Info on Dura- Bar Cast Irion

Richard King · Jan 1, 2015

For your info if any of you are thinking of making a Straight-Edge:

I just received a quote on 12/30/14 from Dura-Bar for some Grey Iron material. I use to make the test bars in the Rebuilding classes and thought I would share.

1.25" H x 3.250" W x 72" L Grey Iron G2 RECT A/C Dura-Bar 78.2 LBS. $100.00

You can always Email them for quotes or on their web-site they have local distributors.
Dura-Bar | Continuous Cast Iron Bar Stock Leader and Steel Alternative

HNY Rich

4GSR · Jan 1, 2015

Here's a couple of pieces I just received in. 2.5 x 5.25 x 36" I'm thinking of making some straight edges out of. It was an odd old stock item, dead inventory. Got it at reduced cost.

Dresden · Jan 1, 2015

Makes me wish I still had my like new Gray planer &#55357;&#56879;

henrya · Jan 1, 2015

How did you get that quote? The last time I tried to buy a piece, I had to call 4 of their "distributors" before I got a quote. The one I got was so outrageous that I ended up buying a piece of no-name iron from Speedy Metals. The price quoted was double what McMaster listed. I came to the conclusion that a typical metal distributor salesman can't be bothered by some guy who wants a single $100 chunk of metal and removed Durabar from consideration for anything I needed.

Richard King · Jan 1, 2015

Simple as this:

ORDER FOR CAST IRON
[email protected] [[email protected]]

Sent: 12/23/14 12:34 pm
To: [email protected]

Forrest Addy · Jan 2, 2015

Most Durabar distributors stock round. If you want rectangle you may need to go to the horse's mouth.

I prefer American Iron and Alloys but they offer VersaBar products. Same stuff, different sticker.

Continuous Cast Iron | Bronze Bar and Tubing | Custom Metal Fabrication| American Iron & Alloys, LLC Waukesha, Wisconsin

Shipping can be a deal killer so work it out before you commit to a sale.

Be sure to check local dealers before you commit to a hefty shipping charge.

Also don't be too picky. If a remnant is only a little oversize it may do you and save a sawing charge. You gotta explore options with the sales people but don't waste their time: they may be working on a carload lot for Parker or Denison as you niggle. Many suppliers are happy to sell off remnents and may even discount - but you have to ask.

henrya · Jan 2, 2015

Thanks for the advice, Rich and Forrest. I got from looking at the Durabar website that they sell only through distributors. And yeah, I can't blame a salesman for not catering to my needs when he's got big business to attend to.

Richard King · Jan 2, 2015

Next time you need some if you get the run around , let me know and I'll see what I can do . HNY Rich

MCritchley · Jan 2, 2015

Alro in Milwaukee stocks G-2, the correct grade for straight edges.

Durabar is incredibly stable after the proper stress relief cycle. Here is the recipe i came up with after alot of research:

Dura Bar Class 40 G-2 Stress relief
1) 800°f parts in
2) Ramp to 1000°f
3) Hold @ 1000° 90 minutes (or 1 hour per inch of thickness)
4) Cool 100°f per hour
5) Remove parts at room temperature

I decided to test how much movement occured after stress relief. After rough milling the 15 x2 inch triangle, the part was stress relieved. the prism was then finish machined and stress relived again. I placed the prism on two ss rods 30% in from the ends as to minimise movment durring the cycle. It was finnish milled to .0003 flatness before stress relief. The part was still .0003 out of flat being high on the ends. I could not detect any movment.
This test was done to verify that internal stresses were removed from the dura bar. They were! Matt #2

Forrest Addy · Jan 2, 2015

MCritchley said:
Alro in Milwaukee stocks G-2, the correct grade for straight edges.

Durabar is incredibly stable after the proper stress relief cycle. Here is the recipe i came up with after alot of research:

Dura Bar Class 40 G-2 Stress relief
1) 800°f parts in
2) Ramp to 1000°f
3) Hold @ 1000° 90 minutes (or 1 hour per inch of thickness)
4) Cool 100°f per hour
5) Remove parts at room temperature

I decided to test how much movement occured after stress relief. After rough milling the 15 x2 inch triangle, the part was stress relieved. the prism was then finish machined and stress relived again. I placed the prism on two ss rods 30% in from the ends as to minimise movment durring the cycle. It was finnish milled to .0003 flatness before stress relief. The part was still .0003 out of flat being high on the ends. I could not detect any movment.
This test was done to verify that internal stresses were removed from the dura bar. They were! Matt #2

Way 2 go. Trust but verify

Sequim Tool · Jan 11, 2015

Dura-Bar SE

This is my SE made from Dura bar, still got some rubbing & scraping to do but it's getting flat
John

stephen thomas · Jan 13, 2015

Nice gage!

Shorten up your stroke.

Should not be much over 1/4" stroke at this point, but you can continue to bear down (cut depth) until the holes (less dense) areas fill in. Should only be a couple cycles. Then shorten up the stroke again. That long stroke will leave you plateau'd about where it is now, merely with the areas shifting around.

smt

peterh5322 · Jan 14, 2015

"Shipping can be a deal killer so work it out before you commit to a sale."

Logan Actuator (maker and supporter of Logan lathes) makes many replacement parts from Dura-Bar, and will sell Dura-Bar cut to length and ship using a USPS "flat rate" box.

But, DO ask for extra care in packaging ... I had an order for two 6" dia. lengths of Dura-Bar (intended for making "Adjust True" backs for my Hardinge TL's chucks) arrive with one of the lengths missing ... the one I really needed, naturally.

Logan Actuator Co. - Lathe Department

Richard King · Jan 15, 2015

I ordered 2 lengths of the G2 Dura-bar 1 1/4 x 3 1/4 x 72" and shipping them from Wood-Stock IL via truck to Portland OR and prepaid the freight of $158.00. Seemed cheap to me. Columbia Forge will cut and machine it into test bars the students will scrape in the Jan 26 rebuilding class they are hosting. Rich

Sequim Tool · Jan 16, 2015

Thanks Stephen
and yes the area of flat moves around and I have a low of .0005 along one edge
From Dura Bar it cost $100. with shipping and the last time I order from them a bigger chunk it was the same a $100.
John

matt_isserstedt · Jan 17, 2015

I picked up a bar of G2 at Alro Metals in Potterville, MI last week (near Lansing the state capital). 1.25 x 5.25 nominal x 6ft long. Around $220 for 150#. Not for a straightedge at this time but another project. No fuss, I have no account, just need a credit card.

Ben · Feb 9, 2015

I have a question about stress relieving. I don't have access to any heat treatment equipment. If machine the Boush straight edges I bought from Jason can I let them sit for a while and then scrap them, will they stay straight? I have been wanting to start scraping for many years, did a little and then things just kept getting in the way. Now that I'm semi retired, I'm planing to some of these things.
Ben

Richard King · Feb 9, 2015

I have an old friend 52 miles from you over at Christiansburg VA. He used to make brick stress relieving fire pits and cook them for a couple of days. He can also scrape. He used to own Eastern Machine and Fabrication who were rebuilders before the economy died. He is semi retired and might teach you to scrape. I'm not sure who Jason is and what you meant about a straight edge? You bought a straight edge casting from Bushe in Milwaukee? PM me your name and phone number or email address and I'll email it to him. How long have you owned your SE and was it machined when you got it? If you have storred it in the weather for a few years that would have stress relieved it the old fashion way. Rich

sfriedberg · Feb 10, 2015

I suspect "Jason" is jrwoodca, the ebay seller in Canada who has a bunch of NOS Busch items. If so, a lot of that stuff has been sitting on shelves (but not seasonal temperature changes) for years.

Ben · Feb 10, 2015

Yes, that's the Jason in CA with the Busch straight edges. I just got the unfinished ones from Jason a couple of weeks ago. I have another SE from Metal Lathe Accessories I bought many 15 to 20 years ago which has been stored in an unheated building all this time. I was thinking about machining them and then scraping them.
Ben

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