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To: djf
For year I worked as an engineer where we made stainless nuts bolts from bar stock on an eight spindle lathe.

I always used Carbide drills taps and dies.

Spend the extra money, avoid Chinese products as their certifications are worthless. I have seen taps from China that were dead soft at the center.

Go carbide buy the best use REAL cutting oil not recycled motor oil, always go slow, and back out as you go forward to clear chips.

42 posted on 01/13/2012 5:06:52 AM PST by Mikey_1962 (Obama: The Affirmative Action President.)
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To: Mikey_1962

“and back out as you go forward to clear chips.”

Grandpa taught me that when I was 6 years old!

The only time I’d make a bolt or machine screw was when a replacement wasn’t available. Restoring ancient shotguns for club members was the only circumstance that forced me to make machine screws. Otherwise? Not worth the time and effort. But get a good set!


46 posted on 01/13/2012 5:39:29 AM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
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To: Mikey_1962
For year I worked as an engineer where we made stainless nuts bolts from bar stock on an eight spindle lathe.

Stainless is horrible about "work hardening". When you cut it, the friction leaves a very hard surface, but just a few thousandths think. The trick to cutting or drilling it is that you have to get under the hardened layer from the previous cutting operation, and feed fast enough that it never gets a chance to harden under your bit. If you're drilling a hole and try to stop and restart the drilling process it's very difficult, and hard on the bits.

It's much easier to cut threads in stainless on a lathe because it's a continuous operation. Using taps and dies forces you to stop and back it out to clear chips and then restart.

48 posted on 01/13/2012 5:55:29 AM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh, bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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