Washing Machine Agitator Shaft-- Machinable?

KenS

KenS

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I'm getting ready to scrap a 35-year-old Kenmore washing machine (the same as Whirlpool, Roper, etc.). The agitator shaft looks like a nice piece of round stock to re-purpose. Its's easy enough pull from the transmission. Does anyone know if these are machinable? Or are they hardened and chromed, or grxound?
 
Try a file on it, if the file cuts, it's machinable.
 
The OD could be hardened with a soft core but I save everything I can think of.
 
Don't be too hard on yourself Ken. Information was given that some of us newbies don't think of or know as obvious. That's the nice thing about these forums and I apreciate all the experienced posters taking the time to respond.
 
I never thought about washing machine shafts. I know growing up seeing a lot of old car axles used as tent stakes holding up circus tents. Those old things had to be hard all the way through to stand up to all the pounding in the ground and asphalt parking lots. Thanks guys
 
If it is a stainless steel part, which would make a good deal of sense in a residential washing machine environment for corrosion resistance it is almost certainly austinitic SS which is not hardenable, 303,304, 308 or 316 alloys for instance. Martensitic alloys, 410, 416, 440 for example can be hardened but will never achieve the RC hardness of a tool steel, so have at it.

Manufacturing residential appliances is a very competitive business, the added cost of making parts from say 410 or 17-4 SS then rough machining followed by heat treatment then finish machining would be prohibitive for the most part, unless the component demands such processing it would not be done.
 
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