music wire?

Metalhead0483

Metalhead0483

Joined
Jan 17, 2008
Messages
539
Couple of local friends asked me to make them some small penknife type blades for general utility and wood/wax carving. I'm going to make a couple, see how it goes, then hopefully make more as little gifties for people in my local group.

The question is materials. I made a test-piece out of some 0.20" O-1 drill rod I had laying around and it worked very well indeed (cuts great, and even with finishing work only took about an hour to forge and grind, not including tempering time) but I only have a limited amount of the material it on hand. What I have quite a lot of is 0.190" 1085 A228 "music wire" which I practically stole at a sale a few years ago. Any reason not to use that stuff?
 
Music wire is usually around 1085, 1095, W1, W2. It forges fine and makes great springs. HT as if 1095.
 
Yep, it's marked 1085 on the packaging. Even gives metallurgical makeup. Kind of neat.

Forged a couple of test blades this afternoon. Very easy to work with and heat treat was a snap. Funny working with such small blades for a change...
 
I use music wire for little gravers and punches, works great. I've also made knives from bundles of it, AKA tension cable for concrete. Looks like spaghetti damascus, and very shallow hardening.
 
.20? That must be one YUGE guitar!!!!!!:eek: :D
 
jdm61 said:
.20? That must be one YUGE guitar!!!!!!:eek: :D
Click to expand...

Hah! That thought occurred to me. NO idea what it would be used for in the music industry, but I'm not going to complain ;)

Salem, I hadn't thought about using it for gravers... That's a great idea.
 
Instrument strings, particularly for pianos. It comes in all sizes and not of what I saw on line from industrial suppliers was listed as 1085. . As some have pointed out, it is also used for springs in many applications.
Metalhead0483 said:
Hah! That thought occurred to me. NO idea what it would be used for in the music industry, but I'm not going to complain ;)

Salem, I hadn't thought about using it for gravers... That's a great idea.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top