Stressproof???

[deadin]

I need a piece of steel .50 x .25 x 4.0. I've been told that I should use 1144 stressproof steel as anything else will probably warp after machining.
The only 1144 I've been able to locate only comes in round stock. Am I really going to have to mill down a piece of 9/16ths or 5/8ths to get this?
Is there any way to relieve the stress in 12L14 or something similar? (I only need the .25 thickness at one end. the rest of the length will be about .112 thick.)

Tnx,
Dean

 

[Mainer]

I've never seen 1144 in anything but round, either.

You can stress relieve cold-rolled pretty easily, especially in the size you're talking about. Just heat the whole thing to a moderate red and let it cool as slowly as possible. If you have a bucket of wood ashes, drop it into that while it cools off.

Or, you could buy a piece of low carbon ground stock:
http://www.speedymetals.com/pc-4357-8215-14-x-12-low-carbon-grnd-flat.aspx

 

[deadin]

Mainer,
Thanks for the info!
Couple more questions..... Should the heating and slow cooling be before or after machining? (or both?)
Also, how easily does the low carbon ground stock machine? (Or does it need to be ground into shape?)

Dean

 

[jonesie]

if you can get a piece of o-1 or a-2 flat ground stock. you can get it from travers or msg. i just made a one piece crank from flat ground o-1 for my jerry howell farmboy and it can out real good and stayed flat. the ground stock has been stress relieved. after i machined some of the stock away i heated it to around 300 deg. then finished machining it and it came out real st. and flat. good luck jonesie

 

[putputman]

Dean, I think you will find that 1144 machines so nice and easy that making a flat piece out of 5/8 dia. will only take a few minutes and you will have a good piece of stress free steel.

 

[steamer]

Putput speaks well of this...and so does Mainer.

I love stressproof...its great stuff

Whatcha making? ;D


Dave

 

[deadin]

Whatcha making?

Trying to replicate one of these.....(you can see why I don't want any warpage.)

 

[AlanHaisley]

Out of curiosity, what the heck is it ??? ??? ???

Trying to replicate one of these.....(you can see why I don't want any warpage.)

 

[metalmad]

Hi all
At first guess Id say some sort of woodworking radius marker
Pete

 

[tel]

Nope, looks more like a peep (aperture) sight for a rifle to me.

 

[tel]

;D Right click the pic and hit 'properties' - the answer is in the file name!

 

[steamer]

Ah Tel beat me too it! ;D

Looks like a peep site to me.

Dave

 

[Mainer]

You would do the heating for stress relieving before machining. The low carbon ground stock is quite machineable, as is the O-1. I've never worked with A-2. IMO the 1144 machines better than any of them. As putputman says, it wouldn't be that big a job to make it out of 5/8" round 1144, although you will get a lot of chips.

 

[Dave G]

I highly recommend stressproof for jobs like these. But even with stressproof when removing excess stock, don't take all the stock off one side or if you take the stock off both sides, remove only a portion of your stock then flip the stock and remove from the other side then flip once again and alternate your cuts until finished for best results. This will help to keep warpage to a minimum. Good luck, Dave

 

[deadin]

Sorry for not identifying what it was... Yes, it's a tang sight.(Specifically for a Springfield M1875 Officers Model 45/70.) I would much prefer finding an original but there were probably less than 100 of these made circa 1877 and most were later changed out for one with a better mounting system . (The single screw with locating pins didn't work out well in use.) My rifle is set up for this sight, so I need to fill the hole that it mounts in.....

(Besides, if I actually managed to locate an original for sale, I probably couldn't afford it.. ;D)

 

[shred]

Those weren't originally brass?

If it doesn't need great strength, a slab of hot-rolled would also probably be stress-free enough to work.

 

[Mainer]

From your description of the rifle it's going on, it would be worthwhile to take some pains with construction so the finished product does credit to the rifle. A piece of ground pre-hardened 4142 might be the cat's meow.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#steel/=awno1x

Although hardened somewhat, it is still machinable and machines to a beautiful finish. I used some to make a pair of rocker arms for an engine I'll probably never finish :wall: and it was a pleasure to work with though you couldn't hurry things much.