"Reyd Dorakeen" wrote in message
...
finaly found what it is, its AIFI W-1, I think the W is for water, and
somebody told me that the AIFI was something indian something something,
which I guess is the company.
whats the 1 after the w mean, is there W-0, or W-2?

Yes, you have a plain-carbon tool steel there, which is what basic, old
"drill rod" is made from.

The "1" tells you what the carbon content and alloy are -- which, in this
case, is no alloy except for carbon. There is, or was, W1, W2, W3, and W5.
W1 has a carbon content of 0.70 - 0.90%, depending on the manufacturer. It's
a slightly loose designation. If it's made in India, it may be looser still.

The W is indeed for water-hardening, and you'll probably want to quench in
water or brine. But maybe in oil, depending on what you're doing. I forget
what this thread was all about. g

The transformation temperature of W1 is in the range of 1450 - 1500 deg. F.
It's not particularly critical unless you need maximum toughness or
hardness. Temper at 350F - 650F, for hardnesses of 64 Rc to 50 Rc,
respectively.

Incidentally, this steel is nothing more than a (possibly)
cleaner-than-usual version of 1070 - 1095. If you have info on heat-treating
those plain-carbon steels, it applies to W1 as well.

What's your application again?

--
Ed Huntress
(remove "3" from email address for email reply)