A strange barrel blank

Pete Wass

Pete Wass

Well-known member
Last year I got a replacement barrel from a well known manufacturer and I appreciate their sending it. When I cut the blank to begin fitting it i noticed the ban saw wasn't cutting the blank very fast or not as fast as the others I had cut off in the past. By the end of the second cut, it was obvious the blade wasn't cutting at all so I decided to finish up with a hack saw and it had all it could do to finish the cut. The band saw blade was toast!

The blank threaded and reamed fine and seemed to polish fine as well. I wondered if it was made of a harder grade of SS. Still puzzled about it.

Pete
 
Just about every body uses 416 R for their standard blanks, unless it is a ultra light profile in a large magnum caliber, them some recommend 410 or Chrome Moly.

The grade of 416 R that is used in barrels is very consistent in it’s quality and RC hardness. Not saying there couldn’t have been an anomaly, just not likely.

Dull band saw blade?
 
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the blade

jackie schmidt said:
Just about every body uses 416 R for their standard blanks, unless it is a ultra light profile in a large magnum caliber, them some recommend 410 or Chrome Moly.

The grade of 416 R that is used in barrels is very consistent in it’s quality and RC hardness. Not saying there couldn’t have been an anomaly, just not likely.

Dull band saw blade?
Click to expand...

was recent before I cut that barrel off. It wasn't branny new but had not cut anything other than aluminum. Just wondered if it may have work hardened or if the composition of the steel had caused it. Never experienced anything like it before.

Pete
 
were you using coolant on the bandsaw? stainless has a nasty property of workharding just a few thousands deep if it gets too warm. it gets hard enough to make getting past/through it very difficult. a common flex back or hard back ( carbon spring steel) band will be dulled quickly by same increasing the friction and making the problem worse. A m2 ( bi -metal) type band saw blade is a better choice for dealing with stainless. Hand hack saw - Never draw the blade backwards through the cut while still in contact with the material to be cut- dulls the teeth quickly- just like a file only cuts one direction.
 
I think it may have work hardned

blades said:
were you using coolant on the bandsaw? stainless has a nasty property of workharding just a few thousands deep if it gets too warm. it gets hard enough to make getting past/through it very difficult. a common flex back or hard back ( carbon spring steel) band will be dulled quickly by same increasing the friction and making the problem worse. A m2 ( bi -metal) type band saw blade is a better choice for dealing with stainless. Hand hack saw - Never draw the blade backwards through the cut while still in contact with the material to be cut- dulls the teeth quickly- just like a file only cuts one direction.
Click to expand...

It was a bimetal blade. I did squirt soluble coolant on it when I observed the blade not descending through the blank but im guessing the blade had been lunched by then. Thanks, I'll pay more attention next time, for sure. I've experienced workhardening while drilling in the past so was somewhat aware of the situation but didn't expect it from a band saw.

Pete
 
blades said:
were you using coolant on the bandsaw? stainless has a nasty property of workharding just a few thousands deep if it gets too warm. it gets hard enough to make getting past/through it very difficult. a common flex back or hard back ( carbon spring steel) band will be dulled quickly by same increasing the friction and making the problem worse. A m2 ( bi -metal) type band saw blade is a better choice for dealing with stainless. Hand hack saw - Never draw the blade backwards through the cut while still in contact with the material to be cut- dulls the teeth quickly- just like a file only cuts one direction.
Click to expand...

You would be surprised how many folks who work with tools, aren't aware of the proper procedure when using a file or a hacksaw.

Mort
 
I check every lot of

bbl's that come in and what I see is 26.5 to 31.7 RC.
The button bbl's are typically on the lower end of the scale.

Richard
 
I've used that band saw

for 15 years or so and on a lot of different metals and perhaps 20 SS rifle blanks and never experienced anything like this one was. Just a little background info regarding the use of that band saw.

Pete
 
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