How do I cut this stuff?

[Plain ol Bill]

Hi folks, its been a long time since I've dropped by but really need some advice. I was searching for some large diameter round stock to use as anvil for a pneumatic forging hammer. Really tough stuff to find. BUT - I managed to find some 5 1/2" chrome covered round stock at a really attractive price and bought it. Turns out the material has been induction hardened about 3/4" deep. My quandry now that I have the material is how in the heck do I cut it to length? My little saw with a bi-metal blade doesn't touch it.
HELP - information appreciated.

[Chipps]

Abrasive cut off wheel.

[eric_h]

Angle grinder with a thin cutoff disc until you get to the unhardened portion, then back to the bandsaw.

[redlee]

Carbide bandsaw blade.

[Bented]

I do a recurring job on ball screw stock, they are cased about .1" below the minor thread diameter.
Cut a groove with a carbide parting tool through the case slightly longer then the finish length, give the grooved stock to the saw operator for final cutting.

This is tough on parting inserts but faster and cheaper then buggering up a bunch of $200.00 bandsaw blades.

[JoeLee]

Angle grinder with a thin cutoff disc until you get to the unhardened portion, then back to the bandsaw.

And hope you can cut real straight all the way around with it and wide enough or the sides of the hardened part will take the set out of the teeth.

JL...........

[eric_h]

And hope you can cut real straight all the way around with it and wide enough or the sides of the hardened part will take the set out of the teeth.

JL...........

That's trivial. Wrap a piece of paper around the round so it lines up and mark the line.
It's an exercise left to the reader to choose the appropriate cutoff disc. What you don't want to do is use a 1/4 inch grinding disk because that's what's on your tool.

[epicfail48]

Answer is always the same for cutting hardened materials: abrasive cutting*. Cut-off wheels will go through pretty much anything, at varying rates, probably the most cost-effective way to get the job done for most people. Personally though, i like Benteds method best, use a carbide parting tool to get through the hardened layer, then switch to a saw. Carbide tools will go through hardened steel fairly well, though it kills tools not designed specifically for the task pretty fast. Course, that method requires you to have a lathe large enough to hold your piece

Dunno that id want to use case-hardened stock for an anvil though, seems to me that having only the edges hardened would be asking for some fairly dramatic spalling to happen. Personally, id whack the entire thing into a big fire and leave it there until the fire burns out to anneal it. Hardening can be done later if needed

*same answer for most people anyways

[Black Forest]

Hello Bill, It sounds as if you got a hold of some hydraulic cylinder rod. I use that stuff all the time in my shop. I have a friend that owns a hydraulic shop and he gives me all I want for free. I use a carbide insert parting blade to cut to length. If you have a lathe that will hold the rod then go for it. For a 2" diameter rod I usually do 800rpm with a feed rate of .97mm per rev. Cuts like butter.

[Fasttrack]

What tools do you have available? If you don't have a suitable lathe for Black Forrest's suggestion, then I will add another vote for an abrasive cut off wheel. If you're into smithing, you probably have an angle grinder and a thin cut off wheel is cheap at any big box store if you don't already have them. A piece of paper taped around the rod as suggested by eric_h will help you cut square if you're not comfortable eyeballing it.

Alternatively, you can use an abrasive chop saw (I've got a $50 one from Harbor Freight... purchased in 2005 and it still works for the odd job I throw at it). I've cut large sections of hardened material on it before and it's somewhat slow going but its effective and cheap (compared to buying a lathe, that is!).

Finally, I agree with epicfail48 that annealing it and it would be a good idea, regardless of how you choose to cut it. I'd be considered about spallation as well.

[akajun]

take it to a water jet shop,

[strokersix]

Oxy/fuel cutting torch then clean it up with an angle grinder. Ugly but effective.

My abrasive chop saw would have a tough time getting through something that big. Have to take several bites at it. It would be my first choice though.

[Arcane]

Oxy/fuel cutting torch then clean it up with an angle grinder. Ugly but effective.

My abrasive chop saw would have a tough time getting through something that big. Have to take several bites at it. It would be my first choice though.

Yeah, large diameter stock is always cut...rotate slightly...cut...rotate some more...ad nauseam.

[Astronowanabe]

what I have done is leave it in the forge for a good while then anneal in a barrel of ashes

[Doc Nickel]

According to This Old Tony, the "One Inch Kung Fu Punch" should slice off a piece neat as you please.

YouTube wouldn't lie to me, right?

Doc.