Steel

Steel: An Alloy of Iron and Carbon

Steel is a widely used material because it is strong, durable and easy to produce.

It is an alloy, meaning a mixture of several elements, mainly iron and carbon.

The iron, found in large quantities in the Earth’s crust as oxide, must be purified before use.

Carbon, also abundant, is added to iron to improve its properties.

This combination makes the metal harder and stronger, explaining the major role of steel in many industries.

What Are the Different Types of Iron According to Carbon Content?

The amount of carbon in iron completely changes its properties.
0% carbon means pure iron.

From 0.1% to 2% carbon gives steel.

More than 2% carbon produces cast iron.

Thus, the carbon content determines how the metal can be worked.

What Is Non-Alloy Steel?

Non-alloy steels contain only iron and carbon, with no deliberate addition of other elements.
Extra-mild steel contains very little carbon, so it is easy to work but less hard.
Extra-hard steel, rich in carbon, is stronger and can be hardened by quenching, which means heating followed by rapid cooling.

What Is Alloy Steel?

In some cases, other elements are deliberately added to steel to give it specific properties.
Chromium makes the steel stainless and resistant to rust.
Nickel, cobalt, vanadium and other elements add qualities suited to fields such as aeronautics, automotive engineering and cutlery.
Thanks to these additions, there is a wide variety of steels adapted to specific uses.

What Are the Uses and Advantages of Steel?

Steel is found everywhere, in construction, tools, vehicles, aerospace and even kitchens.
Its advantages are numerous.
Its hardness can vary depending on its composition.
It can withstand high pressure and return to its original shape.
It can be worked both hot and cold.
It is infinitely recyclable, making it a sustainable and environmentally friendly material.

Merchant Bars

Merchant bars are steel materials produced on a large scale in factories.
They have standardised compositions and shapes, making them easy to use.
Composition remains crucial in modern applications such as automotive or aerospace manufacturing.
For craftsmanship, the composition is less critical. For instance, XC48 steel contains about 0.48% carbon, some impurities, and the rest iron.

Designations

The same steel may have several names depending on standards such as C45, C45U or 1045.
These designations vary between suppliers and national or international standards.

Main Characteristics

Steels supplied by manufacturers differ in several main ways.
Shapes include plates, circular or rectangular bars, and more rarely octagonal ones.
Dimensions vary as bars come in different diameters, sold by the cut or in standard six metre lengths.
The surface may be oxidised for corrosion protection, left raw and cleaned, or coated with a metal such as zinc or tin.
Although millions of combinations are theoretically possible, suppliers mainly offer the most common products.

Miniature Merchant Bars

For very small sizes, it is often difficult to find exactly what one needs.
Manufacturers sometimes have to place special orders.

The Craft Solution

In our workshop, we make our own miniature bars and plates from standard steel bars.

This allows us to obtain materials perfectly suited to our needs.

For example, we produce a miniature bar before making our steel objects.

Making Miniature Bars

Creating miniature bars often requires small pieces of metal adapted to the size of the objects to be made.

A simple way to obtain them is to forge them by hand.

By hammering steel or copper, one can shape fine bars ready for use in the making of miniature parts.