An aside to Eric -- many of the non-stainless alloys used in gunsmithing are what
are called "leaded". A small amount of lead is added to the alloy to make it
machine better. A blacksmith friend of mine who makes flint strikers was going
nuts trying to get a batch that he made hardened correctly so that they would
throw sparks when struck with a flint. He finally discovered that his supplier
had sent him the leaded alloy instead of the standard alloy. The leaded metal
cuts very cleanly for flint, with very few sparks.
Take care,
Mark
P-14 #202
"Apres Vous"
JBlumhorst@aol.com wrote:
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> West Wight Potter Website at URL
> http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> Hello all,
>
> Is hardness truly a concern when we're discussing stays? Aren't non-
> brittleness and resistance to tensile forces (aka strain modulus or some
> technical term like that) the significant characteristics (along, of course,
> with corrosion resistance)?
>
> Am I missing something here? Did I miss part of this discussion? If I did,
> somebody please set me straight.
>
> Regards,
> Judy B.
>
> In a message dated 2/24/99 9:44:05 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> apresvous@pobox.com writes:
>
> << Positive. For example, have you ever seen a stainless steel file or
> hacksaw
> blade? A real high quality, carbon steel knife will have a Rockwell "C"
> rating
> of about 60 - 62. The corresponding quality stainless blade will be somewhat
> softer, in the 55 - 58 range, except for some newer (read expensive)
> stainless
> that use exotic treatments. One knife make that I know grinds his blades,
> then
> sends them all out to be heat treated, because the treatment requires so much
> specialised material and equipment that he can't afford to do it himself.
>
> Take care,
> Mark
> P-14 #202 "Apres Vous"
> Sunnyvale, CA
>
> Eric Johnson wrote:
>
> > > As a general rule of thumb, the only advantage that stainless
> > > steel has over carbon
> > > steel is in the area of corrosion resistance. It generally
> > > weaker and softer than
> > > carbon steel, and is much more difficult to harden, and treatment
> > > may require such
> > > exotic things as quenching in liquid nitrogen for success.
> >
> > Are you sure about that? Stainless is, to my understanding and limited
> > experience, much harder than carbon steel. Some gunsmiths, for example,
> > charge extra for work on stainless guns because of this. I find cutting
> > stainless a real chore too. I was also under the impression that its
> > stronger than most mild steel.
> >
> > But I do agree the corrosion resistance is the major plus, if there is
> > oxygen present. Below the waterline silicon bronze (if you can find it!) is
> > really the best of all as I understand it.
> >>