I've sorta been tossing the idea of making shield bosses from more then just mild steel.
Aluminum is one of the metals I've been considering along with things like brass, bronze and stainless.
Anyway I know that aluminum shears easier then steel. And that it's softer then steel if unhardened.
So my questions are this. How dishable is aluminum? ie. can I dish a 6" area 2" deep without tearing a hole.
How does aluminum compare to steel strength wise. Ie if I want to use aluminum to make a shield boss that's as strong as a 13ga mild one what would I need to use.
How much does it work harden. Would I be able to use unhardened aluminum and get something of reasonable strength or would things need to get hardened.
Is it possible to work hardened aluminum? I dish out 13ga mild bosses fairly easily. If I could use already hardened aluminum without ripping holes or just having my hammer bounce off that would be great.
I know I'm not gonna know for sure how it works untill I try it but if I get some info before I start Ill probably waste less time and money with guesswork.
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The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory
More Aluminum questions.
Hi Matt
here are a few pictures of stainless bosses:
http://tiarmour.com/price%20list%20stainless%20shield%20boss.htm
would be happy to answer any questions. at some point you need to start using machines. I worry about your longevity as a high volume hand work producer.
[img]http://tiarmour.com/photogallery/photo11669/sbinsun2.JPG[/img]
[img]http://tiarmour.com/photogallery/photo11669/shieldbossshp.JPG[/img]
mrks
squire to sir aveloc
tiarmour.com
here are a few pictures of stainless bosses:
http://tiarmour.com/price%20list%20stainless%20shield%20boss.htm
would be happy to answer any questions. at some point you need to start using machines. I worry about your longevity as a high volume hand work producer.
[img]http://tiarmour.com/photogallery/photo11669/sbinsun2.JPG[/img]
[img]http://tiarmour.com/photogallery/photo11669/shieldbossshp.JPG[/img]
mrks
squire to sir aveloc
tiarmour.com
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Mad Matt
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MRKS I agree I need to start using some machines. That's why I'm working on an air planisher. Planishing is the hardest on the body.
Dishing shield bosses is hard work but easy on the body.
So what's stainless behave like for bosses? What thickness would you recommend?
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The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory
Dishing shield bosses is hard work but easy on the body.
So what's stainless behave like for bosses? What thickness would you recommend?
------------------
The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory
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Mad Matt
- Archive Member
- Posts: 7697
- Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2000 1:01 am
- Location: Ontario Canada
- Contact:
IIRC the road sign boss would be about 12ga unhardened aluminum?
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The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory
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The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory
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Frederich Von Teufel
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- Location: Atlantia, Barony of Marinus (Norfolk, VA)
Simple answer to your complex questions: Aluminum will work for shield bosses, but it's ease of work and strength and durability will depend upon the specific alloy you use.
Let's talk aluminum for a minute. Aluminum has as many alloys as iron does, and the properties can vary between the alloys as much as cast iron varies from stainless steel.
Let's ignore all but the most commonly available alloys, 1000 series, 3000 series 5000 series and 6000 series.
The 1000 series is pretty much pure aluminum; it has very little in the way of trace elements. This alloy is light, malleable, and work hardens with low speed (and doesn't get that hard, even when fully work hardened.)
The 3000 series has small amounts of other elements added, primarily Manganese, Iron and Magnesium. This increases the workability of the alloy, makes the alloy a bit stronger, while keeping the lightness and slow work hardening (this alloy does get fairly springy and hard when at it's hardest, but can be prone to cracking and blow-outs.) The most common alloy is 3003, used primarily by the cook/bakeware manufacturers.
The 5000 series is similar to the 3000 series, but adds trace amounts of Zinc, Chromium, and larger amounts of Manganese. This greatly increases the strength, but at the expense of it's workability. It work hardens fairly quickly, and can get quite springy and hard. The most commonly found alloy is 5052.
The 6000 series builds on the previous alloys, adding trace amounts of Titanium and lower amounts of the other elements. The strength is very high, but it's workability is even lower, and it work hardens very quickly. When fully work hardened, it's very, very hard and springy. The most commonly found alloy is 6061.
Now, you may find a letter/number designation after the alloy, as in '6061-T6' or '3003-H32'. This is the temper designation, or 'how hard it is'. This number is an arbitrary method by which the manufacturers say "This is quarter/half/fully as hard as it's possible for this to get". Note that this means you can not compare 3003 to 6061 and say, "well, they are both 'half-hard', that means they are equally strong." These designations can only be compared to each other when it's the exact same alloy.
Besides, if you are trying for the easiest time when working with aluminum (particularly when you are trying for those 'deep dish' projects), you will be annealing the piece, which will make all those temper numbers null and void. You will be drawing the temper down to "O" grade, i.e. as soft as the alloy can get.
My recommendation is that, if you are going to be making a peice that will be taking huge amounts of abuse (as shield bosses do) then to stick to the higher series such as 5052 or 6061. You can get immense amounts of strength from these alloys, while still getting good depth from them with periodic annealing during the creation. If you want strength that is equivalent to 13 ga. mild steel, then I'd recommend .100 or thicker 6061 (my .125 shield and baskethilts laugh at ducal level blows. I'm not sure it's possible to dent them with a legal SCA blow.)
Frederich
Let's talk aluminum for a minute. Aluminum has as many alloys as iron does, and the properties can vary between the alloys as much as cast iron varies from stainless steel.
Let's ignore all but the most commonly available alloys, 1000 series, 3000 series 5000 series and 6000 series.
The 1000 series is pretty much pure aluminum; it has very little in the way of trace elements. This alloy is light, malleable, and work hardens with low speed (and doesn't get that hard, even when fully work hardened.)
The 3000 series has small amounts of other elements added, primarily Manganese, Iron and Magnesium. This increases the workability of the alloy, makes the alloy a bit stronger, while keeping the lightness and slow work hardening (this alloy does get fairly springy and hard when at it's hardest, but can be prone to cracking and blow-outs.) The most common alloy is 3003, used primarily by the cook/bakeware manufacturers.
The 5000 series is similar to the 3000 series, but adds trace amounts of Zinc, Chromium, and larger amounts of Manganese. This greatly increases the strength, but at the expense of it's workability. It work hardens fairly quickly, and can get quite springy and hard. The most commonly found alloy is 5052.
The 6000 series builds on the previous alloys, adding trace amounts of Titanium and lower amounts of the other elements. The strength is very high, but it's workability is even lower, and it work hardens very quickly. When fully work hardened, it's very, very hard and springy. The most commonly found alloy is 6061.
Now, you may find a letter/number designation after the alloy, as in '6061-T6' or '3003-H32'. This is the temper designation, or 'how hard it is'. This number is an arbitrary method by which the manufacturers say "This is quarter/half/fully as hard as it's possible for this to get". Note that this means you can not compare 3003 to 6061 and say, "well, they are both 'half-hard', that means they are equally strong." These designations can only be compared to each other when it's the exact same alloy.
Besides, if you are trying for the easiest time when working with aluminum (particularly when you are trying for those 'deep dish' projects), you will be annealing the piece, which will make all those temper numbers null and void. You will be drawing the temper down to "O" grade, i.e. as soft as the alloy can get.
My recommendation is that, if you are going to be making a peice that will be taking huge amounts of abuse (as shield bosses do) then to stick to the higher series such as 5052 or 6061. You can get immense amounts of strength from these alloys, while still getting good depth from them with periodic annealing during the creation. If you want strength that is equivalent to 13 ga. mild steel, then I'd recommend .100 or thicker 6061 (my .125 shield and baskethilts laugh at ducal level blows. I'm not sure it's possible to dent them with a legal SCA blow.)
Frederich