Small cast iron bar supplier?

[IvyParticipant @ivy]

Does anyone know where I can get a small "meehanite" cast iron bar from, the finished size will be 220mm long, 28mm wide and 10mm thick. So a little over these dimensions would be ideal.

This is to make a sliding dovetail, a bit like a big gib strip, so if anyone can suggest an alternative material that will slide and wear well against an iron surface I'm all ears.

I have tried College Engineering and they can't help.

Thanks Ivy.

[IvyParticipant @ivy]

[Peter G. ShawParticipant @peterg-shaw75338]

Hi Ivy,

Sounds like a replacement gib for your 220!

Anyway, I tried typing "Cast Iron Suppliers" into Google which then came up with a list of suppliers. I can only suggest that you trawl around these sites.

Actually, I'm very surprised that CES couldn't help as their website indicates that they can supply up to 300mm x 200mm x 1m – unless it's the cutting of it that is the problem.

Another thought is that perhaps a jobbing foundry might be able to make one.

Good luck with your quest.

Peter G. Shaw

[Clive FarrarParticipant @clivefarrar90441]

M-Machine at Darlington.

Cast iron bar certainly whether it is true Meehanite I could not say.

regards Clive

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

Try Blackgates

Bob

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You either need to find someone who can cut it off the a bit of CI plate or just get a bit of 30mm round and machine it out of that which is likely to be the easier oprion.

College usually have 25×50 CI bar, I've certainly bought it off them in the past and thats about the smallest stock section.

J

[Engine BuilderParticipant @enginebuilder]

You could buy a round bar and mill away to make the section you reqiure.

[IvyParticipant @ivy]

Thanks for the advice to every one.

I will get a piece over size 30mm x 30mm from CES and spend a tedious day reducing it to size. There is no real alternative.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

What is tedious about running it through a vertical bandsaw to get near to your 10mm thickness? You might even be able to sell on the spare strip!

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

IVY ,

(1) If you want cast iron you may be better off ordering a 13 mm slice from a large section bar . Nearly to size in thickness , easier to saw and all cut off material has further uses or sell on to others people .

(2) If as you say this is a gib strip application then ordinary mild steel would work just as well anyway against an existing cast iron slideway part .

Regards ,

Michael Williams

[SteambuffParticipant @steambuff]

Ivy,

Have you phoned/emailed M-Machines?

They sell Cast Iron and say that <quote> "We can cut square and rectangles to your requirements, a small cutting charge will apply. Please enquire" <endquote>

They can sometimes supply material that is not listed in their catalogue.

They have cut custom sizes of Steel and Brass for me in the past … and the cutting charge ammounted to pence rather than pounds.

No connection with them, just a very happy customer.

Dave

[IvyParticipant @ivy]

I did look up M-Machines on the web and only saw a Mini car specialists, but then I looked again today and noticed their metals store link. I telephoned and they will cut a piece or find an off-cut for me so it's all sorted. Thanks to Clive and Steambuff for that .

KWIL: I don't have a bandsaw but I do have more time than money, anyway I am all sorted now.

Thanks again for all the help, this forum is a great resource for me and any other very amateur model engineers, or more accurately tinkerers that like to just have a go with no real engineering knowledge.

Ivy.

[Howard ProffittParticipant @howardproffitt72129]

Ivy,

We have noted your reference for cast iron bar we have noted you say College Engineering Supply are unable to supply I don't know where you get this idea from as we supply simmilar sizes to your requirements all the time and cut blocks and round bar to size, please see our web site. We supply continiously cast iron to BS1452 Gd 250 (17 ton/sq in) which is a close grade meehenite quality. Meehenite is an old trade name for this quality bar. We see that members suggested we can supply and they are correct.

Howard Proffitt

College Engineering Supply

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

On behalf of the forum, thank you for your reply Howard, I'm sure this will be of help. Ian S C

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

For future ref; local scrappies tend to have CI in the form of sash window weights,I think these are roughly 25mm x 300 long, as for being true Meehenite…?? but would hazard a guess that they quite close in composition, last time I was at my local scrappie I saw a bundle layed over in one corner but was more interested in getting some brass & ally so didn't pick a piece up, maybe should have on the offchance, probably won't be any there next time I go over

George

[Swarf, Mostly!Participant @swarfmostly]

Hi there, all,

As has been said on other threads, scrap metal dealers nowadays seem reluctant to let us 'browse' through their yards.

Slightly off-topic: Some years ago, my next door neighbours inherited a player piano but couldn't find anyone to take their old upright piano (to play). So I volunteered to 'constructively dismantle' it. It had a cast iron frame on a wooden sub-frame. The cast iron machines beautifully and I still have a few pieces in-stock. (Its cross section would lend itself to being made into an engineer's level.) The board with the tuning pegs was beech and now forms the front apron on my carpentry bench and the front jaw of the carpentry vice. The wooden sub-frame was 4" x 3" white pine with not a knot anywhere; I managed to keep that out of the rain for 30-odd years (and three house moves) but recently gave it away to an acquaintance who makes guitars.

Now for a question – I have a substantial block of cast iron (60 mm x 60 mm x 90 mm) that I need to reduce and 'rough-out' before I start to machine it. The only bandsaw to which I have access is an old Burgess. What do members here think of my chances that the Burgess will cope with such a job and what sort of blade should I be looking for?

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

 

Edited By Swarf, Mostly! on 20/04/2013 15:50:54

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Whats wrong with a hacksaw if your bandsaw won't cope. I quite often take a slice off 80mm dia iron bar cuts quite easily. If you do it while you are working on something else you can cut say 1/2" do a bit of machining then come back and saw another 1/2".

J

[Clive FarrarParticipant @clivefarrar90441]

The Burgess will do it but it will need to be VERY slow feed.

You nee to true up your blade guides and have a close fit to mimimise the inevitble wandering at this depth of cut.

For me it would have to be a Bimetallic blade 30 -42 tpi.

 

Regards Clive

Edited By Clive Farrar on 21/04/2013 09:31:07

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