Info on 0-6 Tool Steel (and source for sheets)

Poking around a little I didn't find anything right away that tells me the annealed state hardness of 0-6, and I didn't see anywhere to get thin plate stock , 1/8" down to 3/64", for instance. If it's as soft or softer than the B85 of 4130 that would be of real interest. Up around the B90 of 0-1 and I might as well keep using 0-1. Thanks

From facebarf :
You Know It's Bad When....

You know your search is doomed when, a few days after posting a question in a huge manufacturing forum, that question shows up in a search for the info that you were asking about in the forum. Shows up only about 6 search items down on the page. "Poking around a little for info about blah blah blah...". I did eventually find the info I wanted ���� (0-6 may machine better , but isn't any softer than 0-1 (tool steel) when annealed) .

ar ar ar

Hudson tool steel.

O6 is listed. (Also sometimes have stuff not listed)
I've bought CPM M4 & S7. Easy, quick, good prices though cutting charge can kill small orders.
They sell drops, too, sometimes. Buy a bit more than you planned, lose the cutting charge....

Tool Steel | High Speed Steel | Tool Steel for Sale

smt

Bart Slarty said:

Poking around a little I didn't find anything right away that tells me the annealed state hardness of 0-6, and I didn't see anywhere to get thin plate stock , 1/8" down to 3/64", for instance. If it's as soft or softer than the B85 of 4130 that would be of real interest. Up around the B90 of 0-1 and I might as well keep using 0-1. Thanks

Click to expand...

The O-6 will be about the same hardness in the annealed state as O-1. O-6 has graphite in it and is good for adding lubricity to the surface. A possible application would be for form blocks and the like where greater lubricity would be an advantage over O-1.

Roger

stephen thomas said:

Hudson tool steel.

O6 is listed. (Also sometimes have stuff not listed)
I've bought CPM M4 & S7. Easy, quick, good prices though cutting charge can kill small orders.
They sell drops, too, sometimes. Buy a bit more than you planned, lose the cutting charge....

Tool Steel | High Speed Steel | Tool Steel for Sale

smt

Click to expand...

Almost ! Hudson was already on a call list I'm ignoring, and they don't list flat stock as being available in 06, but I will call at some point, thanks. Diehl is on the list. Amtek, where I've been getting 0-1 from, said they couldn't get 0-6. Anyway, I've made the switch to 4130 for now.

rogertoolmaker said:

The O-6 will be about the same hardness in the annealed state as O-1. O-6 has graphite in it and is good for adding lubricity to the surface. A possible application would be for form blocks and the like where greater lubricity would be an advantage over O-1.

Roger

Click to expand...

I had found that out , after more poking around, but the machinability increase because of the higher carbon piqued my interest some. I'm cold working (my) steel, sawing with jewelers saw blades, and so I'm curious if the machinability difference between 0-6 and 0-1 equates to easier sawing. The 4130 is easier enough to make a difference in my whole approach, and since I don't harden my dies very hard, it's what I like now. Definitely curious about 0-6 though. Thanks for the info confirmation.