Using stainless steel nuts for rings? how to tell?

stioc

Registered
Registered
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Messages
596
So I was asked to make a titanium or a stainless steel ring. I've seen people use stainless steel nuts to turn them into rings. Looking at what I have in the garage I can't determine whether they're really stainless steel, what type and if so will they be suitable to make a ring out of? Any thoughts?

Here's a sample of what I've got laying around...

1565741309314.png
 
Some stainless is non-magnetic. If a magnet doesn't stick, could be stainless. Two out of the three don't look like stainless to my eyes though.
 
Thanks...yeah I tried the magnet trick and they all stick.

I think the ones that are gold might not be SS but was curious if perhaps they had some plating on them.

I guess I'm also wondering what type of SS is suitable to wear? can it be any variety of SS like 304, 316, 416 etc?
 
The gold ones are plated. No one would plate stainless nuts. Why not just make them from 303 bar stock?
 
the better quality ss is not magnetic ---Dave
 
Is this rings as in jewelry? If so stick with 300 series stainless. The 400 series will still corrode with skin oils.
The 300 series stainless is non magnetic.
All 3 of the nuts in your pic look like plated steel.
 
Back in the day, late 1950s, the preferred material was Monel, procured from the local (Mare Island Naval Shipyard); nuts were sawn, filed, drilled out, polished, etc. The product was a ring worn on a chain by one's girlfriend "going steady". As someone above suggested, 303 SS is the best choice for ease of machining/shaping.
Theft of Monel nuts was such a problem, I was told, that the Navy had carbon steel nuts installed until a ship was ready to commission, when they were replaced with Monel.
 
Thanks everyone. Yes, a ring as in jewelry. I will look to see where to source the 303 SS.

What about Titanium btw? is that about the same machining wise or much harder? My guess is the latter and SS is probably not as expensive either.
 
Not sure of the history of a small piece of Monel, but the CPO in charge of the crew asked me to make him a ring to hold a "cat eye" found in the coral dredged up for road base on an airstrip in the Philippine Islands. Used a 4 jaw on a 9" South Bend. Haven't heard Monel mentioned in many years.
Have a good day
Ray
 
A small quantity of 303 is not expensive. Check eBay, I've bought small pieces of material
there a number of times at reasonable prices. Make sure it's not 304, which is more difficult to machine.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top