Source for thin metal??

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I need a small piece of metal about 3" X 1/8" X .010" for build up in an area that receives a lot of metal on metal wear.  I will silver solder it on to the base metal.  The base metal is 4140 steel.  Can someone point me in the right direction?  Thanks everyone.  Larry
Reply:It would make it a lot easier for us to point you in the right direction, if we knew where you were coming from.  If you're in VA, you can stop by my shop.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Thanks for the offer SundownIII, I'm in South Georgia.  I was thinking of something like the blade off a feeler gauge.  Is that type of metal hardened at all?  I was thinking about a source maybe on the internet?  I'm really just trying to find my way around here really.  I can braze and have silver solder and I'm no expert.  This is just a hobby and something I would like to try.  I need thin, hard metal.  It could be something in my garage that I'm just not seeing.  Any ideas sure will be appreciated.
Reply:Closest scrap I can think of and probably a tad thicker than you want is something like a metal bandsaw blade.
Reply:LarryE44, What part of South Ga.  If you will give a bit more details on what you are working on then I probably have something that might help you out.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:You can buy sheets or rolls of shim stock made of various materials and in various thicknesses. If you used high carbon steel, silver solder would anneal it in the process of attaching it. What exactly is the application and would some other method, perhaps riveting or using epoxy, work instead? That would allow it to keep its hardness. Did you really mean only 1/8 " wide? What about just brazing on a thin bronze wear layer?Last edited by Oldiron2; 08-22-2008 at 01:25 AM.
Reply:Thanks, everyone, it is the rails on my 1911 pistol.  The slide and frame need to be tight (.001" clearance) for accuracy and custom fit and finish.  A gunsmith brought it in as tight as he could for me and he told me it needs to be TIG welded and worked down with a finish cut file before it is lapped to final fit.  The rail is only about 1/8" wide and about 3" long.  I was wondering if brazing on a strip of hard metal would work as that is something I can do.I would prefer a TIG welded bead of a hard material.  That is what I would really like.  I need about .007" build up.  If I can find someone near me to do that, I can do the final fitting.  The gunsmith gave me instructions on exactly how to do it; it’s just that he does not weld.  Thanks again everyone.  Larry
Reply:Couple of things.A clearance of 0.001 inch is TIGHT.  Not just tight, but T-I-G-H-T.Brazing will not really work.  As said, the possibly hardened 'shim' would end up annealed after the brazing and then wouldn't be hard any more.If the frame is really that undersized that the smith couldn't selectively peen the rails to spread them enough on the sides to close up the clearance between the frame and the rails, then it's pretty much either TIG it (carefully!!!!) or get another frame that is oversized to begin with so that the smith has the material to selectively remove to get the desired fit.And 4140 can be 'medium' hardened.  But if you weld or braze it, it most likely wouldn't be hardened in the right places anymore, so you'd have to re-heat-treat the frame.And yes, the frame-to-rails is metal-to-metal wear.  But you can't make the metal too hard, or it will be brittle.  Brittle in gun parts is usually not good.  How about having it plated and built-up that way?  Maybe Magna-plate or similar.  That could let you build up a few thou, and if you got hard chrome or electroless lubri-plate nickel, you would have hard, slick, and built-up.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Brittle shouldn't be a problem, if its ONLY the top thousandth or so on the surface.But I don't think brazing on a shim is a good idea.TIG should work, but if you really want the best, I would suggest a type of "spray on" powdered metal hardfacing, such as made by Eutectic Castolin.  This stuff is typically used to build up worn cam shafts, armatures, pump seals, etc.
Reply:Larry, I could do the work, but I personally would not want to considering it's use.  I build a few custom rifles in my spare time so I am no newbie when it comes to gun work.  If it was me I would contact Bob at Accurate Plating and Weaponary in Headland, Alabama.  It is about an hour and a half from Albany.  He does plating work for colt, springfield armory, and several others.  Explain to him what you want and he can probably plate the action in hard chrome, and fit it to specifications.  You do realize the .001" clearance it gonna be tight.  I would think the heating of the gun itself can cause issues if it is that tight. It better be kept extremely clean.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Thanks guys.  Thanks Hammack_Welding for the lead.  I will call Bob.  Jerry Kuhnhausen is the most renowned expert on the 1911.  In his book "The Colt .45 Automatic - A Shop Manual" he says this about slide to frame clearance.  "Ideal clearance depends on use.  For general service use .004"-.005" is near optimum, while less than .001" is desirable for competition."It does not have to be .001", but I do want to use it in competition.  Mainly, for the custom fit and finish.  As you know, Hammack_Welding, the G.I. 1911 autos are known for a lot of play in the slide and frame fit.I sure appreciate everyone helping me to resolve this problem.  Thanks for taking the time to give me all the ideas and hopefully Bob can fix it up for me.rlitman, where can I find the spray on hardfacing?  Is it a DIY product?
Reply:I don;t think you want to use a sprayed powder hardsurface as I think it would be too hard to control where it goes on something like a frame.  I have never had Bob do any machining work for me, but what I have seen that came out of his shop was top notch.  I build my own rifles, but have used them to chrome plate some barrelled actions and parts for me, and was extremely satisfied with the work.  I will look up the phone number for Accurate plating and weaponary, and Send it to you.  ~JacksonLast edited by Hammack_Welding; 08-22-2008 at 05:50 PM.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:"and worked down with a finish cut file"This is one of my strengths. I know what I can't do. There are some things best left to the pros.There are dozens of 1911 specialists, send it to one of them. IMHO It will come back far better than if you try to do it yourself. Or if you get it done by someone unfamiliar with your needs, willing to take your money anyway.9-11-2001......We Will Never ForgetRetired desk jockey. Hobby weldor with a little training. Craftsman O/A---Flat, Vert, Ovhd, Horz. Miller Syncrowave 250
Reply:Regarding the spray powders, you need the special equipment which is expensive, then you need much more powder than you'll likely ever use for this purpose again, and finally you need the experience/knowledge which takes time to get. This isn't the type of project to do yourself.Do you sort your brass by weight? I've never competed, but was handloading before I could drive.