What I know about steel would probably fit on two matchbooks. That said Google
is helpful. Steel strapping is usually selected for toughness and strength
rather than hardness. The exact type of steel isn't listed any where I can find.
Given its primary use I wouldn't expect it to be a tool steel. Fortunately there
is a source besides hack saw blades. Bandsaw blades, jig saw blades, utility
knife blades, concrete nails, and many other things can be annealed, shaped,
hardened, and tempered. I don't have a charcoal grill al home any more but I
have been seriously considering setting one up just to anneal some concrete
nails for tool making and woodwork.

I tell you the more I get into Galoot pursuits the more metal working I am
doing. I'm thinking about teaching myself casting so I can cast beds for infill
planes. I must be insane.

Jeff

> On Oct 24, 2014, at 12:51 PM, Don Schwartz  wrote:
> 
> 
>> On 10/24/2014 10:15 AM, Jeff Oberg wrote:
>> McMaster Carr still sells carbon steel hacksaw blades. They are coated in
paint and heavily decorated. I'll strip some and see what is underneath. That
and cut a blade up for marking knives and scratch stock blades. We'll see how it
goes.
>> 
>> Jeff
> 
> Everything I know about steel could be printed on a matchbook. That said, I
have wondered whether steel banding - used to secure loads on trucks and - might
make useful blades.
> 
> Don
> 
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