What is your favorite metal?

You take it to Antarctica in Winter.

Regards,

Boris Mohar

Got Knock? - see: Viatrack Printed Circuit Designs (among other things)

Naturally, the quality of Ironwood depends on the state and the nation. As the 'local' wood that is the hardest or toughest - there is a spec - gets the local title.

I have some Ironwood from the central Pacific. Dark brown sapwood and Red heartwood.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member

Clark Magnus> I like to machine ironwood.

As long as it is not weight lifting bars - they are just plain evil to machine. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Ok since I answered *honestly* I guess I can answer tounge in cheek..

It's obviously got to be "UnObtainium" I have all the tools for it.. I've got the inserts for my lathe tools made out of "NeverDull" (not to be confused with the brass cleaner) My drill bits for it are coated in "PerfictCircle" so all my holes come out exactly on size. I just bought a "UniTap" for it, cut's all threads of all sizes and is coated in "NeedsNoLube" I also just bought a bottle of "SuperCut" gas for my OA rig guaranteed not to splatter... did I mention it doubles a a sheild gass for the TIG/MIG? I'm having trouble will milling cutters though, they stop at 1 inch and last time I tried to punch a 3 inch hole in UnObtainium on the BP it just stopped....

--.- Dave :-)

Ti Good for fixing bones and replacing teeth.

Id have to say under that...cartridge brass followed by lead ..indeed.

Gunner

"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

- Proverbs 22:3

Freeze it first?

It'd have to be EN8, AKA cold rolled AISI 1040. Mainly because I just stocked up on it and paid far more than I really wanted to.

Next favourite would be continuously cast grey cast-iron because It's nice to machine, if messy, and I can scrape it to as good a finish as I need.

Third favourite would be EN1A AKA 230M07 (don't know the AISI spec) unleaded super free cutting mild steel. It machines like butter. Downside is that its mechanical properties aren't that different to butter :-(

I just spent all week end machining a set of three cast iron squares on the shaper to help me in refurbishing my mill. The next couple of weeks will have them scraped in and then I can start on the mill.

Mark Rand RTFM

I love working brass and copper. Fun stuff,and looks great. I made a couple of large "snail rolls" that support the rear passenger steps on a 1904 Panhard that currently sitsin the Nethercutt auto museum. I did most of the work with die grinder and patternmaking files. I don' tget to use brass much anymore making vintage race car parts..

Dave August wrote: ductile iron stuff... machines well, (LOVE that sould like

Gold is for the mistress - silver for the maid! Copper for the craftsman, cunning at his trade 'Good', said the Baron, sitting in his hall, 'But iron, cold iron, is master of them all!'

Sorry, just had to disgorge some Kipling... if the rust spots bother you, iron oxalates are water soluble; cloth can soak in a bucket of water plus 'oxalic acid' (sounds ominous, but it's just an unstable variant of vinegar's acetic acid). The rust spots vanish. And, it etches steel or stainless, so a plastic bucket is good...

uh, not really. It is a completely different animal, and is significantly more toxic as I recall. It has a fairly strong bleaching action, and it's most common use in the home is as wood bleach.

jk