Stainless hardware question???/

I have lots of 304 and work with it at my job. It drills and taps fine. It can gall easily though and every time I put it in my milling machine I end up cussing. I have yet to mill a 3/16 gaurd slot with out breaking the mill. I want to try some 416,
 
ib2v4u said:
I have lots of 304 and work with it at my job. It drills and taps fine. It can gall easily though and every time I put it in my milling machine I end up cussing. I have yet to mill a 3/16 gaurd slot with out breaking the mill. I want to try some 416,
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Use 303 and your problems are over.
 
I found that the 300 series stainless that I got from one of the knife suppliers chipped, gummed and chattered as bad or worse that nickel silver. I have totally switched to 415, except for some very thin 410 sheet that I have used for a buttcap on one stag handled knife.
 
jdm61 said:
I found that the 300 series stainless that I got from one of the knife suppliers chipped, gummed and chattered as bad or worse that nickel silver. I have totally switched to 415, except for some very thin 410 sheet that I have used for a buttcap on one stag handled knife.
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Once again I say that the phrase "300 series" is misleading!
There is NO similarity between 303 and 304.
303 will instantly knock the teeth off of a brand new general purpose "off the shelf" band saw blade. You need a bi-metal blade just to saw it.
Tougher to cut than mild steel and take s a great polish.
No chipping or gumming up.
 
The similarity of the 300 series is they are all austenitic. Beyond that they are different. 301 works hardens very easily [I've made springs from it ] and 305 work hardens the least.303 machines much better than 304.316 with it's added Mo is more corrosion resistant than 304.Then there are the high temperature grades such as used in heat treating foil...We metallurgists have all the bases covered !!
 
mete said:
The similarity of the 300 series is they are all austenitic. Beyond that they are different. 301 works hardens very easily [I've made springs from it ] and 305 work hardens the least.303 machines much better than 304.316 with it's added Mo is more corrosion resistant than 304.Then there are the high temperature grades such as used in heat treating foil...We metallurgists have all the bases covered !!
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Thanks for the clarification, Mete. Yes, it IS good to have you around.
 
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