What is your favorite metal?

Cast iron: Cheap, rigid, easy to machine, hard-wearing.

Platinum.

I like the way it shines and the way even small amounts of it make big green piles.

Donations are gladly accepted of any dirty old platinum anyone has laying around collecting dust.

Gunner

"If I'm going to reach out to the the Democrats then I need a third hand.There's no way I'm letting go of my wallet or my gun while they're around."

"Democrat. In the dictionary it's right after demobilize and right before demode` (out of fashion).

-Buddy Jordan 2001

Gold. You can trade it for all the others.

It would be easier to ask which was my least favorite metal :-) That one's easy - Inconel 718 :-)

Favorite aluminum - 6061t6 - easy to machine and all around useful Favorite steel - 4140 Strong, machines wells Favorite Cast iron - Continuous cast ductile iron - no sand pockets, uniform hardness and machinablity

James Crombie

Harold has a pile of that crappy old stuff, I'm sure he would send it just to neaten-up around the house a bit.

Not any more. I panicked when it hit $800, then fell back to $700. Sold somewhere in between when it recovered to some degree, about two years ago. Who in hell would have predicted over $1,200/ounce?

All I have left now is a button that weighs just over a troy ounce, plus a ribbon I rolled from one of my first refining experiences. Neat stuff, Maynard!

Harold

Gunner, yer doing something wrong if its giving you big green piles.

Many years ago someone in my home town would run ads in national magazines saying that for a dollar they would tell you of a material in most people's homes that was worth 400 per ounce. Obviously gold jewelry comes to mind. So obvious that nobody would send a dollar for that nugget. Can anyone else guess what this might be? I'm pretty sure I know.

The dollar note he just sent away?

Nick

I have about 1/2 oz., I did a bunch of jewelry classes in silver casting and construction but never did anything with the platinum. I'd rather make something usefull like a part for the time machine, but I need 274 metric tons for my design.

Ha. More like a $20 bill ~= $20/gram ~= $560/oz.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

I am dreaming of a time when giant diamonds can be made artificially for next to nothing by CVD process or some such.

Haven't seen a vote for my favorite. Mystery metal. You get it cheap at auctions or free from wherever. Lots more fun and challenge when machining and welding. I've got piles of it.

Big green piles of dead presidents. My favorite type of big green pile.

Gunner

"If I'm going to reach out to the the Democrats then I need a third hand.There's no way I'm letting go of my wallet or my gun while they're around."

"Democrat. In the dictionary it's right after demobilize and right before demode` (out of fashion).

-Buddy Jordan 2001

I like to machine ironwood.

If Aluminum is faster to cut than steel, then ironwood is that much faster than Aluminum, and does not squeal like Aluminum.

how do you weld mercury using TIG? :) cheers T.Alan

Every journey begins with the first step

Mark Rand RTFM

Thermocouple in heating system.

Harold

For much of my work I prefer brass.. Easy enough to build up 'weldments' of complex shapes and silver solder together and then machine. I enjoy how brass machines,sand blasts and paints...

That said my second favorite is cast iron, but not old frying pans the, the continuous cast ductile iron stuff... machines well, (LOVE that sould like silk on the lathe).. Wife hates it though, won't let me wash up in the house.. every things gets little "rust dot's" on it.. LOL....

Also making things with CI eccentrics and Brass straps seem to last for ever :-)

--.- Dave