1045 Cold Drawn Steel Bar Blanks

1045 cold drawn bar stock is the workhorse medium carbon steel for shafts, pins, gears, and general-purpose machine components that require higher strength than mild steel without the cost of alloy grades. With 0.43-0.50% carbon content, 1045 occupies the practical midpoint of the carbon steel spectrum, delivering significantly improved tensile and yield strength over 1018 while retaining adequate machinability and weldability for most shop operations. Cold drawing improves the mechanical properties of 1045 substantially compared to the hot-rolled condition. The drawing process increases tensile strength to approximately 91,000 psi and yield strength to 77,000 psi while producing a smooth, bright surface finish with dimensional tolerances far tighter than hot-rolled bar. The resulting product machines cleanly with good surface finish quality, making cold drawn 1045 the preferred starting stock for turned shafts, ground rods, and precision pins. One of the key advantages of 1045 is its versatility in heat treatment. The 0.45% carbon content provides enough carbon for meaningful hardening, achieving 50-55 HRC through conventional quench and temper. Induction hardening of bearing surfaces and wear areas is particularly effective with 1045, producing a hard case of 55-58 HRC over a tough core. Welding 1045 requires more care than low-carbon steels due to its higher carbon equivalent. Preheating to 300-500°F and using low-hydrogen processes prevents cracking in the heat-affected zone. Our bar blanks are saw-cut from certified domestic cold drawn stock in standard diameters from 1/2 inch through 3 inches.