09-04-20, 05:02 PM
(09-04-20, 09:47 AM)fazersharp link Wrote: A good simple test for stainless steel is to see if a magnet will stick, if it will not stick it is a good grade if it will stick then - not so good quality, and you can actually feel the strength of the stick on different grades.
I believe that's not entirely correct.
316 and 304 (which is, I believe what the FZ6's pipes are made from) are, from what I understand, "non-Austenitic" stainless steel, ie they are magnetic, even though most grades of stainless steel aren't.
Quote:It is possible for the magnetic permeability of austenitic steels to be changed during processing. For example, cold work and welding are liable to increase the amount of martensite and ferrite respectively in the steel. A familiar example is in a stainless steel sink where the flat drainer has little magnetic response whereas the pressed bowl has a higher response due to the formation of martensite particularly in the corners.
https://www.bssa.org.uk/faq.php?id=24
Of course if you've got cheap "stainless" steel which is just plated, that's a different matter entirely...!