Steels that turn easily (other than 12L14)

[warmstrong1955]

Sorry....didn't look at your location before I suggested Speedy Metals. Not sure if they ship to Canada....and if they do, do they do it well.

Machining 1045 is quite similar to 4140.

Bill

[hsnyder]

no problem.

So it sounds like 1045 won't be much fun to turn either with HSS bits on my small lathe. Alright, well 1144 it is!

[Harold_V]

My experiences dictate that there's a false cutting edge readily built up on the tool bit, which, in turn, tends to tear the parent material. If you run fast enough, that's not an issue, but that requires the use of carbide and a rather robust machine.

Can you reduce the build up by polishing the tool bit?

I've seen highly polished inserts for aluminum, but can you do it with HSS?

Steve

Polishing (honing) helps, but the problem can still exist. Even good lubrication doesn't solve the riddle, although in the day of 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, performance was improved significantly.

Harold

[warmstrong1955]

no problem.

So it sounds like 1045 won't be much fun to turn either with HSS bits on my small lathe. Alright, well 1144 it is!

Hold on there Tex......

Small lathe....small parts....what's the big deal? Best to play with some of this stuff & figure it all out. Some steels/alloys are easier than others, some are down right a CPA, but don't bale on any cuz you hear they are not user friendly.

If I did that....I pretty much wouldn't build anything..... if the results aren't what you expected....ask questions to folks (lot of 'em here on this board) that have been there & done that.... It's amazing what you can do with speeds & feeds, tool grinds & angle......

And....you get smarter....

Just sayin'.....


Bill

[Harold_V]

Small lathe....small parts....what's the big deal? Best to play with some of this stuff & figure it all out. Some steels/alloys are easier than others, some are down right a CPA, but don't bale on any cuz you hear they are not user friendly.

I agree. If the alloy makes no difference, sure, use something that's nice to machine---but if you have need for some of the tough stuff, even something like heat treated 4140, 17-4PH stainless or 440C stainless, go for it. It's all about learning how to cope with the various materials. Each experience will be beneficial for you in the learning curve. None of these materials are fun to machine just because the machine is larger---the same problems exist.

Don't get the idea that carbide is a magic cure-all for machining. It simply isn't so, at least in many circumstances. Case in point. I recently had to turn an item from an unknown alloy, which I thought to be stainless. I had a miserable time with carbide, so I switched to HSS and eliminated the problems I was having. You run at slower spindle speeds, but you can still take respectable cuts, especially if you're adept at grinding proper turning tools, which really spells the difference.

Harold

[warmstrong1955]

What Harold said.....he just said it better than me!


Bill

[mcostello]

Remember the old saying- it's not the gun, it's the gunner? Same applies here also.

[hsnyder]

Indeed, fair enough. I suppose its just that my experience with mystery mild has been bad enough to make me want to go for something that is more likely to machine nicely. But I really like 1045 and 4140. I'd prefer to use them, if I can get it working.

[revrnd]

Indeed, fair enough. I suppose its just that my experience with mystery mild has been bad enough to make me want to go for something that is more likely to machine nicely. But I really like 1045 and 4140. I'd prefer to use them, if I can get it working.

I think as long as you stay away from the steel racks in Crappy Tire or hardware stores & stick to a decent steel supplier, you'll be OK.

[warmstrong1955]

I make a lot of parts, primarily for mining equipment. Most of the material I use, is 4140/4142 Q&T (Pre-hard) and 1045, some 4130.
I build the bosses that hold the bearings & bushings for equipment. Either A36, or A572 gr50.

I can tell ya, I much prefer to work with the alloys than the low carbon steels.
Mild steel is not as user freindly as one would think, at least, that's what I found.
The alloys are harder, and tougher on tooling, but a lot easier to get a nice finish on. You should play around with some different alloys, and tooling, and tool geometry. Bet you find what I did.

Bill

[Conrad_R_Hoffman]

It's still good to have some techniques to machine bad steel. Use tools with a lot of rake and an animal or vegetable based oil like Cool Tool II. The commercial ones won't go rancid as quickly as home brew. Try finishing with a shear tool. The surface should look almost like you ground it. Look at the tool grinds in the old Southbend books.

[Harold_V]

I think as long as you stay away from the steel racks in Crappy Tire or hardware stores & stick to a decent steel supplier, you'll be OK.

Heh!

I'm not so sure. I have yet to meet a piece of mild steel that is easy to machine, and the source seems to make little difference. What I have found is that hot rolled is worse than cold rolled, but neither of them turn without tearing. Turn to screw machine stock or leaded steels and it's a whole different world. Low carbon steel, by its nature, isn't fun to machine.

Harold