Re: Good wire
07-12-2002, 04:11 PM
#1
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (3)
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Memphis,
TN
Posts: 812
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bending .032 wire
You could heat it a little bit. For the Z bends, several people make Z bend plyers that work great. For the 90 degree bends, just bend it around an old block of wood.
07-13-2002, 10:58 PM
#3
Senior Member
My Feedback: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Rochester,
NY
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Ok, but...
Originally posted by AlanCon
Heat how? candle hot, soldering iron hot, propane torch hot?
For how long?
The darn metal just seems brittle.
Heat how? candle hot, soldering iron hot, propane torch hot?
For how long?
The darn metal just seems brittle.
07-14-2002, 02:38 PM
#4
Senior Member
My Feedback: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Rochester,
NY
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Kind of metal...
Originally posted by AlanCon
It is the alieron connecting rod that came in the kit for my Coronet Acro (NSP).
It's about 5" long (will need to be trimmed since I only need about 3" from servo to control horn.
It is the alieron connecting rod that came in the kit for my Coronet Acro (NSP).
It's about 5" long (will need to be trimmed since I only need about 3" from servo to control horn.
07-15-2002, 11:21 AM
#5
Bending .032 wire
but back to your question... how to heat it:
Mr. Metallurgy Book says that to make a difference, you have to "warm work" the wire -- which means raising it half way to its melting point -- which in turn means that it's got to be over 1000 or 1200 degrees. In my shop, that's propane torch territory.
I heat it til glowing dull red, bend it (which is very easy at that point), quench it in water (if it's not red hot anymore when you've got the bend in, reheat before the quench), then heat it until it's sorta tan colored (way way cooler than the first heating) and let it air cool -- at that point, resist the urge to quench it or blow a fan on it or anything to speed the cooling... the idea here is to remove some brittleness by letting the metal crystals rearrange themselves slowly. Enjoy!
Mr. Metallurgy Book says that to make a difference, you have to "warm work" the wire -- which means raising it half way to its melting point -- which in turn means that it's got to be over 1000 or 1200 degrees. In my shop, that's propane torch territory.
I heat it til glowing dull red, bend it (which is very easy at that point), quench it in water (if it's not red hot anymore when you've got the bend in, reheat before the quench), then heat it until it's sorta tan colored (way way cooler than the first heating) and let it air cool -- at that point, resist the urge to quench it or blow a fan on it or anything to speed the cooling... the idea here is to remove some brittleness by letting the metal crystals rearrange themselves slowly. Enjoy!
07-15-2002, 05:51 PM
#6
Senior Member
My Feedback: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Rochester,
NY
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Good wire
Originally posted by AlanCon
I took the easy way out - bought some .032 wire at my LHS.
It bent just fine - the wire in the kit must have been defective.
Thanks for the help!
I took the easy way out - bought some .032 wire at my LHS.
It bent just fine - the wire in the kit must have been defective.
Thanks for the help!
07-17-2002, 05:53 AM
#7
Bending .032 wire
There are big differences in metals.
I'm guessing that the brittle stuff in the kit was either hardened but not annealed (i.e. it didn't have that gentle reheating step that sorta softens the temper a bit), or it was not properly annealed (there is a cost involved in the process controls that allow uniform product quality), or it may have been specified by strength only.
That's a real problem in how people (maybe including the people who put together your kit) think about metal products. They talk a lot about strength but may not pay the attention they should to stiffness, hardness, brittleness, and things like that. The wire in the kit may have been considerably stronger (i.e. able to bear more stress in the usual modes) that the LHS replacement even though it was unacceptable for its role because of being more brittle. On the other hand, you wouldn't believe how strong lead is, but it is also unsuitable because of how easily it deforms under stress.
I'm guessing that the brittle stuff in the kit was either hardened but not annealed (i.e. it didn't have that gentle reheating step that sorta softens the temper a bit), or it was not properly annealed (there is a cost involved in the process controls that allow uniform product quality), or it may have been specified by strength only.
That's a real problem in how people (maybe including the people who put together your kit) think about metal products. They talk a lot about strength but may not pay the attention they should to stiffness, hardness, brittleness, and things like that. The wire in the kit may have been considerably stronger (i.e. able to bear more stress in the usual modes) that the LHS replacement even though it was unacceptable for its role because of being more brittle. On the other hand, you wouldn't believe how strong lead is, but it is also unsuitable because of how easily it deforms under stress.
