On Sat, 20 Aug 2011 09:31:59 -0700, Bob La Londe wrote:
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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 its a small job, but it will groove from the wire pretty
quickly if its a bigger project.

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

Round carbide inserts are readily available, eg see links at link
below for $5.50-each to $19-each inserts. Minor challenge: they have
7-degree tapered sides for clearance, ie, are like sections of a cone.
So, would need to reverse one of each pair of rollers so that angles
complement each other, and would need to tip the axles 7 degrees to
avoid twisting the wire as it passes between the rollers.
http://www.amazon.com/Sandvik-Coromant-Carbide-Uncoated-Thickness/dp/B0040QD6ZG

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jiw