346 TOOL STEEL FOR THE UNITED STATES NAVY. 



physical test would form the basis for recommending the award of contract, 

 a statement should be included to the effect that the bidders could submit 

 samples of chemical compositions differing from those specified. One object 

 of these provisions was to introduce competition as to the qualities of the 

 tool steels instead of competition simply in price, and another object was 

 to provide a means for learning something of the relative merits of the com- 

 mercial tool steels, and for taking advantage of the developments and 

 progress made by the manufacturers in this industry. By this means definite 

 information could be obtained concerning the qualities of the tool steels 

 before the contracts were awarded for their purchase. The possession of 

 such information is unquestionably of the most vital importance in preparing 

 a recommendation for award of contract. 



The study of tool steels, which the adoption of specifications as outlined 

 above made possible, is under the direction of the Engineer Officer, Navy 

 Yard, Philadelphia, Pa. The subject is practically divided into the two 

 general classifications of "high speed" tool steel, or tungsten tool steel, class 

 I, as it has been designated in the later specifications, and carbon tool steels. 

 The "high speed" tool steel was considered the more important and its 

 study was, therefore, undertaken first. In order to eliminate repetition this 

 paper has been divided into the following sections : — 



(a) Tungsten tool steel, class i, development of specifications. 



(b) Carbon tool steels, development of specifications. 



(c) Description of selective tests. 



(d) General notes. 



Sections (o) and (b) have been subdivided to represent the successive 

 schedules under which tool steels were purchased. Only "high speed" tool 

 steel was purchased under Schedule 3244, but tungsten tool steel, class i, and 

 carbon tool steel, classes i, 2, 3, and 4, were purchased under Schedules 3893 

 and 4469. 



TUNGSTEN TOOL STEEL, CLASS I. 



Schedule 3244. — ^The first revision of the tool steel specifications in 

 accordance with the scheme outlined above was for the purchase of "high 

 speed" tool steel for the U. S. Naval Academy, the specifications for which 

 are given in Appendix B. The limits of the chemical composition were 

 varied from those given in the existing specifications (Appendix A) in order 

 to permit bidders to submit proposals on their commercial standard tool 

 steels, and the feature of a selective test was introduced. The selective 

 test provided means for investigating the relative suitability, for the purposes 



