On Feb 24, 6:56*pm, Doug White wrote:
steamer wrote in news:4b85824c$0$1584
:

* * *--Just a guess but I'll bet if you rubbed your finger along a
squeaky clean one you might get a black smudge buildup on finger.

That's gonna take some work. *The suspect items were wrapped in newspaper,
and the bits that aren't covered in small filings cemented on with old
sulfur cutting fluid are rusty.

Doug White

If you don't know now it's too late, just put them on the rack any way
that makes sense.

My stock, mostly from auctions, is sorted by length with long pieces
up between the floor joists, medium lengths leaning in a corner and
short ones on shelves. I cut off a shelf-length piece from long rods
to have a ready supply for turning small parts and identify it by how
smoothly and easily it cuts. Some shafting threads almost as nicely as
12L14 but doesn't rust as badly.

The long ones are tagged if I knew or figured out what they are. I
paint white nail polish on the short ones and write the ID there where
it won't be lost when I chuck them in the lathe.

If it will be welded or highly stressed I use known material,
otherwise don't load it beyond 20KSI. It's been a good enough system
for hobby work.

jsw