Drill rod / (Silver Steel)

[ozzie46]

I need to order some drill rod to make some reamers. Now for the questions.

I see there are water hardening,air hardening and oil hardening. Which is the best for machining and making the reamers? Read "EASIEST" ;D ;D ;D

I have never even seen drill rod before let alone work with it.

Which is the easiest to harden and temper?

If i'm going to use it in just cast iron, aluminum and brass do I even need to harden and temper it?


Ron

 

[gbritnell]

To answer your questions:
1. Yes you will need to harden it, for cutting any material.
2. O-1 (0il Hardening) I find this to be the easiest to machine of the drill rod materials.
3. Heat it to a red-orange color and dip it straight into the oil (ATF) This will keep the warpage to a minimum. There are several methods for tempering. One is to polish a section of the blackened (hardened area) and then slowly reheat till a straw color comes up on the steel. The other is to put it in an oven and hold it at temperature for about 2 hours. For my use I just do the reheat. You only have to be careful of breakage on very small cutters, the larger ones have enough body to them that even being brittle they most likely won't break.
gbritnell

 

[ozzie46]

Thanks gbritnell

3/16th would be the smallest, maybe 1/8 but not likely.

Ron

 

[gbritnell]

I make all kinds of little spot facers, taps and countebores out of drill rod. They work great for a small amount of machining. If you make them properly you can resharpen the edge by taking a small amount off the face thereby not changing the diameter.
gbritnell

 

[gilessim]

In this topic ,http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=4773.0 Maryak,has posted a photo of a very simple reamer (D-bit) to grind.

I would add to what gbritnell said that if you rub the cutter onto a cake of ordinary soap before you heat, this helps to not get too much oxidization that you would have to clean off before tempering.

Giles

 

[tmuir]

Newbie question alert.
Is drill rod the same thing as silver steel?

 

[tel]

Yes

 

[tmuir]

Thanks, I thought it was but wasn't sure.

 

[arnoldb]

I would add to what gbritnell said that if you rub the cutter onto a cake of ordinary soap before you heat, this helps to not get too much oxidization that you would have to clean off before tempering.

If this works, you have just made me a VERY happy man! :bow:
The one time I used silver steel, I found the oxidization a serious PITA

PS:Machining silver steel is a pleasure! Before that I've only done some brass, aluminum and mostly rod-iron of the kind used to make burglar bars and gates here; the stuff with a lot of hard black scale on the outside (I don't think this is even cold rolled steel.)

 

[websterz]

If this works, you have just made me a VERY happy man! :bow:
The one time I used silver steel, I found the oxidization a serious PITA

PS:Machining silver steel is a pleasure! Before that I've only done some brass, aluminum and mostly rod-iron of the kind used to make burglar bars and gates here; the stuff with a lot of hard black scale on the outside (I don't think this is even cold rolled steel.)

Hard black mill scale is generally a sign of hot-rolled material...nasty stuff to machine IMO. The stuff we get here isn't even CLOSE to being round in cross section.

 

[ozzie46]

Recieved my drill rod order on friday. Ordered it monday from Chicago.
Not bad service. Will be experimenting with it shortly.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

Ron