Buy Tool Steels Online in Australia
Tool steel for making and repairing cutting tools, punches, pins and gauges. AIMS Industrial lists Erasteel silver steel round bar in metric and imperial sizes, and Maxigear high speed steel (HSS) and cobalt HSS tool bit blanks in square and round sections, metric and imperial. Use them for lathe and shaper tool bits, small tooling and workshop-made components that need to be hardened.
What's in the range
| Type | What the range includes |
|---|---|
| Silver steel round bar | Erasteel silver steel round in metric from 5 to 50mm in 45 sizes, and Erasteel water hardened silver steel round in imperial in 26 sizes starting at 7/32 inch. |
| HSS square tool steel | Maxigear square HSS in imperial sizes from 1/8 to 1 inch in a range of lengths, and in metric from 6 to 12mm in 100 and 200mm lengths. |
| HSS round tool steel | Maxigear round HSS in 11 imperial sizes from 1/8 to 3/4 inch, plus a 6mm x 100mm round blank in M2. |
| Cobalt HSS tool steel | Maxigear imperial square cobalt tool steel in 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8 inch, and a 10mm x 100mm HSS Co square blank in M42. |
Choosing tool steel
Silver steel is a ground bar that can be hardened and tempered in the workshop, which makes it a good choice for punches, pins, small tools and shafts. HSS tool bit blanks are ground to size for lathe and shaper tool bits and keep their edge at higher cutting temperatures than silver steel. Cobalt HSS, such as the M42 blank, is the more heat resistant choice for tougher materials. Pick the section to suit your tool holder, and note that blank sizes are listed as section by length. Hardening and tempering needs to follow the supplier data sheet for the grade you are using.
Always check the data sheet. Confirm the grade, size and heat treatment suit your application before use.
Related ranges
See lathe tool bits, lathe tool posts and holders, key steel, bronze bars and raw materials.
Order from AIMS Industrial
Not sure which steel suits your tool? Call us on (02) 9773 0122, contact our team or request a quote. We have supplied Australian industry since 1988.
Tool steel FAQs
What is silver steel used for?
Silver steel is a ground bar that can be hardened and tempered, used for punches, pins, small tools, dowels and shafts. We list Erasteel silver steel round in metric and imperial sizes.
What is the difference between M2 and M42 tool steel?
M2 is a general purpose high speed steel. M42 is a cobalt high speed steel that holds its edge at higher temperatures, which suits tougher materials. Check the data sheet for the grade you need.
What tool steel sizes do you list?
Silver steel from 5 to 50mm in metric and from 7/32 inch in imperial, and Maxigear HSS blanks in square and round sections from 1/8 inch and 6mm.
Can I harden silver steel myself?
Silver steel can be hardened and tempered in the workshop. The imperial bar we list is water hardening. Follow the supplier data sheet for temperatures and quenching.
Which tool steel suits lathe tool bits?
HSS and cobalt HSS square blanks are the usual choice for lathe tool bits. Choose the section to suit your tool holder.