Thread: Heat treating 17-4 stainless

I need to make some parts from 3/16" dia 17-4 stainless. The print calls for 17-4 PH (H1150).

My local steel suppliers are unable to obtain this grade (PH) of stainless in diameters under 1/2".

Can I buy 3/16 dia annealed 17-4 stainless then heat treat after machining. I did some research and sources say it is a precipitation heat treating. Heat the parts to 1150 degrees and hold for 4 hours then quench in still air. My heat treater says it will cost $150 to heat treat 25 pieces 3/16 dia X 5" long.

Can I heat treat these parts in my own heat treat oven. I heat treat tool steels all the time but never any stainless steel.

I'm clueless on this stainless steel.
Thanks
Jim

The AMS spec for 17-4PH H1150 should tell you the HT specifics. If you HT yourself, since you likely can't cert to the spec, you better make sure your customer is OK with that

Your oven got a printer or any other way to log the time and temperature?

When we did 17-4 at my former workplace, we Rockwell hardness tested each piece before machining, to determine if it was the correct HT condition.

It really was as simple as that, though. Heat it up, hold it there based on thickness, cool, hardness test to confirm.

Sounds like the heat treater wants his minimum charge to turn on an oven.

Cheers
Trev

Jim,

We HT 17-4 all the time. If you continue to have trouble, feel free to call or write. PM or email for contact stuff.

Originally Posted by JimGlass

Can I buy 3/16 dia annealed 17-4 stainless then heat treat after machining.

Heat treat, and then machine, from a solution treated/annealed state to an H1150 your machinability will go up about 50%.

In the annealed/solution treated state, its kind of gummy and behaves more like a 300 series stainless. Get that
stuff heat treated, especially an H1150, and it acts like a pre hard 4140, except shinier.

We dabbled in the heat treat crap at my shop, and decided the only thing we will heat treat anymore is PH grades, easiest
heat treat out there. To temp and hold, air cool.

The only thing easier is taking an aluminum at a T0 and bringing it to a T4 (actually got paid for that once, they wanted a cert,
3 days at room temperature).

If you are doing tool steels, 17-4 is a cake walk.

Definitely my favorite stainless.

Buy the 17-4 in condition H1150 and then machine. It should only be about 28 Rc (277 Bnh). Like Bob says, it machines nice at that stage. We literally do tons of it. H900 and H1025 are over the 35 Rc. We'll machine and then harden those.
JR

Bob!!!!!!! Zip it!!! You are giving away all the secrets!!!! Come on... there has to be at least one mystery metal left...

(all in good fun, mind you)

Originally Posted by Bobw

Heat treat, and then machine, from a solution treated/annealed state to an H1150 your machinability will go up about 50%.

In the annealed/solution treated state, its kind of gummy and behaves more like a 300 series stainless. Get that
stuff heat treated, especially an H1150, and it acts like a pre hard 4140, except shinier.

We dabbled in the heat treat crap at my shop, and decided the only thing we will heat treat anymore is PH grades, easiest
heat treat out there. To temp and hold, air cool.

The only thing easier is taking an aluminum at a T0 and bringing it to a T4 (actually got paid for that once, they wanted a cert,
3 days at room temperature).

If you are doing tool steels, 17-4 is a cake walk.

Definitely my favorite stainless.

Originally Posted by Zahnrad Kopf

Come on... there has to be at least one mystery metal left...

Where should I send the Nitronic 50 to?
We usually only get duplex stainless in as castings, so I can't do one of those. Ferralium and Zeron are a PITA.
Then there's my favorites, tantalum and zirconium.

Our engineers are working right now on an updated version of the turbo-encabulator. Ours will be made from hard-faced unobtainium.
JR

Originally Posted by JRIowa

Where should I send the Nitronic 50 to?
We usually only get duplex stainless in as castings, so I can't do one of those. Ferralium and Zeron are a PITA.
Then there's my favorites, tantalum and zirconium. Our engineers are working right now on an updated version of the turbo-encabulator. Ours will be made from hard-faced unobtainium.
JR

Same experiences, here. Lately, I've been working with NiTinol. Oh my GODS does this stuff suck.
And as for the Hard Faced Unobtanium, you can forget about it... We own the rights...
It's the very specific aging of Scrapbinium that will get ya...!

http://mtndocsxtras.mt.na.emersonpro...nd_cb7cu_1.htm ( We heat treat 17-4 in house all the time if you have a HT oven it simple.)http://mtndocsxtras.mt.na.emersonpro...nd_cb7cu_1.htm

Zahnrad:
I sent you an email and would like to talk to you.
Jim