Ive got a bunch of copper brass aluminum and stainless steel blanks to practice on. The stainless blanks came from amazon and dont have the type of steel labeled but they are stamping blanks and all of them on amazon seem to be 304 stainless steel. I cant get anything but a very shallow cut on them with hss or carbide gravers. They are so hard that going back over a cut barely increases the depth if at all. Ive tried different geometry and nothing will cut these things beyond super fine line cuts. Is 304 steel really this difficult to work with?
Stainless steel blanks
- Thread starter azarel444
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i learned many moons ago to avoid stainless regardless of alloy.there's many here that produce beautiful work using stainless. a ss 44 magnum s&w revolver cured me of the urge to further punish myself.
welcome to the forum. i'm sure there are many here that will give you the answer you seek.
Thank you for the response, it sure has been frustrating trying to work with it and is making me second guess my desire to work on guns. These tiny pieces have been a nightmare so far lol. The deepest i can cut on them is what shading lines would look like. Ill do 3 passes and barely do anything.
Matthew Evans
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From someone who has been working on guns and knives to start, and have seen others be smart about their cutting, stainless steel is its own end. While you Can cut and get good results, the perceived depth is more about the width of the line than the actual depth because of its density.
Inlaying something on top, and then cutting that inlay is a nice work around, but that’s time, money, and practice for the final product in mind.
Inlaying something on top, and then cutting that inlay is a nice work around, but that’s time, money, and practice for the final product in mind.
How much does the heel play a role when cutting stainless? ive read to not use a heel when cutting stainless but wouldnt that cause the graver to dig into the metal?
Matthew Evans
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If someone said no heel for stainless I’m not sure I would take their advice. Add a heel, double check that you aren’t messing the temper by grinding a graver out to hot, and practice small circles with different heel lengths.
Thank you for the advice, i will do what you suggested.
Using water soluble oil for lube cant hurt, used that for machining 304/416
oniemarc
Elite Cafe Member
Ditch the hss gravers for stainless...those are not going to cut that 304. Let's assume they are the same blanks I get...they should be engraveable.
Get yourself a nice carbide graver and add a 50 degree face. I like using a tiny heel. The rest of the geometry is up to you, but...I prefer a 116 or 120, so it is nice and strong. Much wider will only workharden the stainless as you cut and puts more stress on the graver itself. Narrower will break faster.
Then...get some lube as suggested. Not everyone likes using it, but it does help a bit
When cutting stainless I like putting slight, but constant pressure on the graver. Do not push...just enough pressure so the tip doesn't want to "skip" through the metal.
Last...make sure your gravers are beyond sharp. Like...ridiculously sharp.
Also...like Matt said, it is not the depth...but the width of the cut, that makes the difference mostly
Get yourself a nice carbide graver and add a 50 degree face. I like using a tiny heel. The rest of the geometry is up to you, but...I prefer a 116 or 120, so it is nice and strong. Much wider will only workharden the stainless as you cut and puts more stress on the graver itself. Narrower will break faster.
Then...get some lube as suggested. Not everyone likes using it, but it does help a bit
When cutting stainless I like putting slight, but constant pressure on the graver. Do not push...just enough pressure so the tip doesn't want to "skip" through the metal.
Last...make sure your gravers are beyond sharp. Like...ridiculously sharp.
Also...like Matt said, it is not the depth...but the width of the cut, that makes the difference mostly
300 Series stainless is just bad Ju-Ju! 416 stainless, on the other hand, cuts like a dream. I'm certainly no expert, but I think it's all about what kind of stainless you are trying to cut.
BobGibson
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- Oct 29, 2018
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Lots of great advise already. I'd also add that annealing the steel beforehand seems to help me as well, Heat it to cherry red for a minute or so and then stick it in some (fresh) kitty litter for about 10 minutes or until its cool. This helps to relax the steel and evens out the hard spots
oniemarc
Elite Cafe Member
I agree that 416 cuts like a dream compared to 304. On the otjer hand, where I am at, it is hard to come by. I can get huge sheets, but nothing in sizes I could use. The 304 is probably the only 300 series I would cut. I have some 316 or 314(I can't check, since I am away from home right now), but that stuff is just impossible. Can't even scratch it with carbide, hahaha
Id like to thank everyone who contributed advice for me. Ive finally gotten success. I ordered some 316 stainless dog tags and sharpened the heck out of a carbide 90 degree graver. I tore one up until i found the right angle and machine speed and whatnot and got it cutting nice curls of metal. I went back to the 304 and was able to get the same results now. It will take some practice before i can do really clean work on it but im on my way. This was the first 316 blank i did more than just random lines and circles on. Its not the best but ill get there. I transferred with carbon paper directly onto the polished metal, this was a challenge to see my lines while engraving so i wont be doing that again since i ended up free handing a good amount of it.
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