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I got sections of "brass" bars from a friendly scrap, where they allow me to throw in any scrap and get some odd bar or something what is of use for me but only a "metal value" for them.
They need 1.5 times as much of the same metal as they give or something alike.
I brought said bars home, they were proudly placed on the shelf and some item were made on occasional basis.
While working with it on the lathe, I have found that it can be turned (or threaded...) beautifuly, albeit chippings were not exactly like from ordinary brass.
I had a look at these bars again, and the brass was looking somewhat crap.
Of course it had some copper like color, albeit rather faint, if you compare it with "proper" brass.
It was sort of "too silverish".
I thought, it is crap, "undercoppered" brass and closed the case.
Today I have decided to make a housing for strong neodymium magnets out of it and up to my surprise I have found that alloy is somewhat magnetic.
It was attracting powerful neodymium magnet about as strong as steel would attract crap ferrite magnet of the same size and used for example to keep kitchen cupboards locked.
Now, *magnetic brass* is a nonsense, no such animal exist.
So I have started to suspect that I might be dealing with *monel 400*, an alloy of about 67% Ni, rest Cu (grades of monel with significantly lower Ni content are not magnetic).
Now monel is classes between so called super alloys due to a very sought after mechanical and chemical properties.
I have decided to investigate matters further, dissolved sample in dil. nitric acid and run tests on Cu and Ni (easy enough to do at home for a chemist btw).
Surely both were found.
Now, monel is quite an expensive stuff and I brought home about 25 kg of it in different bar diameters *for next to nothing*.
Plumbing waste, some brass turnings and some stainless scrap was traded in.
But other interesting observations were also made:
1. It turns beautifully and you can approach it *like brass*. HSS tools were used
2. Surface finish ex knife is beautiful, without paying any particular care and attention.
3. 1.5 inch bar was parted off on 3 1/2 inch lathe, without any jamming, whizzing and other unpleasantness.
HSS 3/32 inch blade was used.
4. It can be threaded with ordinary taps usually used for carbon steel.
5. Overall impression is that carbon steel is a real s*it in terms of machinability, comparing to this alloy
BTW, my tools are rather sharp.
One should note that Monel is considered to be a very hard staff to work with between machinists.
Now, this adds to many of my other observations regarding *hard to turn* materials:
1. Titanium (Ti6Al4V) is between most pleasant materials to work with which exist.
Turns and threads *fantastically* and a surface finish is absolutely superior, ex knife.
As a bonus chippings can be burned with brilliant white flame and impress my wife
2. It is not true that a stainless steel is a vicious material which work hardens and makes your life miserable, that provided that you don't attempt to turn or drill it with a blunt nail.
Stainless turns brilliantly (304 type a bit better than 316) but about 2/3 of depth of cut is to be taken comparing to carbon steel.
As a bonus, it gives vary good surface finish, even without much care and attention.
Normal tooling can be used for threading and buying special stuff for stainless is a *waste of money*, at least if you don't try to run mass production.
3. For all practical purpose work with other difficult to work with material (Monel) is not really more challenging than work with brass.
4. Hastelloy, at least Hastelloy B3 turns comparably to stainless.
5. Cold worked stainless is harder to work with but gives good results with some patience.
In any case only small diameters are handled, but contrary to many claims carbide tooling is rarely, if ever, essential.
6. So called *mild steel*, particularly *bright drawn mild steel* is the ****tiest material in everyday work.
Particular troubles are with securing good surface finish
These observations do not apply to F/C steel.
So I wonder from where all this mythology about hard to turn materials is coming?
Why machinists hate stainless?
Because they cant be bothered to sharpen their tools when needed?
They need 1.5 times as much of the same metal as they give or something alike.
I brought said bars home, they were proudly placed on the shelf and some item were made on occasional basis.
While working with it on the lathe, I have found that it can be turned (or threaded...) beautifuly, albeit chippings were not exactly like from ordinary brass.
I had a look at these bars again, and the brass was looking somewhat crap.
Of course it had some copper like color, albeit rather faint, if you compare it with "proper" brass.
It was sort of "too silverish".
I thought, it is crap, "undercoppered" brass and closed the case.
Today I have decided to make a housing for strong neodymium magnets out of it and up to my surprise I have found that alloy is somewhat magnetic.
It was attracting powerful neodymium magnet about as strong as steel would attract crap ferrite magnet of the same size and used for example to keep kitchen cupboards locked.
Now, *magnetic brass* is a nonsense, no such animal exist.
So I have started to suspect that I might be dealing with *monel 400*, an alloy of about 67% Ni, rest Cu (grades of monel with significantly lower Ni content are not magnetic).
Now monel is classes between so called super alloys due to a very sought after mechanical and chemical properties.
I have decided to investigate matters further, dissolved sample in dil. nitric acid and run tests on Cu and Ni (easy enough to do at home for a chemist btw).
Surely both were found.
Now, monel is quite an expensive stuff and I brought home about 25 kg of it in different bar diameters *for next to nothing*.
Plumbing waste, some brass turnings and some stainless scrap was traded in.
But other interesting observations were also made:
1. It turns beautifully and you can approach it *like brass*. HSS tools were used
2. Surface finish ex knife is beautiful, without paying any particular care and attention.
3. 1.5 inch bar was parted off on 3 1/2 inch lathe, without any jamming, whizzing and other unpleasantness.
HSS 3/32 inch blade was used.
4. It can be threaded with ordinary taps usually used for carbon steel.
5. Overall impression is that carbon steel is a real s*it in terms of machinability, comparing to this alloy
BTW, my tools are rather sharp.
One should note that Monel is considered to be a very hard staff to work with between machinists.
Now, this adds to many of my other observations regarding *hard to turn* materials:
1. Titanium (Ti6Al4V) is between most pleasant materials to work with which exist.
Turns and threads *fantastically* and a surface finish is absolutely superior, ex knife.
As a bonus chippings can be burned with brilliant white flame and impress my wife
2. It is not true that a stainless steel is a vicious material which work hardens and makes your life miserable, that provided that you don't attempt to turn or drill it with a blunt nail.
Stainless turns brilliantly (304 type a bit better than 316) but about 2/3 of depth of cut is to be taken comparing to carbon steel.
As a bonus, it gives vary good surface finish, even without much care and attention.
Normal tooling can be used for threading and buying special stuff for stainless is a *waste of money*, at least if you don't try to run mass production.
3. For all practical purpose work with other difficult to work with material (Monel) is not really more challenging than work with brass.
4. Hastelloy, at least Hastelloy B3 turns comparably to stainless.
5. Cold worked stainless is harder to work with but gives good results with some patience.
In any case only small diameters are handled, but contrary to many claims carbide tooling is rarely, if ever, essential.
6. So called *mild steel*, particularly *bright drawn mild steel* is the ****tiest material in everyday work.
Particular troubles are with securing good surface finish
These observations do not apply to F/C steel.
So I wonder from where all this mythology about hard to turn materials is coming?
Why machinists hate stainless?
Because they cant be bothered to sharpen their tools when needed?
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