Tool Steel M1

Aging Procedure

Not applicable to this alloy.

Annealing Procedure

Anneal at 1575 F and furnace cool at a rate of 40 F per hour or less.

Applications

Typical use is for cutting tools of all kinds.

Cold Workability

This alloy may be cold worked in the annealed condition.

Forgeability

Forge at 2000 F down to 1700 F. Do not attempt to forge below 1700 F.

Formability

Forming is done by machining.

Hardening Procedure

Hardens by heat treatment and quenching. See "Heat Treatment" and "Tempering".

Heat Treatability

M1 should be preheated at 1400 F before being heat treated. It should then be rapidly heated to 2175 F for 3 to 5 minutes followed by quenching in oil, salt bath or air cool. It should then be tempered.

Hot Workability

No data except for forging. Consult the alloy supplier.

Machinability

M1 is classified as a "medium" machinable alloy. Machining should be accomplished prior to hardening heat treatment followed by finish grinding. It has a rating of 50% that of the water hardening (W group) low alloy tool steels in regard to machinability.

Other Comments

M1 has very good resistance to wear. However its toughness is relatively low as is its resistance to decarburization.

Principle Design Features

M1 is a molybdenum, chromium, vanadium alloy tool steel generally known as a Molybdenum High Speed Tool Steel. It is on of the most widely available tool steels in use today. It is similar in properties to the tungsten tool steels (T series) at a lower cost.

Tempering Procedure

Temper at 1050 F long enough to permit thorough heating and air cool. It is best to repeat the same tempering operation a second time for best results. This will produce a part with a hardness in the range of Rockwell C 63.

Weldability

Consult the alloy supplier for information on weld procedures.