"Martin Eastburn" wrote in message
...
I have some 316 SS that was sold in a long roll. Cutting (tough)
off a length - the metal is full of spring.

Martin

On 8/18/2011 10:51 AM, toolbreaker wrote:
On Aug 17, 10:02 pm, wrote:
I am looking at a use for some spring-temper 304 stainless wire, .009"
dia. It comes round, but it would be better suited for this use if it
was square-section. Can I run it (cold) through a couple pairs of
rollers to form it into a square, without altering the other properties?

From what I understand spring temper means its fully work hardened. However
roll forming would be a form of working so if you set up a roller that will
work for you to form it into square wire it will harden more if its not full
hard. I don't see why you couldn't do it with larger wire, but I am having
a hard time visualizing something that will work with such small wire.
Well, something I could setup in my shop anyway. Maybe a series of
alternating direction parallel roller pairs to draw the wire through. Each
pair only a few 1/10000 close together than the last pair. Plain cold rolled
steel might work for a little while if it’s a small job, but it will groove
from the wire pretty quickly if it’s a bigger project.

Not sure, maybe a harder stainless or even titanium for the rollers if its
to produce larger quantities of square wire?

Regardless I am pretty sure you will lengthen and reduce the gage of a wire
by using this particular process.

How long of pieces do you need? For short pieces you might be able to just
press them into a machined groove in a metal plate with another metal plate
using a hydraulic press. They are going to curl rather severely I think
when pulling them out of the groove, but I bet you could get square wire
(roughly depending on your math skills) this way too. One side will have
squarer corners than the other I suspect also. Or you may just wind up with
a plate with a nicely pressed in stainless strip. LOL.

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Try it and let us know how it works.