Which material do you use?

[Mayhem]

I just read a thread on another forum regarding the different designations of metals and it made me remember a question I asked, that I think got lost. So I thought it would be a good question to ask here.

Given all the different types of material (e.g. 1018, 4140), if you had to choose just one or even two for general purpose what would you select and why?

Steel, Aluminium, SS, brass etc?

[ETC57]

(03-18-2012, 07:03 AM)Mayhem Wrote: I just read a thread on another forum regarding the different designations of metals and it made me remember a question I asked, that I think got lost. So I thought it would be a good question to ask here.

Given all the different types of material (e.g. 1018, 4140), if you had to choose just one or even two for general purpose what would you select and why?

Steel, Aluminium, SS, brass etc?

Howdy Mayhem,
I'm kinda project driven myself, so far it's been plastic for lift kits, aluminium for a high pole and stainless for my ports on the pu.

Seeing how I'm just starting out the variety makes for an interesting journey.

Jerry.

[PixMan]

Every part you make in a machine shop has different requirements for the materials because of how the part may be used. IMHO, there is never going to be "just one or even two" materials that cover even half of the parts you'd make.

That said, if you forced me to choose, I'd probably go with THREE materials. I'd get 360 half-hard brass, 6061-T651 aluminum and pre-heat treated 4140 as my three. You can quickly machine the brass or aluminum with any tools, and the reason I would would want both are that aluminum doesn't have much strength in small threads, brass does better and will bend before it breaks. In steels, the pre-treated 4140 can serve in most any capacity that a 1018 or 1020 steel would, but not often the other way around. The fact that you can get it pretty hard and it's starting out at 28-32Rc gives it more range of application. It machines pretty good with carbide tooling, something I'm lucky to have lots of here. I find that the chrome in it lends a little more corrosion resistance too.

[Mayhem]

Thanks. My post was a little unclear. I was thinking more along the lines of two for each type of material commonly used, so two grades of steel, two of aluminium etc. That is a good start though.

[PixMan]

If that's the case, my two grades of STEEL would be 4140PHT and 1144 or 1117. I'm just not a fan of 1018 CRS because it machines so poorly and moves so much for it's relatively weak strength, but it is cheaper than most.

My two grades of aluminum would be Microchip 2011 (for nest-free turning) and 7075 for milling and anywhere I need high strength. Only the 360 for brass, but perhaps a 964 bronze for bearings and feed nuts. In stainless steel I'd go 303 for an easy-machining austenitic and 316 for anything that needs chemical or food contact and/or welding.

In plastics, I'd have black and white acetal (Delrin) and clear polycarbonate (Lexan).

[Mayhem]

Thanks Ken, that is very helpful.

[DaveH]

My 2 steels are both bright drawn

230M07 (EN1A) free cutting steel
070M20 (EN3A) normal mild steel (that is what it is called here) similar to 1020 (I think)

All these bluudy different numbers really tick me off.

Stainless I tend to use only 303 - free cutting.

Brass – haven’t a clue (there must be 1000’s of different brasses) I go to the “Brass place” the guys show me the “off cut area” and I choose what I want.

Aluminium – I choose the aluminium with the red paint on – this is the harder grade suitable for machining.

I always go to the same suppliers, have done for the past 15 years or so, they know me and I know them.

Nearly all the steel, stainless, brass, aluminium I buy as “off cuts” from the “off cut areas”

DaveH

[TOM REED]

(03-18-2012, 09:10 AM)Mayhem Wrote: Thanks Ken, that is very helpful.

I am very lucky I met the lead hand in a larger machine shop here in Calgary and he gives me lots of off cuts, end pieces in brass stainless and steel, some of them are exotic materials so I will need to0 get some kind of chart to help identify them but I get lots of pieces soome up to 6 inch diametewr and better as well as some bar material up to 3x6 so far. He currently has a 45 gallon drum that he is working at filling for me(I will have a hard time finding a place to keep/organize it all. This shop specializes in compressor heads/motors and specialty pieces for the oil patch/he was a great contact for me to make and he will take nothing as payment for said items. tom

[pjf134]

When you think you know all the different types of metal and plastics they come up with ones that do not show up anywhere, even some you can not buy except for 2 company's in the world with securty clearances. I try to stick to the basics since I retired.
Paul

[Mayhem]

So in keeping it simple, what do you use Paul?