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Author Topic: What Have I got?  (Read 9428 times)

Offline Darren

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What Have I got?
« on: December 03, 2009, 11:56:16 AM »
Oh dear, I've done it again ....  :doh:

Picked up some 2" steel bar yesterday thinking it was mild steel and it's not....

Funny thing is I'm lost to what it might be. The power hacksaw and bandsaw won't touch it, after scratching the surface the teeth are gone, well half gone.
But it files ok ... that's what stumps me  :scratch:

With tungsten tips it lathes beautifully, fantastic finish very much like the lorry half shafts I machined some time ago. But the finish is not as chrome like and a tad more even. That could be the lathe though.

When lathing the swarf comes off in one long piece with each cut and rarely breaks. I'm talking 15ft of swarf  'ere in one long string. It's tough too like a spring.

What else? Oh yes, I got roughly two pieces 3ft long, these were cut from 6m lengths of which there were plenty of in the yard. So it's not halfshafts this time. This is bar stock...but what  :scratch:

Does machine nice though, just can't cut it .....  :doh:

Edit: Just remembered sumut, it doesn't seem to have a soft core, same all the way through.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2009, 12:04:32 PM by Darren »
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Offline cedge

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Re: What Have I got?
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2009, 12:11:21 PM »
Mystery Metal.... we all own some and have the dull band saw blades to prove it....LOL

I wound up with some stainless that acted much like you describe, along with some sort of bronze that cuts well on the band saw but machines like it has demons living in the alloy. Beautiful stuff, but really nasty to turn on the lathe.

Steve
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Offline Bluechip

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Re: What Have I got?
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2009, 12:53:12 PM »
Cedge is probably right ..

It might JUST be EN58 Stainless in one of it's derivations (303??). This stuff work hardens quite severely. I've used lots in the past for M'cycle stuff.  Poke it with a magnet. EN58 is non-magnetic. EN56 is, but a lot less than  mild steel. If you get a known bit of each, the difference is apparent.

Damn near impossible to take a .002" cut on it, but .015" OK .
Your description of the swarf fits to a Tee.

Like all stainless, it's a lousy conductor of heat, so your bandsaw blade will have a desparate time. Get very hot.

Never had much trouble hacksawing it tho', but always used Trefolex ..

Got a 4' length of 25mm hardened stainless myself. Had it for years. Never found a use for it.

Dave BC
« Last Edit: December 03, 2009, 01:00:18 PM by Bluechip »
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Offline Darren

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Re: What Have I got?
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2009, 05:03:01 PM »
This is rusty on the outside.

I've managed to use it for what I wanted, post coming later ... nearly done.

BTW, it eats HSS drills but Cobalt is fine .. ?
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Offline Bluechip

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Re: What Have I got?
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2009, 05:39:07 PM »
Darren

Not EN58 stainless then. EN56 (416 ?) will go slightly rusty, but not very much.

Another wild guess is that it could be an alloy steel not in the (usual ?) normalised condition.
From vague memory it's possible to get someting like EN16 suffixed by 'T' ie EN16T which is normalised and not too bad to machine.
If you have bar in some other condition it can be a gruesome business.

Sorry about 'EN' stuff all I know  ::)

Try this >>

http://www.roymech.co.uk/Useful_Tables/Matter/Strength_st.htm

How near are you to Sellafield? ... it doesn't glow in the dark by any chance ??

Dave BC



« Last Edit: December 03, 2009, 05:43:07 PM by Bluechip »
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Offline John Stevenson

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Re: What Have I got?
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2009, 05:47:47 PM »
EN 24 T or EN26 at a guess.

John S.
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Offline Darren

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Re: What Have I got?
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2009, 07:02:26 PM »
Thanks Guys, I'll look some of those No's up,

I'm at the stage where I want to learn, but a tad difficult if you don't know where to begin ... thos No's will help ..

Done the job, post coming up ....
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Offline Darren

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Re: What Have I got?
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2009, 08:07:06 PM »
Quote from: Bluechip on December 03, 2009, 05:39:07 PM


Try this >>

http://www.roymech.co.uk/Useful_Tables/Matter/Strength_st.htm

How near are you to Sellafield? ... it doesn't glow in the dark by any chance ??

Dave BC


That's a handy chart Dave, thanks...... Trawsfynedd actually, can see it from here (if you go up the hill that is)  :ddb:




[/quote]
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Offline Darren

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Re: What Have I got?
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2009, 08:10:54 PM »
John looking at the chart you could well be right ..... wot do I  know  :doh:

It has that chromey look when machined, could very decorative ... would it be more rust resistant than ordinary steel.

Yeah I know the bar I have was well rusty, but it could have been outside for years for all I know ....  :ddb:
I have noticed the toolpost I made from the halfshaft is staying rust free so far while the fungus grows all around it ...
« Last Edit: December 03, 2009, 08:21:56 PM by Darren »
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Offline sbwhart

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Re: What Have I got?
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2009, 02:45:35 AM »
Darren

If you can't machine it:- you've got a scrap bar  :lol: :lol: :lol:

Only joking

Try annealing a bit, get it to cherry red for a couple of minutes burry it in catty litter (make sure there are no catty deposits in it first:- pew) this will slow down the rate of cooling, next day see how it cuts.

Never tried the catty litter thing, but read about it, probably on here.

If you can get hold of lime this works for sure.

Hope this helps

Stew

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Offline Darren

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Re: What Have I got?
« Reply #10 on: December 04, 2009, 05:31:01 AM »
Stew, I've got a funny feeling that if I heat this bar it will go rock hard?

If it's what John suggested, or is that if you only quench it ..... I'd be interested to find out as it could be useful sometime.
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Offline sbwhart

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Re: What Have I got?
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2009, 07:36:47 AM »
If you let it cool slowly you'll end up with something softer, you quench to harden.

Hope this helps

Stew
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