hardened steel rods
11-20-2005, 12:10 AM
#1
hardened steel rods
Does anyone know of a source for hardened threaded rod #4-40 or #2-56. It doesn't have to be fully threaded but it can't be the soft and easily bent stuff that my local HS sells.I've gotten a couple of ARF's in the past that have this black rod that is hard. I need only a couple pieces 15" lg.
11-20-2005, 06:29 AM
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RE: hardened steel rods
What are you going to use this on. Can you sacrifice a bigger rod. I have titanium rods but not 4-40 or smaller. I just found 5/32 SST 304 rod non threaded. Just remember the smaller the outside di the easier it will bent no matter the material. You could take a 1/4 - 20 rod at 15" and turn the ends down to a 4-40 and thread it.
11-20-2005, 08:01 AM
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RE: hardened steel rods
Before you run around trying to find a hardened rod - Why don't you harden your existing ones yourself?
I have been hardening my landing gears for years, it is a simple matter and I don't see why it wouldn't work for the threaded rods...
Line a cookie sheet with tin foil (This keeps the wife happy), place your rods on the foil and put the entire affair in the oven. Turn the oven on and set the temperature to 450 degrees farenheit, cook for 30 minutes and then turn the oven off, allow the rods to cool slowly.
Check for the strength that you were looking for.
I have been hardening my landing gears for years, it is a simple matter and I don't see why it wouldn't work for the threaded rods...
Line a cookie sheet with tin foil (This keeps the wife happy), place your rods on the foil and put the entire affair in the oven. Turn the oven on and set the temperature to 450 degrees farenheit, cook for 30 minutes and then turn the oven off, allow the rods to cool slowly.
Check for the strength that you were looking for.
11-20-2005, 09:41 PM
#4
RE: hardened steel rods
I am wanting the rods for my mechanical retracts. I have a z bend in the rods and a very powerful retract servo (JR super heavy duty) and I have had one of the rods start to straighten back out. I think if I had hardened rods that this wouldn't happen. I will try the oven thing. I thought that heat treating was done with higher temperatures than 450 degress.
11-21-2005, 11:18 AM
#5
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RE: hardened steel rods
ORIGINAL: bbbair
Before you run around trying to find a hardened rod - Why don't you harden your existing ones yourself?
I have been hardening my landing gears for years, it is a simple matter and I don't see why it wouldn't work for the threaded rods...
Line a cookie sheet with tin foil (This keeps the wife happy), place your rods on the foil and put the entire affair in the oven. Turn the oven on and set the temperature to 450 degrees farenheit, cook for 30 minutes and then turn the oven off, allow the rods to cool slowly.
Check for the strength that you were looking for.
Before you run around trying to find a hardened rod - Why don't you harden your existing ones yourself?
I have been hardening my landing gears for years, it is a simple matter and I don't see why it wouldn't work for the threaded rods...
Line a cookie sheet with tin foil (This keeps the wife happy), place your rods on the foil and put the entire affair in the oven. Turn the oven on and set the temperature to 450 degrees farenheit, cook for 30 minutes and then turn the oven off, allow the rods to cool slowly.
Check for the strength that you were looking for.
Bruce, I'm amazed that your technique works -- it sounds more like a good way to anneal the rods, although the temp is pretty low.
Normally, a quickie way to harden ferritic alloys is to heat them to a dull red & quench them in a carbon-based coolant (oil).
Another way is to put the parts into powered carbon (or cover them with powered carbon) & heat them up to a specific temp (a lot more than 450 F) & then cool at a controlled rate.
I'll have to try your method.
