What steel to use for dies to heat treat?

[Nerdlinger]

Our die makers use A2 and D2 for almost all their projects...D2 for punches, A2 for forms. So my guys would recommend A2 for forming wire. Very little deformation during HT so you don’t really have to leave much or any for final touch up afterwards. 4340 can squirm on you after HT. Like Roger said, though, 1/2 ton may not be strong enough. Good luck!

 

[jatt]

Recon you need a bigger press

As others have said already, recon you need a bigger press.

Somethin like the attached pic would do. This is similar what I'm running at the shop.

Availabilty: down here in OZ, at least, they are pretty easy to come by secondhand.

 

[DDoug]

If you are just bending mild steel wire to funny shapes the mold is not much stressed at all. Without having a any clue what you are actually forming its hard to say how much stress and wear the mold or form is going to experience. Have you tried to make the mold from "ordinary" structural steel and if yes how long it lasted in the use?

Use stock dowel pins to form over. Off the shelf and plenty hard.