Two Rock Pry Bars.... but NOT created equally.... why does one bend?
 

Hey everyone.

I have two 1" thick x 6 feet long pry bars made from solid steel, but
one of them bends easily while the other has yet to bend.

Why the difference? Tempering? Cold vs. Hot processed bar?

Is there a way of changing the properties of the soft bar to increase
it's strength?

Thanks,

James, Port Orchard (Seattle), Washington, USA, Earth

RainLover wrote:

Hey everyone.

I have two 1" thick x 6 feet long pry bars made from solid steel, but
one of them bends easily while the other has yet to bend.

Why the difference? Tempering? Cold vs. Hot processed bar?

Is there a way of changing the properties of the soft bar to increase
it's strength?

Thanks,

James, Port Orchard (Seattle), Washington, USA, Earth

James, I suggest you find yourself a piece of known tool steel with fairly
high carbon content, like M2 or A2 or even O1, and also a piece of mild steel,
and take those two test pieces, a grinder, and your two bars into a dark corner
and run a spark test. If the two bars spark test absolutely identically then
*maybe* you can heat treat the bendy bar to be a bit stiffer. I very much doubt
the bars are made of the same steel. I suggest you sell the bendy bar and buy
another one that works right. Maybe easier said than done, though .. good luck.

GWE

RainLover wrote:
I have two 1" thick x 6 feet long pry bars made from solid steel, but
one of them bends easily while the other has yet to bend.

Why the difference? Tempering? Cold vs. Hot processed bar?

Is there a way of changing the properties of the soft bar to increase
it's strength?

One is properly hardened and tempered, the other is not. Whether the
poor one can be made good partly depends on it's carbon content, or lack
therof - if it's low-carbon, it can't be hardened. If it's high-carbon,
it can be; however, this is a difficult job for at-home heat treatment,
due to the size.

--
Cats, Coffee, Chocolate...vices to live by

"RainLover" wrote in message
...
Hey everyone.

I have two 1" thick x 6 feet long pry bars made from solid steel, but
one of them bends easily while the other has yet to bend.

Why the difference? Tempering? Cold vs. Hot processed bar?

Is there a way of changing the properties of the soft bar to increase
it's strength?

Thanks,

James, Port Orchard (Seattle), Washington, USA, Earth

I bought a pry bar about two years ago. It was heavy as heck. It was
expensive.

You get what you pay for. If the thing can break an arm or knock out a
couple of teeth, I opt for the higher priced model.

Steve

The bar that bends easily could be made of mild steel. In which case
there isn't much you can do. Or it may be made of higher carbon steel
and could be heat treated to be much harder to permanently bend. Heat
treating the whole bar and then finding that it is not able to be made
stronger would be a lot of wasted effort. But you might try heating
one end hot enough that a magnet is not attracted and then quenching it
in brine or oil. Then take a file and see if it is much harder than it
was. If it is then it would be worthwhile figuring out how to heat the
whole bar and quench it. And then draw the temper so it is tough not
brittle.

Ed Huntress might pipe in here and confirm what I said. Or tell you I
am all wet and what you really ought to do.

Dan



RainLover wrote:
Hey everyone.

I have two 1" thick x 6 feet long pry bars made from solid steel, but
one of them bends easily while the other has yet to bend.

Why the difference? Tempering? Cold vs. Hot processed bar?

Is there a way of changing the properties of the soft bar to increase
it's strength?

Thanks,

James, Port Orchard (Seattle), Washington, USA, Earth

wrote in message
ups.com...
The bar that bends easily could be made of mild steel. In which case
there isn't much you can do. Or it may be made of higher carbon steel
and could be heat treated to be much harder to permanently bend. Heat
treating the whole bar and then finding that it is not able to be made
stronger would be a lot of wasted effort. But you might try heating
one end hot enough that a magnet is not attracted and then quenching it
in brine or oil. Then take a file and see if it is much harder than it
was. If it is then it would be worthwhile figuring out how to heat the
whole bar and quench it. And then draw the temper so it is tough not
brittle.

Ed Huntress might pipe in here and confirm what I said. Or tell you I
am all wet and what you really ought to do.

Dan

You aren't all wet, but it sounds like reaching too far to find out if the
softer bar actually is a high-carbon steel but, for some reason, is
unhardened; and then to harden it. 'Way too much hassle, or expense, or
both.

'Better to buy another bar. I've seen 6-foot crowbars (real crowbars are
straight, not hooked on the ends) go for $5 at garage sales. It would take a
gorilla to bend them.

--
Ed Huntress

Ed Huntress wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...

The bar that bends easily could be made of mild steel. In which case
there isn't much you can do. Or it may be made of higher carbon steel
and could be heat treated to be much harder to permanently bend. Heat
treating the whole bar and then finding that it is not able to be made
stronger would be a lot of wasted effort. But you might try heating
one end hot enough that a magnet is not attracted and then quenching it
in brine or oil. Then take a file and see if it is much harder than it
was. If it is then it would be worthwhile figuring out how to heat the
whole bar and quench it. And then draw the temper so it is tough not
brittle.

Ed Huntress might pipe in here and confirm what I said. Or tell you I
am all wet and what you really ought to do.

Dan


You aren't all wet, but it sounds like reaching too far to find out if the
softer bar actually is a high-carbon steel but, for some reason, is
unhardened; and then to harden it. 'Way too much hassle, or expense, or
both.

'Better to buy another bar. I've seen 6-foot crowbars (real crowbars are
straight, not hooked on the ends) go for $5 at garage sales. It would take a
gorilla to bend them.

--
Ed Huntress


Mine is dark green, has a 3" maybe wide pry wedge and the other end is what one
would think is a sledge or 5 pound hammer flat that is maybe 3" circle.

Goes along with the logging chain, for times when trees and people mix at the wrong time.

Martin

--
Martin Eastburn, Barbara Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Mine is dark green, has a 3" maybe wide pry wedge and the other end is
what one
would think is a sledge or 5 pound hammer flat that is maybe 3" circle.

Goes along with the logging chain, for times when trees and people mix
at the wrong time.

Martin


That's a digging bar. The circle at the end is for tamping. - GWE

Martin H. Eastburn wrote:

Ed Huntress wrote:
Mine is dark green, has a 3" maybe wide pry wedge and the other end is
what one
would think is a sledge or 5 pound hammer flat that is maybe 3" circle.

Martin

Thatsort of bar is what we called a "digging bar" for making post holes
and tamping the dirt back in. Quite often they aren't hard enough to
do any serious "prying" with.
...lew...

Thats the typical grave digging bar, its great for making squyare
corners. I shold know I dug enough graves as a part time job one
time...it was standard equipment for the era in additon to a backhow I
had. Its great for tamping post holes too and in general is a darn
handy bar. Mine however would lift the world if I could push enough
weight on them, as they are tough and in all my years with what they
have been through have yet to bend. I bet if you look that one over
very carefully that bent, you will find CHINA somewhere on it. ;-)


On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT, Lew Hartswick
wrote:

===Martin H. Eastburn wrote:
===
=== Ed Huntress wrote:
=== Mine is dark green, has a 3" maybe wide pry wedge and the other end is
=== what one
=== would think is a sledge or 5 pound hammer flat that is maybe 3" circle.
===
=== Martin
===
===Thatsort of bar is what we called a "digging bar" for making post holes
===and tamping the dirt back in. Quite often they aren't hard enough to
===do any serious "prying" with.
=== ...lew...

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This is worth repeating for benefit of al newbies!
Jo Ann asked Dr. Solo to remind people that while she has retired from selling GF (and sold
the business to Ken Fischer http://dandyorandas.com/) she has NOT retired from
helping people with sick GF and koi FOR FREE. 251-649-4790 phoning is best for
diagnosis. but, can try email put "help sick fish" in subject. Get your fish at Dandy Orandas
Dandy Orandas Dandy Orandas........you guys got that DANDY ORANDAS

Lew Hartswick wrote:

Martin H. Eastburn wrote:

Ed Huntress wrote:
Mine is dark green, has a 3" maybe wide pry wedge and the other end is
what one
would think is a sledge or 5 pound hammer flat that is maybe 3" circle.

Martin

Thatsort of bar is what we called a "digging bar" for making post holes
and tamping the dirt back in. Quite often they aren't hard enough to
do any serious "prying" with.
...lew...

Both Lew and Grant - hum

Oh yea - it came from North Dakoda - must be an ice breaking bar :-)
I'll have to ask Dad in a few weeks when I move and pick up some treasures :-)

Martin

--
Martin Eastburn, Barbara Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder