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| Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips |
2012-09-22, 12:59pm
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ScrapSurfGlassPaddleSew
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Join Date: Jan 22, 2012
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 3,223
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Plain steel vs stainless
I normally buy stainless welding rod for mandrels, but I have rush need for a 5/16" mandrel and I got to Metal Supermarkets 20 minutes after they closed this morning - didn't realize they only do half days on Saturday. I was able to get an inexpensive piece of plain steel rod, and will give that a shot, but was wondering about the consequences. It will NOT be going into my kiln - I'll batch anneal the finished bead on stainless, is there any reason I should be concerned?
ETA - it's NOT the zinc plated stuff, I'm aware of the health issues with zinc.
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Pat The journey is the reward
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L-111
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2012-09-22, 3:41pm
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Alaska Boro
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Join Date: Dec 10, 2009
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 1,065
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IMO you should be fine. Rust is the major issue and material degeneration in relation to stainless. The melting temperatures of both are about the same.
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2012-09-22, 3:47pm
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Unmedicated since '62
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Join Date: Jan 18, 2009
Location: Hunter Valley, Australia
Posts: 5,907
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they rust, the bead release falls off, the glass getts stuck - ask me how i know 
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Deb
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- my 17yo sons first novel
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- download, get organised, enjoy
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2012-09-22, 3:56pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Oct 18, 2005
Location: Manchester, CT 06040
Posts: 2,267
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PerfectDeb
they rust, the bead release falls off, the glass getts stuck - ask me how i know |
^This. I've had the exact same problems with all mine that aren't stainless steel.
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2012-09-22, 9:27pm
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Salt Box Beads
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Join Date: Oct 23, 2005
Location: Heading to Paradise
Posts: 4,161
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I have brake line from the auto supply stores for my larger mandrels. I buy it in four foot lengths and cut and file and use those for Big hole beads. Super cheap.
I also use brass tubing for mandrels in all sorts of sizes. I can get very creative  Never had any problems with them.
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2012-09-23, 1:29am
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Member
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Join Date: Jun 13, 2011
Location: Oregon
Posts: 52
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I've got lots of regular steel mandrels. I've not had any problems, if used before the rust develops.
I'm curious why you would put the beads back onto mandrels, once removed, to batch anneal? I only batch anneal, as I don't have a kiln at home, and I only have about 50 mandrels. So all of my beads get removed from the mandrels prior to annealing. I've annealed up to about 200 beads at a time. They just get put in the kiln, in a jumble, somewhat single layer. They seem to turn out fine.
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2012-09-23, 6:46am
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ScrapSurfGlassPaddleSew
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Join Date: Jan 22, 2012
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 3,223
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Laci - I try to keep the bottom of the kiln empty so I have space to put in more beads during the kiln cycle. I use the time the kiln is running to make larger beads that would crack if they don't get garaged, bring it up to 950 and hold it there until I'm done, then let the cycle proceed normally.
When I first realized I'd be operating this way, I designed a rack, and DH fabricated it for me - here's what it looks like sitting on top of the kiln. The big notch clears the sensor so I don't risk shorting it out; the others indicate where the coils are so I can avoid loading mandrels where they might touch.
As for mandrels, I bought full tubes of 2 sizes of welding rod, and once they were cut down to size I had lots of them. I rarely work on a 1/16 mandrel, so I took some of the spares and bent one end to make them not slide around on the rack as much.
Glad to hear the steel won't be a huge issue - had a buyer purchase a bead with a 1/2" center hole and ask if I could make one with an 8mm hole instead. Didn't have mandrels that size, but figured I could get away with plain steel since I don't anticipate making a lot of beads in that size.
Thanks again to everyone who has responded - the support and assistance LE'ers give each other is wonderful!
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Pat The journey is the reward
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L-111
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2012-10-12, 9:25am
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I'm listen-Oooh, sparkly!
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Join Date: Jul 24, 2009
Location: Southwest Missouri Ozarks
Posts: 160
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I've used regular steel rod with no real problem. Again, they rust and they also tend to heat up faster, but I used them all the time for charm bracelet beads & core formed vessels. Don't worry about taking them off, they go fine in the kiln with no problem.
One other thing, though - a lot of times the rods are zinc coated - I thought I'd grabbed SS and had a zinc plated one instead - made a really funky, bumpy mandrel when I overheated it in the flame and the zinc melted =:0
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Cat
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"Be the change you want to see in the world." Ghandi
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2012-10-12, 9:27am
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Loving learning
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Join Date: Oct 11, 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 11,654
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Zinc fumes are not good to breathe.
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2012-10-12, 6:15pm
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ScrapSurfGlassPaddleSew
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Join Date: Jan 22, 2012
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 3,223
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Followup - the plain steel mandrels work just fine; I just have to remember not to leave them soaking or they put a coating of rust on everything.
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Pat The journey is the reward
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L-111
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2012-10-12, 8:15pm
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sorcerer
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Join Date: Nov 13, 2005
Location: kangaroo island
Posts: 312
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They also transmit heat rapidly, so mind your fingers, this is the main reason they are not used
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Kangaroo Island,walking on the dark side in paradise.
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