I was reading Carl's (CRW) thread about steel and started this one so as not to hijack his thread. I don't understand what all the numbers (410, 416, 303, 304, etc.) mean. Scott (Pilguns) wrote, "303 and 304 are gummy...410 or 416 is preferred to cut." What is in the steel that makes it gummy? What in the steel makes 410 or 416 better for cutting? Glenn wrote,"...Mirinan prefers heat treated 416." and Fred Carter wrote, "416ss heat treated and tempered at 1100f engraves very well." What is the difference between heat treating and tempering? I have annealed metal - is this what is meant by "heat treating?" The metals I have worked in are copper, brass, silver, and gold. Steel is a new animal for me. I would appreciate any information or direction to threads in this website, other websites, books, magazine articles, etc. that could help me understand steel better, and what qualities make steel better for engraving. Thank you ahead of time for any help you can give me.
Diane
Diane