Steel
Steel F1
Properties, tempers, machining, finishes and uses — values shown for the ANN condition.
F1 is a water-hardening carbon tool steel (UNS T60601) with a tungsten addition that forms hard carbides for better wear resistance than plain carbon W-type grades.
Reference datasheet — F1 is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
What is F1?
F1 is a water-hardening carbon tool steel (UNS T60601) with a tungsten addition that forms hard carbides for better wear resistance than plain carbon W-type grades. It is used for shallow-hardening light tooling with a tough core and is supplied as annealed or cold-drawn annealed bar, then hardened to roughly 56–64 HRC over a 1.5–4 mm case. Annealed stock is about 197 HB and 700 MPa tensile with machinability 55 (about 75 % of AISI 1212); it has no corrosion resistance, is essentially non-weldable and should not run above 300 °C. O1 is the usual alternative where oil hardening and lower distortion are needed. F1 has a density of 7.8 g/cm³ (0.282 lb/in³), lighter than 87% of steel grades. It melts at 1,420°C (2,588 °F). F1 has a yield strength of 420 MPa (60.9 ksi) and a tensile strength of 700 MPa (102 ksi) — weaker than 53% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 20% and the elastic modulus is 205 GPa (29.7 Msi).
What is F1 used for?
- taps
- reamers
- light punches
- small dies
- hand tools
Advantages
- Polishes to a fine finish — 75/100, better than 94% of steel grades
Limitations
- Difficult to weld — 12/100, worse than 96% of steel grades
- Limited service temperature — 300°C (572 °F), worse than 77% of steel grades
F1 properties
Typical room-temperature values for F1-ANN (standard stock condition for machining, sawing and shaping tool blanks before water hardening), compiled from standards, handbooks and producer data. Each bar shows where the value sits among the steel grades in FabDigit's library — further right is higher. Other conditions have their own pages: see tempers.
Physical3
F1 has a density of 7.8 g/cm³ (0.282 lb/in³), lighter than 87% of steel grades. It melts at 1,420°C (2,588 °F).
Mechanical15
F1 has a yield strength of 420 MPa (60.9 ksi) and a tensile strength of 700 MPa (102 ksi) — weaker than 53% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 20% and the elastic modulus is 205 GPa (29.7 Msi).
Thermal6
F1 is rated for continuous service to 300°C (572 °F). It conducts heat at 44 W/m·K (25.4 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 57% of steel grades. Thermal expansion is 11.5 µm/m·K (6.39 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
F1 conducts electricity at 9.5 % IACS, better than 74% of steel grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is not recommended (10/100), worse than 87% of steel grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of F1 takes about 33 MJ of energy and emits 2.3 kg of CO₂ — more than 76% of steel grades. Typical recycled content is 30%.
Manufacturability8
F1's machinability is good (55/100, better than 62% of steel grades); weldability not recommended (12/100); formability poor (25/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
F1 tempers and conditions
F1 is supplied in 7 conditions, each with its own property set. Open one for its full datasheet. ANN is what FabDigit quotes unless the drawing says otherwise.
- ANNDefaultStandard stock condition for machining, sawing and shaping tool blanks before water hardening.420 MPa yield · 197 HB
- HT-64Maximum hardness and wear resistance for paper/leather knives, engraving tools and light blanking punches; minimum toughness.1,900 MPa yield · 63 HRC
- HT-60Balanced hardening condition for punches, dies, woodworking cutters and taps needing some shock resistance.1,750 MPa yield · 60 HRC
- HT-56Highest-toughness hardened condition for shock-loaded light tooling; upper practical tempering limit for this grade.1,600 MPa yield · 57 HRC
- CD-ANNPick for close-tolerance, bright-finish small bar used for taps, punches and pins with minimal pre-machining.600 MPa yield · 217 HB
2 further conditions are listed below with a summary only.
| Condition | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ANNDefault spheroidize annealed bar/flat (as-supplied) | Standard stock condition for machining, sawing and shaping tool blanks before water hardening. | 420 | 700 | 20 | 197 HB | 44 W/m·K |
cold-drawn annealed round/flat bar | Pick for close-tolerance, bright-finish small bar used for taps, punches and pins with minimal pre-machining. | 600 | 780 | 12 | 217 HB | — |
air cooled from ~870 °C (pre-treatment condition) | Intermediate condition used to refine grain and homogenise forgings before spheroidize annealing; not a service condition. | 520 | 900 | 10 | 29 HRC | — |
62-64 HRC | Maximum hardness and wear resistance for paper/leather knives, engraving tools and light blanking punches; minimum toughness. | 1,900 | 2,200 | 1 | 63 HRC | 38 W/m·K |
59-61 HRC | Balanced hardening condition for punches, dies, woodworking cutters and taps needing some shock resistance. | 1,750 | 2,050 | 2 | 60 HRC | — |
55-58 HRC | Highest-toughness hardened condition for shock-loaded light tooling; upper practical tempering limit for this grade. | 1,600 | 1,900 | 4 | 57 HRC | — |
Case-Hardened (shallow water-hardened case, tough core) | Exploits the grade's low hardenability: hard wear-resistant skin ~1.5–4 mm deep over an unhardened tough core for impact tooling. | — | 1,200 | — | 62 HRC | — |
Working with F1
Is F1 easy to machine?
Machine only in the spheroidize-annealed condition (~75 % of AISI 1212) with sharp HSS/carbide and steady feeds; after water hardening it must be ground with soft, free-cutting wheels and ample coolant to avoid grinding cracks.
Can F1 be welded?
Essentially non-weldable for structural joints; repair only with preheat 300–400 °C, matched high-carbon filler, immediate stress relief and re-hardening — cracking and soft zones are otherwise certain.
Can F1 be formed, bent or molded?
Hot forge 1010→860 °C then slow cool and spheroidize anneal at 760–790 °C; cold forming limited to mild bending of annealed strip. Harden from 790–845 °C with brine/water quench (allow ~1.5–4 mm case) and temper immediately at 150–260 °C — never above 260 °C.
Strength versus weight in the steel family
Yield strength against density for every steel grade FabDigit runs. F1 is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
F1 chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| CASTM A686 F1 | 0.95 – 1.25 | 1 |
| Mn | 0.1 – 0.4 | 0.25 |
| Si | 0.1 – 0.4 | 0.25 |
| Wprincipal carbide former for wear resistance | 1 – 1.75 | 1.25 |
| Croptional/residual | ≤ 0.3 | 0.15 |
| Voptional/residual | ≤ 0.25 | — |
| Moresidual | ≤ 0.25 | — |
| Niresidual | ≤ 0.3 | — |
| P | ≤ 0.03 | — |
| S | ≤ 0.03 | — |
| Fe | balance | — |
What surface finishes work on F1?
Takes a fine polish for cutting edges; provide corrosion protection by oiling, black oxide, phosphate or thin hard chrome — no anodizing, and any plating bake-out must stay below the tempering temperature.
Surface treatments FabDigit runs on steel parts — pick them in the quote configurator or call them out on the drawing.
Plating
- Copper Plating
- Electroless Nickel (EN)
- Gold Plating
- Hard Chrome Plating
- Silver Plating
Organic Coating
- Epoxy Coating
Black / Phosphate
- Manganese Phosphate
- Zinc Phosphate
Thermal Spray
- Plasma Spray
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Steel F1 in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- UNS
- T60601
How much does F1 cost?
F1 is a standard-cost steel ($$), cheaper than about 72% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
F1 — frequently asked
What is F1 used for?
F1 is typically used for taps, reamers, light punches, small dies and hand tools. In short: water-hardening tungsten grade; shallow case, tough core; best machinability of family.
What is the yield strength of F1?
F1 has a typical yield strength of 420 MPa (60.9 ksi) and a tensile strength of 700 MPa (102 ksi) — weaker than 53% of steel grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 7 listed tempers.
Is F1 easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (55/100, better than 62% of steel grades). Machine only in the spheroidize-annealed condition (~75 % of AISI 1212) with sharp HSS/carbide and steady feeds; after water hardening it must be ground with soft, free-cutting wheels and ample coolant to avoid grinding cracks.
Can F1 be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated not recommended (12/100). Essentially non-weldable for structural joints; repair only with preheat 300–400 °C, matched high-carbon filler, immediate stress relief and re-hardening — cracking and soft zones are otherwise certain.
What surface finishes work on F1?
Takes a fine polish for cutting edges; provide corrosion protection by oiling, black oxide, phosphate or thin hard chrome — no anodizing, and any plating bake-out must stay below the tempering temperature.
Can F1 be formed, bent or molded?
Hot forge 1010→860 °C then slow cool and spheroidize anneal at 760–790 °C; cold forming limited to mild bending of annealed strip. Harden from 790–845 °C with brine/water quench (allow ~1.5–4 mm case) and temper immediately at 150–260 °C — never above 260 °C.
What is the maximum service temperature of F1?
F1 is rated for continuous use to about 300°C (572 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between F1-ANN and F1 HT-64?
ANN is the default condition — standard stock condition for machining, sawing and shaping tool blanks before water hardening. HT-64: maximum hardness and wear resistance for paper/leather knives, engraving tools and light blanking punches; minimum toughness. Yield strength is 420 MPa in ANN versus 1,900 MPa in HT-64.
How much does F1 cost?
F1 is a standard-cost steel ($$), cheaper than about 72% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- ASTM A686 — Standard Specification for Carbon Tool Steels — ASTM International (2019)
- ASM Handbook Vol.1: Properties and Selection — Irons, Steels, and High-Performance Alloys (Tool Steels) — ASM International (1990)
- Tool Steels, 5th ed. (Roberts, Krauss, Kennedy) — ASM International (1998)
- ASM Handbook Vol.16: Machining — ASM International (1989)
- SAE J437/J438 — Tool and Die Steels — SAE International (2015)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.