There’s those days in your work that come around and ya think, “there’s no way I’ll be asked this”. It’s happened to all of us, right? And when those things come around again, we know the answer.
An immediate HURRAY FOR OUR SIDE!
If you do nothing else in your day but answer that question that you thought you’d never be asked again — you have NAILED it!
I had one of said days a good bit back, but today, a few of these came back to me today, so in my way of thinking, I’d share with you hoping that you can also have one of those HURRAY FOR MY SIDE kinda days. We need as many of those days as we can, right? it is 2020.
10.5
The amount of Chrome in stainless steel. If it doesn’t have 10.5% Chrome, it’s not stainless.
Finishes
30 RMS – Smooth surface. Some will refer to this finish as Centerless Grind or
CG’d bar.
50 RMS – Peeled and polished surface usually on small diameter bars, but can also be on mid sized bar, depending on the alloy. Always ask the mill if you aren’t sure and especially if you are asked for the diameter tolerances.
If the question of tolerances on the diameter is mentioned in your chat with sales, while you’ve the mill on the telly or while tapping out that email — ask this also
Are tolerances:
1. On the high side of allowed
2. Mid side of allowed (“split” between +X/-X)
3. Low side of allowed
My experience is that mills will hit on the high side of allowed.
Condition B
ALWAYS cold drawn material
Why’s that? Cold Drawn bar has higher mechanical properties, of course.
ALWAYS small diameter
I’m talking small diameter as in less than 1.00 in diameter.
Keep in mind a mill run is about 1500 – 2500 lbs depending on the material right?
Usually when Condition B comes up in a request for quote, its not for a good bit, usually a few cuts to finished the job or the project.
Wanna look like a supah stah buyer?
Here’s how–
If you’ve material in stock that is COLD DRAWN, send the MTR to the producing mill for evaluation of compliance to Condition B. There’s a chance the mechanicals will meet. You don’t know til you ask.
302 Stainless
You’ll get this in your day. Its a high melt min and sometimes a longer lead time BUT you are a SUPAH STAH buyer, right?
304/L can possibly be dual certified to 302, BUT you have to have the material specification (if for an end user) AND the standard the material is to meet. Gotta have one or both tickets to ride this 304/L train.
Send to the mill asking for evaluation of compliance to 302 and there’s a decent chance (not always) it will meet.
And tho I speak mostly about stainless, this one was from last week. Three days chasing this one down.
Request was for 8.00 diameter aluminum extrusion bar, stress relieved. Not gonna happen. Not in a bar over 5.00 diameter. Domestic (I’m in the USA) mills are not capable.
I leave you with this —
“There are people that come into your life for the better. Those people are called bartenders.”
Cheers!
My Wilde Fiefdom 