Spark Test to Identify Mystery Metals

[rake60]

Being a scrounger for metals leads me to gather a lot of mystery metals.
For ferrous metals hitting them with a grinder and observing the spark that
is produced can tell you a lot about what you have.

The Ohio Steel Council has a great page in .pdf format that explains it
far better than I could. Mystery Metal Spark Test

Rick

 

[Tin Falcon]

rick :
that is a good reference to have i learned that in tech school but do not use it enough to remember off the cuff. Probably the best thing to do is keep a set of known sample as a reference.
Tin

 

[tattoomike68]

For castings I do a ring test. Hit it with a hammer or chunk of steel.

Cast iron goes THUD

Ductile iron has a slight dull RING to it.

Steel RINGS like a bell.