DREWSKI222 Posted February 15, 2006 Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 What are the differences between 302,303,304,302/304,316,316/316L,410 and 430 stainless steel wire.Are some types better than others?I am looking for a wire to use on big muskie baits that is strong,wont rust,and is not too easy but not too had to work with(bend or twist)I will be using .062 up to .076 in gauge.Any help is very appreciated. DREW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DREWSKI222 Posted February 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2006 Anybody? Someone has to know more about stainless steel wire than I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jigmaster Posted February 16, 2006 Report Share Posted February 16, 2006 the lower the number, the higher the grade 300 grade stainless is the good stuff...the lower grades have higher carbon content, which will lead to corrosion over time stick to 300 grade, and you will be golden JM www.daimonlures.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbor Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 they are all alloys. You can look them up on the web. 18-8 is grey and slightly magnetic and may rust 400 series is about the same as 18-8 for rust 316 and im shure all the 300 series are supposed to not be magnetic and not very easy at all to rust. Sorry but I am not shure about hardness but you should be able to look that up online. If you have a choice you should get the 300 series ss I am shure that is what most use. SS can be made VERY hard. but the tempering process is quite tricky. like heat to ??? say 1200 deg for 10 min then down to 800 for so many min not just a simple heat up and quench. You could make your own forms that are as hard as the titanium they sell . I have talked to a friend who has a forge and makes knives. I also bought a aircraft ss part that was hardened. It was a tube sealed on both end. I killed a lathe bit, sawzall blade and grinding did almost nothing so ss can be made very hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lock 45 Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Drew, I make big Muskie spinner bucktails baits. You want to go to your local welding supply and buy .062" 308 stainless tig wire. This will be 36" long wire, fairly straight, rather easy to cut and bend ( as far as stainless goes ) and in my opinion, cannot be beat for the task at hand. To bend it, you want a Hagens big black nasty wire forming tool. It will be about $150.00 and worth EVERY penny. Tell Hagens that you want to work with .062" diameter wire and ask them to pick out a set of bending inserts that will do the job on .062" wire. I have done what you wish to do. I took the hard road. I have just saved you endless hours of screwing around. Now go catch a big one for us all. Regards, Lock 45 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DREWSKI222 Posted February 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Thanx all for the info. :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...