Stainless steel question
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No more so than the rest of it (unless the rest is coated/plated in something). Stainless steel is the actual material, rather than a coating/plating on another material)
As hinted at above, there are various different grades of stainless, with varying properties (some stronger than others, some sharpen better than others, some resist rust better than others etc)
As hinted at above, there are various different grades of stainless, with varying properties (some stronger than others, some sharpen better than others, some resist rust better than others etc)
This. Stainless steel of a decent grade (not a cheap shonky one full of impurities as you sometimes get from certain countries with poor manufacturing quality) will not rust. That's the whole point of it. But insufficient Ni or Cr content, or impurities will allow it to rust. If the grade/composition is good then the only risk is from the cutting leaving impurities from the cutting blade itself.
and what environment will it need to operate in?
If you want to be really picky about it, a cut stainless end will be more likely to rust as the cutting blade itself imparts iron particles onto edge it has cut, when that's important you passivate the parts to get rid of it, which we have to do here for military stuff.
But no, at this level its not a problem as its not a coating, its a material that will "stain less" Have fun cutting it
But no, at this level its not a problem as its not a coating, its a material that will "stain less" Have fun cutting it
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And make sure you don't join the stainless steel to other metals that may cause galvanic corrosion.
it will tend to be the other metal that corrodes though so for sticking some LEDs in his garden I doubt that will be too much of an issue. For the garden though I'd look for some corten. Blends nicer than shiny stainless, but each to their own.
This!
ETA: Now that I think about it a bit, have fun doing anything with stainless steel!
@dal If you're determined to use stainless steel you'll save time and money by having a pro do whatever needs to be done to the SS. I base this on the fact that you were not really sure what it is and that means you likely don't have the necessary tools to work with it. (try drilling a hole in SS with a regular drill bit. Unless you're dealing with an extremely thin sheet it's all but impossible.) And from the sound of it you'll be working with a pipe that is going to be much thicker.
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Stainless pipe/tube is horrid, most likely 304 stainless which has nothing in it to help it being cut
True, but it does have lots of stuff in it to help you ruin blades, bits and motors.
it's like anything you need the right tool, with the right blades and bits, and the right methodology/workmanship. Don't fear it, but do use the right thing for the right job, and that might cost you more upfront if this is a one-off job than paying someone to do it for you who has all that already. I would look for a fabricator who can water cut. Problem will be order quantity might not be worth it for you.
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As those said above, it'll be hard to cut unless (and even then it's not a breeze) without the right tools.
Not sure what all your requirements for this material is, but if the main consideration is not rusting, then maybe consider aluminium? It's lighter & easier to cut, and doesn't rust (it oxidises, giving a dull finish, rather than shiny).
Not sure what all your requirements for this material is, but if the main consideration is not rusting, then maybe consider aluminium? It's lighter & easier to cut, and doesn't rust (it oxidises, giving a dull finish, rather than shiny).
