Repurposing jackhammer bits

[sculp.t0r]

Picked up a few old jackhammer bits and I'm thinking about repurposing one into a cold chisel. From what I've read, they're usually tempered to take a beating in concrete and rock, which makes me wonder if that temper would make them too hard and brittle for chisel work on steel. Do they need to be annealed and retempered to the right hardness ? and has anyone here forged or ground down jackhammer bits for tools?
Might sound weird but I would appreciate all your thoughts

 

[Yam_Koo]

Those bits are made to take abuse, so they've already got good toughness. If you want to be safe, normalize or anneal first, then grind/forge to shape and retemper. That way you know the edge won't chip when you put it to steel.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I had two of those that fit in the hardy hole in that bigger anvil at the village I volunteer at. They have a collar so it doesn't fall through the hardy hole. I turned two of them into anvil hot cuts that fit in the hardy hole.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

I was at the shop today and I took a pic of those repurposed jack hammer bits that I made into cutting hardies for the shop anvil. They are a just right fit in the hardy hole.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[t_bone]

Picked up a few old jackhammer bits and I'm thinking about repurposing one into a cold chisel. From what I've read, they're usually tempered to take a beating in concrete and rock, which makes me wonder if that temper would make them too hard and brittle for chisel work on steel. Do they need to be annealed and retempered to the right hardness ? and has anyone here forged or ground down jackhammer bits for tools?
Might sound weird but I would appreciate all your thoughts

Jackhammer bits are typically made from a shock resistant tool steel (like S7 steel), which is designed to handle high impact blows without breaking.
One of my tips for breaking concrete is that you need something hard and tough. But for a cold chisel, you need a different balance, you want an edge that is hard enough to cut steel but tough enough not to chip. Retempering allows you to achieve that perfect balance.

 

[Dociron]

Most jack hammer bits are no longer made from steels like S7 because of the expense. They are made from much cheaper steels and this is why there is no longer a viable resharpening market. Rental businesses throw them out or give them away when dull.
Why sharpen a bit when it can be replaced for $35.00.