Where can I find out how the approximate comparative strength of various different model-making materials?
i.e. I need to know how much force I can apply to a material before it starts to be bending permanently.
e.g. Suppose I was trying to bend a 1mm square bar, how would the following materials compare?
Titanium (Grade 5)
Brass
Aluminium (in whatever grades are commonly available =??)
Mild steel
Annealed high carbon spring steel
Tempered high carbon spring steel
And what about some more obscure materials like:
Carbon fibre?
Beryllium copper??
Background
I am trying to find an extremely robust material that is not magnetic (i.e. not ferromagnetic). It doesn’t matter if it flexes somewhat, but it must not become PERMANENTLY bent out of shape. I am looking to buy a 1mm square bar (or 1mm diametre). I am trying to avoid having to heat-treat/temper my material (but I could do so if I have to).
e.g. I tried looking up MatWeb.com but it was too detailed, and I couldn’t work out how to use it.
Common model making materials? Well most kits are styrene plastic, which has varying levels of flexibility depending upon the company. Resin, has minimal flexibility. And the main metals: brass, white metal (a lead/tin alloy?), and aluminum, are all fairly malleable, with brass being the strongest.
From a mechanical /physics standpoint, your question is missing a few critical elements…such as whether you’re talking about a momentary, sustained or repetitive force, and the length of the theoretical 1mm bar section involved.
It might save effort if you simply describe what it is you’re trying to do. [whstl]
I am trying to design a slim (1mm) magnet that is sandwiched between 2 steel plates (that are also 1mm thick), that is attached to some carboard by a non-magnetic pin, that is attached to the bottom steel. The whole thing needs to be 3mm thick.
The top and bottom surfaces of the steels must be flush with the top and bottom surfaces of the cardboard.
Here is a simplified diagram.
I have yet to decide how long the non-magnetic pin needs to be - probably about 20mm. But that’s not really the point as I have no need to optimise the design. I just need to build something over-engineered that works. Like-for-like I want to know roughly how different materials compare. Yes some of the forces will be sustained, but the strongest forces will be short in duration.
Hello. Are you a Turkish speaker? Just curious seeing “delme”.
Without a deep dive into Hookes Law, all of the materials noted have some elasticity of deflection before permanent deformation.
The amount of deflection is partially due to the length of the part, hence coil springs which are made of a hard material but have a long length in a relatively small space.
Three of the materials you list are ferrous.
So by observation most springs are steel and that won’t work for you.
A quick search of non-ferrous spring material suggests beryllium copper as a favorite, followed with nickel and brass.
Mild steel is very ferromagnetic. Most stainless alloys are non-magnetic, a few aren’t. . There are many alloys of aluminum, some are quite strong. Carbon fiber is strong but brittle- does not bend well.
Many brass alloys can be hardened and made strong. Also some bronze alloys are strong. However, these alloys may not be readily available, and are hard to work with. K&S brass is moderately strong. They make a 1/8 inch tubing that is hardened and very stiff, but most is soft, not very ridged.
Very mysterious - does anyone have any ideas about what the project might be? A thin magnet sandwiched between two thin steel plates, attached by a hard, thin, bend-resistant rod to a piece of cardboard? What would be the point of this (deliberately researched) very hard rod being fixed to a material that has very little strength itself and even disintegrates if it gets wet?[^o)]
