Axle material

[Phil CatchesidesParticipant @philcatchesides15448]

Should I use silver steel (ground finish) or mild steel (often a bit undersize) for the axles ? Axle box holes will be reamed

Phil

[Phil CatchesidesParticipant @philcatchesides15448]

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Hi Phil,

For a light duty axle mild steel should be sufficient, for more heavy duty work a high tensile steel with around 0.45% C alloyed with Cr, Mo and possibly Ni would be my first choice. Where I live I can get medium tensile ground steel bars that I use amongst other things for axles. Silver steel has a high carbon content and I wouldn't use it for axle material.

Thor

[Capstan SpeakingParticipant @capstanspeaking95294]

It would help to know what the axle is for.

If it's for a static model you can use anything. I've even used dowel pins to save time on tiny jobs with no load.

Cheap Chinese stuff often uses roll pins which is an awful bodge.

Now for a proper job for perhaps a vehicle you'd want something like EN8 for a trolley and EN16B for anything man riding.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Most of the suppliers over here —–>

Will happily sell you ground mild steel bars which are as accurate as sliver steel and better suited to axle duty. (and cheaper!),

Neil

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Phil, you don't say what size of engine you are building but since you've mentioned silver steel – I'll guess it might be a smaller one.

I build in 2.5" gauge and everything of mine has mild steel axles. Those parts that need to be an accurate size are turned in either a suitable collet or between centres – depends on whether it's a plain axle or not. You can get a good finish with a sharp tool and a little care.

Regards,

IanT

[Phil CatchesidesParticipant @philcatchesides15448]

Sorry, should have said – 5" gauge Boxhill so journals are 5/8" diameter. No local steel suppliers that I know of (West Wales) so just the usual mail order suppliers

Phil

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

As Neil says the precision ground mild steel (PGMS) has the same surface finish as silver steel but is easier to machine and costs about half the price. I'm not a loco man but often use it for built up crankshafts on the hit & miss engines.

College eng or M-machine will pop a bit in teh post

 

J

Edited By JasonB on 30/03/2015 12:34:57

[Phil CatchesidesParticipant @philcatchesides15448]

Thanks all, I think it will be PGMS – didn't know there was such a thing. I know College but who is M-machine?

Phil

[CotswoldsPhilParticipant @cotswoldsphil]

Hi

**LINK**  m-machine used to be included in the advert pane here >>>>

I ordered from them last time I needed stock and received very good service. No connection apart from a satisfied customer

Phil

Edited By CotswoldsPhil on 30/03/2015 18:46:39

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

Its true that the general MS bar is a thou or so undersize. This can be handy for an axle to allow a gap for the oil, but much less so when you ream the wheels and want a good fit to the axle. Id go ground steel and have an oil score in the box.

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

I use old pneumatic cylinder rods. not sure what the material is, some one said that it was en8? Sure machines like it.

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