Subject: Re: "leadloy"

From: [email-masked]
Date: 23 Aug 93 20:37:15 -0400

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Alden  Hackmann) writes:
> Several people have mentioned a steel that is an alloy (reputedly) which
> includes sulphur and lead, and has good machinability.  I most recently
> saw it referred to in the letters section of Home Shop Machinist.  
 
> Can anyone tell me a) does it really have good machinability? and b) can
> you tell me a mail-order source?  

Leadloy is excellant material.  It cuts much better than 1018 CRS.  Almost as
easy as aluminum or brass.  You get a nice bright finish and little bitty chips
which are easy to clean up.

Leadloy is known offically as C13L14.  In addition to the small amount of lead, 
it contains sulfer and phosphorus.

It has a machinability rating of 170, where 1018 CRS is about 70 and lousy
stuff is below 50.

The only better stuff I know of is a type of Ledloy containing tellurium, with
a machinability of above 200.

One place I have bought small quantities is:

Metal Buyers Mart
800-657-0721

They cut the stuff in half and ship UPS.  Their prices are not too bad if you
buy a whole bar length and negotiate a bit with them.

Ledloy only costs about 5% more the 1018 from Ryerson (they get 50-60 cents per
lb if you buy tons).  I've been buying the stuff locally in several hundred
pound lots for about $1.00- 1.10 depending on size.

E. Nilson