6 Aug
2012
6 Aug
'12
12:02 p.m.
My personal favourite is 12L14 steel, followed by a brand of cast-iron called Durabar.
Durabar is a little nicer to machine than 12L14, but being cast iron its messy. I do not
like brass, the chips spray *everywhere*. Aluminum hasn't given me too many problems
with appropriate cutting fluid. Stainless and 4140 are probably my least favourite.
They're gummy, and the tool wants to tear as much as cut. Free machining stainless
steels, however, are every bit as nice to machine as 12L14.
These days when I need a part in steel, it's 12L14 or nothing. I'm not touching
1018.
--------
Paul Anderson -- VE3HOP
On 2012-08-06, at 1:48 PM, ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote:
Aluminum needs a cutting fluid to prevent galling. If you don't have
commercial stuff, turpentine works very well.
Sure. But even with the libricant, it is still less pleasant to work than
other metals.
-tony