- Joined
- May 4, 2016
- Messages
- 12
Hey! So, I've recently been playing around with different bronzes to cast bells in. Considering how expensive tin is, I thought the high alloy aluminum bronzes might work. Well, they don't- too hard to cast.
That said, they are incredibly strong alloys, so I decided to see if I could cast a simple knife and actually get a cutting edge on it.
All things considered, I'm rather pleased. It's a bit rough, but that's just more room to improve, right?
In terms of the metal itself, it's pretty close to C95500. 10.5% Al, 5% iron, 4% nickel and 3% manganese with balance copper. As cast, it's nearly impossible to file and after heat treatment the file doesn't even touch it. I peened the edge to harden it further, and I'll get back with some cutting tests later!
I feel like it would make a good metal for a dive knife or something. Anyone worked with these bronzes before? They seem more than comparable to many of the stainless steels used in knives currently, except they have even better corrosion resistance. Gotta love self healing sapphire coatings!
That said, they are incredibly strong alloys, so I decided to see if I could cast a simple knife and actually get a cutting edge on it.
All things considered, I'm rather pleased. It's a bit rough, but that's just more room to improve, right?
In terms of the metal itself, it's pretty close to C95500. 10.5% Al, 5% iron, 4% nickel and 3% manganese with balance copper. As cast, it's nearly impossible to file and after heat treatment the file doesn't even touch it. I peened the edge to harden it further, and I'll get back with some cutting tests later!
I feel like it would make a good metal for a dive knife or something. Anyone worked with these bronzes before? They seem more than comparable to many of the stainless steels used in knives currently, except they have even better corrosion resistance. Gotta love self healing sapphire coatings!
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