Looking to try some material!

[blaser.306]

Would anyone that is making dies care to share a little of the wealth? I am wanting to try a small piece of 0-6 steel preferably 1" diameter. I found a supplier that will sell "small quantities" to me here in Canada from the US but I would like to know if it will work for me. I have a US address if that makes it any easier. PM me and let me know what you would need for it if you are willing to help out. Thanks . Blaser.

[aaronraad]

Being an oil-hardening type steel, do you have adequate heat treating facilities?

http://www.alro.com/datacatalog/014-toolsteel.pdf

Most swagers seems to prefer the air-hardening type high speed and tool steels.

The 12L1# series leaded mild steels are much more machine friendly, which can still be heat treated but may not hold size tolerances quite as well as the specialised die type steels. Depends what tolerances you are chasing and how much final lapping and polishing you are prepared to do?

I'm mainly specifying H13 for any steel dies or specialised punches; and M2 for standard punches I'm sourcing at the moment.

Regardless of what material you choose, the common theme seems to be swagers machining their own dies, seem to make whatever they can source work for them eventually. Heck I wouldn't be surprised to read about someone getting a hard cheese (maybe a Pecorino) to work, because that's all they can source with any reliability.

I'll be interested to read what others post!

[bangerjim]

I use 1/8 thru 1" x 36" long WH rod for most of the tooling & equipment I make (hard enough). I do use OH and AH when the application calls for it. Heat treating is the big thing with larger diameters like you are talking about. I have a full electronically controlled vacuum HT furnace that I can take to 2300F which allows me to "soak" at proper times & temps to make sure the piece is fully emersed in the right temps all the way thru. Just heating it quickly with a torch will not get the job done correctly....hot and cold spots and geometrical distortions.

Hope you have a furnace you can use.

Small stuff (1/4-1/2") can be heated with a good torch and quenched with moderate success due to the small diameters. Larger diameters......not so much. That is why AH is probably to be popular with "handy-man garage-shop" die makers. I do not make gun-related dies or punches, but deal in tooling and various industrial & instrumentation processes.

Good luck on your venture!

bangerjim

[blaser.306]

I have access to both a heat treat furnace and a man that knows how to use it! One of my workmates makes custom knives and another friend works as a comercial heat treater for a certified hoist co. so the knowledge and equipment side is covered. As far as the material of choice goes, O-6 ( Graph - MO ) is the material layed out by Ted smith in his amnual for making Swaging dies . One of the pioneers as it were so he must have had some insight to the matter. I only wish to find a piece to try before buying any larger amount and having to ship it whether from the US or here in Canada.

[Cane_man]

^^^ I have not yet tried O6 but I believe your assessment is correct, and I am sure it would make excellent dies... IMO, I would go for the O6 and not look back if you have a convenient and cost effective supplier who will work with you... O6 should be easy to heat treat at home, flame to orange then quench in oil, then temper at 350F in the kitchen oven for 1 hour and you are good to go...