet sticks to it fairly hard, it's 400 series SS, if the magnet does not stick, or barely sticks - 300 series SS.

    Post it in the PX, that's good stuff for turning or welding projects.

    I just had 4 discs plasma cut for $40, not including material cost ($2.00/lb.); these would have been perfect and considerably less $$?
     
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    304 (hi-heat (H) or low carbon (L)) is what they use in both medical and restaurant facilities.
    It won't get a good shine no matter how much you polish it.
    It welds really nicely via TIG.
    It's a bitch to cut or drill but will machine really well.
    I've used the hell out of it at a pharmaceutical facility I used to work at (yea they trusted me with the heavy drug making).
    It is zero worth in knife making.
    As @smoooth1 said, the magnet thing is viable.

    That pile is worth a whole lot more than $400.
    Save some because you'll kick your self in the ass later if you don't.