what steel to use for under armor?
 

for making skid plates / under armor what is the best steel to use I looked up some of the types on line, and ASTM A36 plate seems like a good bet but im wondering what people are using as most threads just list the thickness not the steel grade / type... does every one just run with mild plate?

Being a welder/ jr.fabricator Mild or A36M steel is what we use...a low carbon steel with a sheer strentgth 11500 psi and a tensile strength around 37/ 38000 psi... Usually 3/16th for skids/ bumper plating should do just fine. It'll take a good hit like it's suppose to and if it deforms, usually some good heat from an oxy/acetylene torch with just enough persuasion and a quench then reheat with out a quench to let air cool would be good to go. No quench on the last reheat to let the molecular structure return as close to normal with out making it to brittle.

I had never thought about quenching it even if pounding out dents... wouldn't any tempering make it more brittle, what colors / temps are you heating it to?

Personally I like to quench the steel so it has a sort of "memory". But as stated before I reheat to a nice cherry color and then remove the heat. I feel just blueing it to take any moisture out isn't enough to excite the molecules and have em reform.

SA-36 ASTM A36 is more than fine.

:wabbit2:

i would be curious to how many know what ASTM is without searching.

I would think any plate you can find will work.

The really good wear plate just vanishes to fast out of the scrap metal dumpster.