Cast Iron or Cast Steel?

Is there a quick way to tell cast steel from cast iron? Or, does anyone know offhand if the bearing carriers are iron or steel?

I'm assuming all the gears and shafts are steel.

Larger housings are more likely to be cast iron due to alloy cost and ease of casting. Iron is less expensive than steel and the pouring temperatures are about 20% less than steel alloys. Iron also flows easily and this makes the castings easier to pour and process after casting. Gates and risers can be knocked off with iron but must be cut with steel.

Call your recycler before you go and ask him if they have a portable spectrometer. If so they can just zap the part and the chemistry will be easily and accuratately determined. It takes less than 30 seconds. This protects you and him as well by being able to properly segregate alloy types.

You may have guessed but I work in the foundry business and have a fair amount of experience with alloy recycling.

Also read about a drill test, steel will make shavings, iron will make powder.

Thanks!

Pretty easy to tell and doesn't involve much skill.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Or you could try to break the parts. Cast iron will break showing the iron and steel probably won't break.

Gerald J.