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Favorite steel for milling?

3t3d

Diamond
Joined
Nov 1, 2004
Location
WI
I do 97% aluminum, copper, bronze, plastic.
Not much steel, usually.

Have a quote request for some small parts (some kind of latch assembly) quantities in the thousands.

Small features, pockets with .030" radius corners .650" deep. for example.
(Time to negotiate with the designer.) They have been Great to work with...

Material is specified as C12L14.... Isn't that usually in Round, for turning parts?
Quick search only finds rounds anyway...
Any suggestions for alternative materials.? 41XX ?
Anything easily machinable?


Thanks again.
 
Pretty sure 12L14 is available in squares as well as hex. Not sure if you can get it in rectangles. 12L14 sure is easy on tools if your quantities allow, maybe a mill run if it is an unavailable rectangle.
You did not say what the expected size is.
 
I will put in a vote for 12L14 also, it is usually cheap and cuts like gray colored brass. The only issue is it will rust easily.
 
I will put in a vote for 12L14 also, it is usually cheap and cuts like gray colored brass. The only issue is it will rust easily.
As in part #1 will patina as you're inspecting part #2.

Ok, maybe not that bad, but it's gotta be coated.

Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk
 
Thanks already.... !
There ARE 1" Squares available.
Didn't see it in a search,.... but I just got a quote..
Sales guy thought there were flats available but couldn't find them in the system.
Rounds are very common, even metric rounds, Hex is available, and squares.
 
Parts are to be zinc plated.

I feel ....??? I didn't find it.. at first.

Thanks again.
 
If you can't find 12L14 in the shape you need, you might be able to find it in 1215. Machines similarly.

PM
 
Leaded steel is like cutting butter if you're used to cutting some of the tougher tool steels and aerospace material like Inconel. I haven't touched leaded steel since my job during my tech colleges days but I do recall it was so nice to cut, even better than the common low carbon steels.

I'm jealous!
:)
 
If you are supplying the zinc plating, you may want to have it fixtured in the plating process. It will not cost much more but it is common practice to tumble them with other parts while plating. That will introduce dings and when they screen them to separate the parts they will really be beat up.
 








 
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