is Type 303 stainless steel the right material for a burnisher?

[Bay Area Dave]

I'm trying to find the correct material in the Grainger's catalog to use a burnisher.

dave

[Ron Hock]

I doubt if it'd be hard enough. Some scraper blades are in the Rc55-58 range and therefore require a burnisher that's harder than that. You could look for a hardened drill blank, either high speed steel or carbide. I hear people use automotive valve stems or wrist pins, too. If a burnisher is marked at all by the scraper, it's too soft.

[Shill mode on]

Or you could just buy one of our burnishers. 3/8" dia x 6" long hardened to Rc64+ and a mere $13.00 (our #BR375). And assuming you are the "San Francisco Bay" -Area Dave (as opposed to some other bay) you could just scoot over the bridge to the Japan We're in Alameda and pick one up...

[Shill mode off]

Regards, Noyo Harbor Area Ron

PS: California's Highway-1 is getting a new bridge over the Noyo Harbor (your tax dollars at work) here in Fort Bragg. The cool thing is that they're building the two new outside lanes on each side of the old bridge so you can walk out on the old walkway and watch a bridge being built from just a few feet away. Usually all that big work gets done way up in the air and behind chain link enclosures. But we've been monitoring the progress all along right up close and personal. C'mon up the coast and check it out.

----- Ron Hock HOCK TOOLS

-----

[Bay Area Dave]

I just got back from Graingers and declined to purchase the part. It turned out to be square stock; not round, anyway. I'll just keep using what I've got on hand until I run across something suitable. Thanks, Ron

dave

R> I doubt if it'd be hard enough. Some scraper blades are in the Rc55-58 range

[Lawrence A. Ramsey]

[Andy Dingley]

303 stainless is too soft for anything. Even a hard stainless is too soft for a burnisher.

Buy one. You can get good ones for about $5, and they already have a knuckle-saving handle on them.

If you have to make your own, buy a length of "silver steel", "drill rod" or "O-1" and harden it. Put it on the stove until it's a cherry red, then quench in engine oil (watch for fires). Don't try to temper it - you should manage fine without.

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

[Jim Wilson]

If you want to *buy* something, you'd be better off to get a solid carbide end mill and use the shank. Solid carbide router bits are much more expensive; go figure. An old broken one will do just as well, of course, and can often be had for nothing from a local machine shop.

Stainless is definitely the wrong way to go. If you want to get a steel you can harden yourself with little experience (I.e., darn hard to screw it up), get W-1 and after hardening, draw the temper to 450 F. You should end up with a tool over RC 60 surface hardness, which is quite sufficient for burnishing a scraper or putty knife blade, which are much softer.

Jim

[Edwin Pawlowski]

That would be a very good price. If the OP is going to buy something, why not buy a burnishing tool from Lee Valley? Comes with a handle even. Of course sometimes the thrill of the chase to get something as a freebee is worth ore than the time and effort spent in the pursuit. Ed

[Jim Wilson]

Agreed.

(G) I hear ya!

Jim

[CW]

Steel dowel pin.

[CW]

They have dowel pins. If you want something longer, look for drill blanks. Make sure it is a drill blank, not drill rod. Drill blanks are made from hardened and ground HSS. They come in the same sizes as twist drills. A 1/2 inch would be great. You might find it cheaper to buy a burnisher though. BTW, if you want to do your own hardening, go ahead and buy a piece of drill rod. Usually comes in 36" lengths in whatever diameter you want. Unhardened.

[Bay Area Dave]

CW, yeah if it isn't gonna save most of the cost, then I'll just order a burnisher. I thought I was gonna get what I needed for $7 this morning, but when I saw what it was of course I had them keep it. thanks for all the tips. After reading about hardening steel, I remembered many years ago heating up a large punch and chisel with a torch and quenching them in oil. Those suckers kept an edge for a long time!

I try to get stuff locally when I can, rather than order online. that's always my last resort. In this case, ordering the proper tool seems to be the most expedient thing to do.

dave

CW wrote:

[CW]

No doubt about it. Good stuff is available, but it's not cheap. I've seen some very good commercial burnishers. They will work great for you. Great thing about it, they never wear out.

[Dave W]

Or you could go to an engine rebuilder and beg a used hardened pushrod. You will come away with as many as you can carry! And they work!