Buying material for metal turning

What are you trying to make? Does it need to be hard? Light? Strong? Weather resistant? Cheap? Pretty?

Metal Express, they will cutoff the sizes you want, for a price. Local steel dealers, as long as you want 16' They have cutoff-bins. Auctions, ebay.

I get *most* of my supplies from a recycling place as I use a lot of Aluminum/Brass/Bronze, these I pay by the lb. for fractions of retail. It's catch as catch-can. I've not been there since the latest feeding frenzy on copper.

Personally, I prefer rigatoni for most of my turning needs, though natural sponge rubber runs a close second..but only if harvested below the equator.

Ah...what are you making? Animal, vegitable or mineral?

Gunner

Political Correctness

A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

You can start with general dealers like Enco. Type raw material in their search and you will find options for aluminum, brass, etc

Another source is McMaster

and type in brass, aluminum, stainless, cast iron, etc. in their search.

These places also sell plastics like UHMW, delrin, PVC.

Have fun!

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I will check out the dealers you people have mentioned. I also found that RS sell material as well.

The first thing I want to turn are a set of puleys to transfer power from a windscreen wiper motor to a shaft on a remote control vehicle I hope to make, so I don't think it's going to be something that's going to be under any immense stresses. This is the kind of thing I plan to be making.

I notice that brass seems to be quite a common turning material, but it looks like it's mostly used for making models. Am I right? In the past I've used bright bar (which I think is mild steel) to make a toolmakers clamp as part of my uni course. Which would be more suitable for my task?

I'm sure there's loads of materials out there, and I was wondering which are the most commonly used by metal workers?

Thanks

--Amr

In your latest post, you mention your "uni course". If this course is held at some school, ask the instructor, or ask some of the other students. Here in the USA most hardware stores have a stock of basic mild steel sizes, up to maybe 5/8" diameter or so in round and several smaller sized in flats and angles. You can even locate almost any fabrication or machine shop in the telephone book and go see them. They all have "drops" (short pieces left over from cutting off full bars. If you are polite and humble in your approach you should do well. We call it "dumpster diving" to dig things out of the scrap pile.

Don't necessarily assume that small lathes are for small parts. Buy as much lathe as you have room for. Stability comes with size.

Pete Stanaitis

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snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

Look at a similar off-the-shelf item . You'll likely end up turning everything from 6061 aluminum to 4140 air hardening steel - depending on what you make . Another poster suggested as big a lathe as you can afford/have room for . I heartily second that opinion , bigger is more rigid , and more rigid is a good thing . I use my 10 X30 Logan/PowrKraft mostly for motorcycle stuff , and have turned a wide range of materials - from Polyethlene washers to 4140 steel bushings for a springer front end . Since this is a material thread , I need some advice . I want to turn a set of motorcycle footpegs , stainless abt 1" diameter . They'll be grooved with a .125" parting tool about .100 deep X .125 spacing . The mounting end will be milled square to fit an existing mount . I've been making axle caps and some pegs from 304 and 306 (I think) , neither of which has been easy to work with , particularly threading holes . Suggestions for an easier to machine SS for this application ?

You know, ebay has a number of metal vendors that sell small pieces suitable for turning. I bought some leaded stock (12L14?)a while back that seemed to be reasonable. At least it was easier than driving across town. Anyway, a good place to check prices.

According to :

^^^^^^

^^^

O.K. The two indicated words suggest to me that you are posting from the UK, which means that you will be experiencing different terms for the same materials. (And you have been getting suggestions assuming that you are in the USA so far.)

For example "bright bar" I think is what is usually called BMS (Bright Mild Steel) in the UK, and "cold rolled steel" here in the USA.

Personally -- if you did not need particular strength for a given project, I would choose (from weakest and easiest to turn to strongest among the easy metals), and using US terms:

1) Alumin(i)um: 6061-T6

2) Brass: 360 free machining (leaded) brass

3) Steel: 12L14 free machining leaded mild steel, (Leadaloy) a particularly nice steel to machine.

One thing to bear in mind with steels are that the hot-rolled is covered with scale, but is unlikely to distort from the machining, while the cold-rolled has stresses incorporated in the metal, and it is likely to distort as you remove one surface (more of a problem with milling than with turning). Hot rolled is supplied a bit more oversized, to make it clean up to the proper size instead of undersized.

And if a good plastic will do for your task, get Delrin (Acetal), which machines nicely, and is tough (as plastics go). There are other good plastics, depending on your needs. Some swell a bit when wet, so be careful there.

The above four are what I am most likely to work with, unless I need greater strength or hardenability (and am willing to trade off the fact that they will be more difficult to machine). For greater strength, and good hardenability, I like 4140 steel (again a US designation which you will need to translate). But, I have a good 12" Clausing lathe which is a bit more rigid and more powerful than the typical home shop lathe.

I would suggest that you get tied into the model engineering world in the UK, where you can get the local names for the materials, and a list of local suppliers. It does *not* make sense for you to be ordering steel (in home shop quantities) across the Atlantic. :-)

Good Luck, DoN.

According to Snag :

[ ... ]

416 SS -- but it is not *as* stainless. And that grooving sounds like a tough task for a lathe as small as yours. Stainless tends to work-harden rather quickly -- especially if you pause in your cut.

Good Luck, DoN.

303 of course.

Gunner

Political Correctness

A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

CRS ( ColdRolledSteel , has finer finish ) is cheap , cuts better than hot rolled ( rougher finish , has scale ) . Hammer it and it will cut better . Hammering also helps welds , before machining .

bronze is for small bearings , but brass cuts easier , finer finish but makes a bad bearing/bushing , PM ( pressedMetal) bushes are bronze . Aluminum only cuts well if its hardened .

DOM ( DrawnOverMandrel steel , replaced seamless tube for cost ) is the most exciting thing ya can do with your pants on ... It saves so much time ! But you'll need to buy $1000 at a time . It beats sked 80 pipe for ya can get it thicker wall .

Leaded steel cuts easier , special order ...

Most cities still have a metals recycler , get lead , steel , alum ,brass for cheap ! Brass will cut the best . Hard Alum is good cutting also

Plug gages are low cost from ENCO , your caliper will err far too much on small holes . Get minus set , not plus set , if it fits , you know you have a bit yet to go .. 1-2-3 blocks are $4.50 !! I got 44 from ENCO .

HF 7 by 10 lathe is so cheap , it may be worth the effort to strip it down and rework it , ive done 4 to date . Molydisulfide the nylon gears , true the head and other stuff , shim block slides .018" , then use outer screws to bind the carriage . extend the carriage handle out 3" , so ya can get carr closer to head ...

BTW whats the newsgroup for mini lathe . I tried Google MINI-LATHE , nothing ...

You beat me to the punch. I've bought a fair amount of bar stock in short length through ebay.

Just enter "bar stocK" (in quotes) and you'll find lots of rounds and other shapes.

The stuff I've bought from ebay vendors almost always is shipped via USPS in one of those "anything you can fit inside me, no weight limit" Priority Mail flat rate cardboard envelopes beefed up with clear packing tape. Those mail anywhere in the USA for just $4.05.

With the cost of running a car these days $4.05 is less than it costs me to drive around looking for stuff.

Jeff

Thanks , Don . I've got a short of 316 I can test on . Biggest problem I have with the grooving is chatter , you're correct that I'm pushing the limits of this machine . Gotta match the highway pegs I made for a friend's wife's bike . I've got til her birthday in April ...

Thanks ! I'll have to get some 303 and try it , see how it works . I'm sure havin' fun with this little machine , making little doodads for my bike and those of friends .

OOps , my mistake , I'll have to find some 416 for testing . Surprising how the eyes/mind see what we expect to see ...

Too bad your not in my area. Ive got probably 500 lbs of it in various drops up to 4" in diameter.

As another poster said..416 might be good too, but the machinibility index of 303 for this application is damned good and its common as hell. Its not for marine invironments..it will corrode more than 416...but I doubt you will be riding in the ocean or on a lot of salted ice You cant heat treat it..but for foot pegs..1" diameter..Id not bother. It does weld, though its not as good as others for welding. Welding 416 is not recommended..though it does heat treat to some degree. I use a LOT of 303 for most small projects like this. And I weld it up a lot.

But.its common as hell, and you can talk most shops out of drops for little or nothing.

Gunner

Political Correctness

A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

Try this site for small quantities of material

Use the search window at their site and type in 303 stainless steel.

If you need any production CNC Machining done for any of you home inventions try this site :-)

Derek Smart

True, I have what is classed in the US as a 12 x 36, yet most of my work is about 10mm diameter or less. Some are 3mm with a 2.5mm hole down the centre. Alan, in Gosnells, Western Oz. VK6 YAB VKS 737 - W 6174