What is the most unusual material that you have machined?

[Spajo]

I hope for some good stories and interesting suggestions from this question. I consider myself very much a beginner - so I don't know that it can't be done!

1. Screwdriver handle. I inherited an old screwdriver with a mangled bit. I needed some plastic to fix a swimming pool sweeper. I cut the handle off and chucked it up in my lathe. It worked great!
1B. I needed to build up one part of this project and I put some JB Weld metal epoxy on the plastic. It also turned very well and bonded to the plastic.

2. I recently bought 5 sash window weights at a flea market - cheep. They are about 10 lbs of nice cast steel and not too hard. Also, I bought a old laundry iron. It was cheap because the handle was broken off. I'm not too sure how that will work out though.

3. Big box stores sell steel rods used to build concrete forms - cheap. They are about 1/2" x 24", but have cross drilled holes every 4" or so. I put this in because I want to know where you find metal or plastic for your projects.

Happy Turning,
Spajo

 

[Al 1]

Spajo, Any window weights that I have seen are Cast Iron. Al.

 

[benmychree]

Window weights are cast iron, not steel, and are usually so hard that they are unmachinable, they used the dregs of the cupola at the end of a pour day without any regard for contamination or chemistry.

 

[Spajo]

As for the 'steel window weights' - My shop buddy shared his thoughts.

 

[frankly2]

True stated John, window weights are very contaminated and have inconsistent chemistry throughout. Very hard on tooling, even carbide won’t work in some areas of the weight body, but will shatter ! I tried many times to drill and mill them without any consistent results, but wasted too much tooling trying ! They do however make good fishing weights !

 

[benmychree]

Most unusual / hard stuff that I ever machined was Stellite quite hard and abrasion resistant, even the hardest grades of carbide have difficulty cutting it.

 

[Winegrower]

Commercially pure Titanium. It was a breeze, with a mirror-like finish.

Or maybe Macor, a machinable glass.

 

[Braeden P]

I’ve turned Inconel 182 (for welding 718) and drilled 0.015” hole in it for 1/4”, 15 minutes and 3 bits

Hard turned a 1/4” dowel pin to 0.003” just for fun, it broke at around 0.0015”

 

[FOMOGO]

Chocolate cake. My wife said I needed to cut down on desert. The swarf is delicious. Mike

 

[Aaron_W]

Nails, I needed some small diameter steel rods, and some small diameter finishing nails were a good size to start with.

Very hard, gummy and sprongy. Not sure what kind of steel nails are made of but do not recommend as a material for turning on a lathe.