Klarinet Archive - Posting 001363.txt from 1997/08

From: jayager@-----.edu (Jeremy Alexander Yager)
Subj: Re: Blue steel vs. regular
Date: Sun, 31 Aug 1997 22:26:28 -0400

On Sep 1, 1:50am, Brian Ackerman wrote:
> Subject: Re: Blue steel vs. regular
> > Gary wrote:-
> > Blue steel, as in blue steel springs, is steel that has been treated with
> > either hot or cold bluing. The same stuff they use on guns to help retard
> > rusting. It is only a finish.
> -------------------------------------------------------
>
> Blue steel springs are the traditional type, as opposed to stainless steel.
> They might be liable to rust, but are superior to stainless steel and give
> a good response without being sluggish, and are found on most good quality
> instruments.
> Although the bluing does help to prevent rust, it is actually an essential
> part of the process and is certainly not just a finish. Let me explain:-
> High carbon steel can be heat treated. It is first heated to red-heat and
> quenched. This makes the previously soft steel very hard, but it is also
> very brittle and of little use. It is further heat-treated to a lower
> temperature, which gradually brings down the hardness and reduces the
> brittleness. The higher the temperature the softer and less brittle it
> becomes, until it is eventually in its former soft (annealed) state.
> As the temperature is increased, the steel changes colour, going from straw
> to brown and then blue - so the colour is an indication of how far the
> heating (tempering) process has gone.
> The colour and degree of tempering will be governed by the steels final
> use, so knives, for example, would be straw as they need a keen edge, but
> bend it and it would break (it is harder but also brittle).
> Obviously if clarinet springs were tempered the same as knives they would
> be useless as they would break. The correct temper for springs is blue.
> They are still fairly hard, but can be bent without breaking.
> The blue colour is left on for three reasons. 1- it looks nice. 2- it shows
> it has been correctly hardened and tempered. 3- it helps to prevent rust.
> Finally, it is the same as "regular" steel. Stainless-steel would never be
> described as "regular".
> Brian Ackerman

Stainless steel has a different composition than the steel used in this
process--SS has chromium in it I think.

--Jeremy

Jeremy A. "Galileo" Yager - musician, archer, poet & future engineer
NC State University : Wolfpack Archery! : NC State Marching Band
Look through Galileo's Telescope: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jayager/
Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.