The Best of Theforge
Volume 1 of 3
Compiled and edited by: Ron Reil
Jump To Volume 2 Jump To Volume 3
Note: Multiple articles within a topic are separated by " ******** " between each article. Also, the links to other related resources only link to the page, not to the numbered resource. You will need to scroll down to the listed resource entry. In some cases additional unlinked information may be included in the various "Misc. Information" topics.
3. WELDING (Also Vol. 2, #98 & Vol. 3, #122)
4. WELDING ROD (Also Vol. 2, #98 & Vol. 3, #122)
5. WELDING BOOKS (Also Vol. 2, #91 & Vol. 3, #125)
6. FORGE WELDING (Also Vol. 2, #93, 101 & Vol. 3, #124)
7. JUDGING WELDING TEMPERATURE
8. FOUNDRY CASTING (Also Vol. 3, #135)
9. LOST WAX
10. WROUGHT IRON (Also Vol. 2, #112)
11. PARTING COMPOUND
12. SOURCE FOR BLACKSMITH COAL (Also Vol. 2, #94)
13. LINING SMALL FORGE PANS (Also Vol. 2, #95 & Vol. 3, #115)
14. MISC. ADDERSSES (Also Vol. 2, #68 & Vol. 3, #114, 117, 127)
15. RETEMPERING PETROBOND SAND
18. AIR HAMMER INFO (Also Vol. 2, #84 & Vol. 3, #129)
20. POZTONGS
23. ORIGINAL USE FOR SUCKER ROD
24. ITC-100 & REFRACTORIES (Also Vol. 2, #69)
25. STEEL, AND STEEL SOURCES (Also Vol. 2, #74 & Vol. 3, #117)
26. RAILROAD SPIKES & SUPERQUENCH (Also Vol. 2, #97, 108 & Vol. 3, #121, 132)
27. BEARING RACES
28. FIREPLACE SCREEN (Also Vol. 3, #113)
29. REPOUSSE' (Also Vol. 2, #85)
30. WEATHERVANES
32. HYDRAULIC PRESSES (Also Vol. 2, #76)
33. RUST, COATINGS, AND SCALE REMOVAL (Also Vol. 2, #71 & Vol. 3, #119)
35. METAL FINISHES AND PATINAS (Also Vol. 2, #99, 109 & Vol. 3, #128)
36. ANVILS (Also Vol. 2, #79 & Vol. 3, #136)
37. TUMBLERS
38. TOUCHMARKS
39. CASE HARDENING AND COLOR CASE HARDENING
40. WROUGHT IRON (Also Vol. 2, #112)
41. HARDENING AND TEMPERING STEEL (Also Vol. 2, #81)
42. WELDING FLUX (Also Vol. 2, #93 & Vol. 3, #124)
43. WOOD STAINS
45. STRIKERS (Also Vol. 2, #92)
46. BOOKS (Also Vol. 2, #91 & Vol. 3, #125)
47. WOOTZ STEEL & DAMASCUS (Also Vol. 2, #102 & Vol. 3, #133)
48. BLACKSMITHING ASSOCIATIONS
49. ROSES AND FLOWERS (Also Vol. 2, #90 & Vol. 3, #138)
50. HISTORY OF IRON
51. GLASS AND IRON
53. BOEING SURPLUS
54. LOW TEMPERATURE FORGE WELDING (STACK WELDING) (Also Vol. 2, #101)
55. WEB ADDRESSES & MISC. RESOURCES (PLANS ETC.) (Also Vol. 3, #114)
57. CHEAP BANDSAWS (Also Vol. 2, #72)
60. TITANIUM
61. TREADLE HAMMERS (Also Vol. 2, #75 & Vol. 3, #123)
63 HOODS AND SMOKESHELVES (Also Vol. 2, #80)
64. GLOVES
65. HAMMERS & HAMMER HANDLES (Also Vol. 2, #104)
66. POURING BABBET
Continued in Volume #2 & #3
Suggest you consider casting in babbit the nut you need directly around
your leadscrew. Coat the leadscrew with carbon from a candle to keep
it from sticking to the babbit, or you may use graphite.
This list currently covers the years 1900 - 1980
Traditionally, the magazines of this country have served as a forum in which problems of every type are dealt with and solutions offered. This is especially true in the area of metal craft. The following is a collection of magazine articles mostly related to solving metalworking problems. It's information that will serve as a good working reference source for you.
Finding the articles is simple and free! You just look them up in your local library. Every public library receives most of the magazines listed in this section, although for really old articles or for magazines that have gone out of business, you will have to go to an older library or find one that has a microfilm file that goes back far enough.
Usually you will have to fill out a "call" slip that states the name of the magazine you want and the date. I have listed the name of the article (as it appears in the magazine) first, the name of the magazine, the issue number, page number and the date. Library procedures vary, so check with the front desk if you have any question.
For example: -- Simple foot power compound grinder; Sci Am, 99: 264, O,17'08 (name of article)(Magazine)(issue#,page,date,year)
Even though some of the information in these articles may be out of date, the prices way off - and in the older ones you may have to use more caution with chemicals and procedures than indicated, I'm sure you will agree that this valuable information has been lying dormant too long in the library.
**************
LIST OF MAGAZINES (& abbreviations):
-- Am Artist=American Artist
-- Am M Art=American Magazine of Art
-- Art World
-- Ceram Mo=Ceramics Monthly
-- Craft Horizon
-- Craftsman
-- Design
-- House B=House Beautiful
-- House & Gard=House and Garden
-- Ind A & V Ed=Industrial Arts and Vocational Education
-- Ind Arts M=Industrial Education Magazine
-- Ind Ed M=Industrial Education Magazine
-- Manual Training
-- Mech ILL=Mechanix Illustrated
-- Mother Earth News
-- Org Gard & Farm=Organic gardening and Farming
-- Popular Electronics
-- Pop Mech=Popular Mechanics
-- Pop Sci=Popular Science
-- Sch Arts=School Arts
-- Sch Arts M=School Arts Magazine
-- Sci Am=Scientific American
-- Sci Am S=Scientific American Supplement
-- Science (also Science n.s.)
-- Sci ILL=Science Illustrated
-- Scrib M=Scribner's Magazine
-- World
-- Workbench
*****************
CATEGORIES:
--Buffing, Grinding, Polishing
--Drilling
--Enameling
--Etching & Engraving
--Forming, Bending, Forging
--Foundry
--Hammers/Equipment
--Lathes, Mills, Filing
--Plating,Patinating, Coloring
--Presses, Punches, Stamping
--Sanding machines
--Saws, cutting Equip. & tools
--Tools: Making & Repairing
--Welding, soldering, brazing, torches
--General metalwork
--Miscellaneous
****************
BUFFING; GRINDING; POLISHING:
--Simple foot power compound grinder; Sci Am, 99: 264, 0,17'08
--Refinishing brass & copper; Craftsman,21 : 445, Ja'12
--Polishing metal with clay;Sci Am S, 81 : 381, Je, 10'16
--Using concrete for making grindstones;World,31 : 428, M'19
--Homemade buffer & grinder;World,32 : 619,D'19
--Surface grinding in the lathe;Pop Mech, 44 : 172,Jl'25
--Surface grinding on a drill press; Pop Mech, 53 : 867, My'30
--Shaping form tools on a grinder; Pop Sci, 119 : 85, Ag'31 & 119:85,S'31
--Sturdy surface grinder to finish metals; Pop Mech, 59 : 317, F'33
--Metal finishing in the home shop;Pop Mech,64:626,O'35
--Heavy-duty grinder from old auto parts; Pop Mech,64:941, D'35
--Homemade spindle & buffs for metal polishing; Pop Sci, 130:94, Mr'37
--It's easy to learn how to sharpen twist drills; Pop Sci, 133:86, Jl'38
--To buff & polish; Pop Mech, 69:629, Ap'38
--Making metal smooth as glass; Pop Mech, 71:1, Ja'39
--Sharpening small drills; Pop Sci, 137:56, Je'40
--Tool grinding freehand; Pop Mech, 75:788,My'41
--Precision tool-post grinder for the small machine shop;Pop Sci, 139:170
Ag'41 & 139:186, S'41
--Welders drill & grinder from old auto starter; Pop Mech,76:155, Jl'41
--Built up polishing wheel made from cloth buffers; Pop Mech, 79:135,Jn'43
--Buffing in the home shop;Pop Mech,101:203, Ap'54
--Building a long-arm buffer; Pop Mech, 114:172, Jl'60
--How to mount grinding wheels with epoxy;Pop Mech, 132:184, Jl'69
--How to sharpen tiny drills; Pop Sci, 195:174, N'69
--How to make a scalloped polishing wheel;Pop Mech, 198:124,N'71
--Build this pedestal grinder for $40;Pop Mech, 136:144,N'71
DRILLING:
--Worm-gear attachment for sensitive drill press; Pop Mech,42:325, Ag'24
--Sensitive drillpress for small work;Pop Mech, 56:1037,D'31
--Homemade ball-bearing drill press; Pop Mech,62:461, S'34
--Pump drill & bow drill;Ind A & V Ed, 28:298, S'39
--Precision drill press for the modelmaker;Pop Mech, 76:135,D'41
--High speed sensitive drill; Pop Sci, 146;180,Ap'45
--Hand powered drill press; Pop Sci,148:179, Ja'46
--Hand powered drill press; Pop Mech, 87:221,Ja'47
--Drill press made from pipe fittings;Pop Mech,89:216,Ja'48
--Constructing a small drill press in the school shop; Ind A & V Ed,38:381, N'49
--Drill Press made from auto parts;Pop Mech, 96:195, Ag'51
--You can make your own deep hole drill;Pop Mech, 124:166,Ag'65
--Drill speed Control; Pop Electronics,18:115, N'80
ENAMELING:
--How to enamel etched metal work; Ind A & V Ed, 25:206, Jl'36
--Enameling copper;Ind A & V Ed,39:358, N'50
--Metal enameling; Ind A & V Ed, 41:20, O'52
--Build an enamel kiln for $10; Design, 55:134, Ja'54
--Build an enameling kiln; Ind A & V Ed, 43:279, O'54
--Short course in enameling;Sch Arts,54:24, Ap'55
--Add enameling to your metal shop;Ind A & V Ed,46:289,N'57
--Firing glass enamels on aluminum; Design, 68:12, Mr'67
--Thread making for the enamelist;Ceram Mo, 17:70, O'69
ETCHING & ENGRAVING :
--Engraving machine; Sci Am S, 52: 21426, Ag, 17'01
--Simple method of etching pictures; Sci am, 86:121, F,22'02
--Etching metals by electricity ;Sci Am, 105:172,Ag,19'11
--Making of etched metal plates; Sch Arts M, 22:311,Ja 23
--Dry point bookplates; homemade prints with simple equipment;Sch Arts M,24:10,S'24
--Etching steel; Sci Am,133:287,O'25
--Make your own engraving machine; Pop Mech, 47:833,My'27
--How to etch brass & copper; Pop Mech,48:691, O'27
--Make your own portraits in brass; Pop Mech, 48:663, O'27
--Making a zinc etching; Ind A & V Ed, 20:317, S'31
--Art silhouettes etched through thin metal;Pop Mech,59:718, My'33
--Lye etches designs on aluminum; Pop Sci,123:61,Jl'33
--Typewrite your name on tools; Pop Mech,61:143,Ja'34
--Fun & profit in electric pen etching;Pop Mech,61:456,Mr'34
--Etching solutions;Ind A & V Ed,23:297, S'34
--Cutting out thin sheet metal with acid;Pop Sci,128:59,Mr'36
--Tools & materials:etching, dry point, aquatint, soft ground, mezzotint; AmM
Art,29:178, Mr'36
--You can write on metal with this easily made vibrating electric pencil; Pop
Sci,128:72,My'36
--Electric engraving pen;Ind A & V Ed,26:385, N'37
--Electro-engraving with a bottle cork;Pop Mech, 69:621, Ap'38
--Etching glass & Metal; Pop Mech,70:459, S'38
--How to make dry points;PopSci,134:172,Mr'39.&134:186,Ap'39.&134:174, My'39
--Aluminum etchings & dry points; Ind A & V Ed,28:373,N'39
--Electric engraving tool;Pop Sci,139:176, Ag'41
--Etch;Pop Mech,86:207,O'46
--Satisfactory method of etching on steel; Pop Mech,86:185,O'46
--How to etch aluminum;Pop Sci,154:200,Ap'49
--Hand tool etching on aluminum; Sch Arts,49:213,F'50
--Engraving with phonograph needles; Pop Sci, 160:236, F'52
--Make an electric stencil to etch metal; Pop Sci,193:154,N'68
--Have fun doodling with this engraver; Pop Mech,145:174,Mr'76
FORMING (BENDING & FORGING):
--Jigs in bench metal work; Ind Arts M,6:357,S'17
--Practical course in sheet metal pattern drafting; Ind Arts M, 12:437,N'23
--Bending tubing; Ind Arts M, 17:285,Ag'28
--Reforging a cold-chisel;Ind Ed M,30:478,Je'29
--Sheet metal brake; Ind A & V Ed,19:308, Ag'30
--This homemade forge is portable; Pop Mech, 56:685,O'31
--Adjustable bending fork; Ind A & V, Ed, 20:456,D'31
--Small shop forge made from old cream separator;Pop Mech,61:303,F'34
--Bending or forming jig; Ind A & V Ed,24:223,Jl'35
--Bending jig;Ind A & V Ed, 25:220, Jl'36
--Homemade tool shapes metal tubing; Pop Sci,129:71,N'36
--Making edge bends in band iron; Ind A & V Ed,26:227,Jl'37
--Accurate spiral fluting with this homemade jig;Pop Mech, 69:139, Ja'38
--Adjustable bending jig;Ind A & V Ed, 27:37,Ja'38
--Fluting jig; Ind A & V Ed,28:297, S'38
--Scroll bending jig;Ind A & V Ed,27:358,O'38
--Small efficient bar folder; Ind A & V Ed, 27:353,O'38
--Light brake for bending sheet metal;Pop Sci,133;183,N'38
--Forge:Ind A & V Ed,28:303,S'39
--Shop forge has electric blower;Pop Mech,76:151,Jl'41
--Homemade brake makes accurate bends;Pop Sci,150:185,Ap'47
--Be your own blacksmith; Pop Sci,154:206,Ja'49
--Tin can bending brake;Pop Sci, 165:226,S'54
--Forge:construction & operation;Ind A & V Ed,44:28,Ja'55
--Using the stake as forming tool ; Sch Arts,56:17,D'56
--Shaping & engraving flat aluminum;Pop Sci,180:157,Ja'62
--Sheet metal former; Pop Mech,125:190,F'66
--How to make perfect bends in tubing;Pop Mech,135:169,Mr'71
--Sheet metal brake you make of wood; Pop Mech,139:170,Ja'73
--Metal brake you can make; Mech Ill, 75:68, Ja'79
--Give yourself a brake;Mother Earth News,56:144,Mr'79
FOUNDRY (Casting,furnaces,kilns):
--Making castings in Aluminum;Sci Am S,58:24225,D,24'04
--Metal foundry patterns;Sci Am S,60:24993,N,25'05
--Making foundry patterns;Sci Am S,62:25777,N,3'06
--Melting metals & alloys;Sci Am S,62:25850,D'06
--Making unusual castings;Sci Am S,63:2603,F,23'07
--Making low-priced machines;Sci Am S,65:100,F,15'08
--Making casts in gelatin molds;Sci Am,98:444,Je.20'08
--Making fine detail castings in sand;Sci Am S,,66:274,0,31'08
--Amateurs foundry;Sci Am S,63:26325,Je,29'09
--Small electric furnace;Sci Am,102:364,Ap,30'10
--Convenient & inexpensive furnace for very high temperatures;Sci Am S,
71:207,Ap,1'11
--Craftsman fireplace furnace;Craftsman,20:316,Je'11
--Simple electric furnace;Sci Am,105:103,Jl,29'11
--Art of making bronze statues from the raw clay to the finished figure; Sci
Am,108:156,F,15'13
--Simple gas burner for small lab furnaces;Sci Am S,81:85,F,5'16
--Small casting furnace;Sci Am,116:279,Mr,17'17
--Melting copper in iron ladles;Sci Am,116:406,Ap,21'17
--Small castings from alloys & scrap metals;Sci Am S,85:171,Mr,16'18
--Hints on making molds for perfect castings in soft metals;World,32:446,N'19
--On the making of bronzes;Scrib M,71:251,F'22
--Molding sands;Science N.S.,55;367,Ap,7'22
--Do's & don't's for patternmakers;Ind Arts M,11:456,N'22
--Making castings without sand;Sci Am,131:101,Ag'24
--Course in pattern making;Ind Arts M,44:172,Jl'25
--Stove forms homemade furnace; Pop Mech,45:678,Ap'26
--How to make a simple electrc furnace;Ind Ed M,28:260,F'27
--Gas muffle furnace for small foundry work;Ind Ed M,29:413,My'28
--Metal for casting in the school shop;Ind Ed M,31:475,Je'30
--Gas-fired melting furnace for small shops;Pop Mech,55:1039,Je'31
--Casting bronzes in the home work shop;Pop Mech,57:867,My'32
--Casting small metal parts in the home workshop;Pop Sci,121:93,O'32
--Molding equipment for making small castings at home;Pop Sci,121:96,N'32
--How to set up a sand mold for casting metal at home;Pop Sci,121;102,D'32
--Inexpensive pyrometer for temperatures up to1000 C; Science, 77:172, F, 10'33
--Experimental arc furnace melts anything;Pop Sci,122:80,My'33
--First course in patternmaking;Ind A & V Ed,22:317,O'33
--Small portable arc furnace easily built of clay & bricks;Pop Sci,124:61,Ja'34
--Electric arc furnace to melt metals & make alloys;Pop Mech,61:601,Ap'34
--Arc furnace encased in two flower pots;Pop Sci,125:100,O'34
--Homemade furnace melts aluminum with ordinary illuminating gas;Pop Sci,
125:73,D'34
--Molding & casting name plates;Ind A & V Ed,24:270,S'35
--Electric furnace made for two dollars;Pop Sci,127:72,O'35
--Tempering & melting furnace for use with diesel torch;Pop Sci,129:86,Jl'36
--Measuring temperatures in a workshop furnace;How to make a pyrometer & hints
on tempering;Pop Sci,129:118,D'36
--Small gas furnace gives great heat for melting metals;PopSci,130:120,F'37
--Electric temperature indicators;How to make thermocouple pyrometers; Pop
Mech,67:310,F'37
--Electric furnace develops temperature of 1650¯C for enameling, annealing
heat-treating,etc.;Pop Mech,67:641,Je'37
--Simple foundry work;Ind A & V Ed,26:330,Jl'37
--Casting in the school shop:copper & it's alloys;Ind A & V Ed,26:328,O'37
--Low-cost crucibles for melting metals;Pop Sci,132:92,Ja'38
--Making unit castings in the home shop;Pop Mech,70:953,D'38
--Small foundry for casting the softer metals;Pop Sci,133:203,D'38
--Art of molding;Ind A & V Ed,27:284,S'38 & 28:415,D'39
--From pattern to castings;Pop Mech,70:146, 70:307; 70:467;Ja-Mr,'40
--Inexpensive gas furnace melts soft metals;Pop Sci,136:203,F'40
--Simple methods identify metal of broken castings;Pop Mech,74:477,S'40
--Making castings for medals;Ind A & V Ed,29:388,N'40
--Molding tools & equipment;Ind A & V Ed,29:370,N'40
--Novelty castings;Ind A & V Ed,29:380,N'40
--Efficient inexpensive foundry furnace;Ind A & V Ed,30:72,F'41
--Art metal foundry;Pop Sci,139:170,O'41
--Electric kiln;Ind A & V Ed,32:345,O'43
--Small electric resistance furnace has many shop uses;Pop Sci,143:554,N'43'
--Sensitive high temperature thermostat will control an electric tempering
furnace;Pop Sci,144:182, My'44
--2,000¯(F) furnace for the shop;Pop Sci,146:182,Mr'45
--Building & operating a small aluminum melting furnace;Ind A & V Ed, 34:360,O'45
--Homemade pottery kiln,Ind A & V Ed,36:263,Je'47
--Good castings from scrap aluminum;Ind A & V Ed,37:20,My'48
--Furnace for melting nonferrous metals;Ind A & V Ed,37:289,S'48
--Precision casting by the lost-wax process;Pop Mech,92:213,Ag'49
--Melting furnace for the foundry area;Ind A & V Ed,39:279,S'50
--Patternmaking & foundrywork in the general shop;Ind A & V Ed,39:310, 348,N'50
--Small foundry flask;Ind A & V Ed,40:165,Ap'51
--Inexpensive gas kiln;Ind A & V Ed,40:202,My'51
--Firing ovens;Design,54:165,Ap'53
--How to make a kiln for $20;Am Home,50:126,S'53
--Press casting-a simple jewelry technique;Sch Arts,57:9,Ja'58
--$8 crucible furnace;Ind A & V Ed,49:24,F'60
--New steam casting techniques for jewelry;Sch Arts,61:19,Mr'62
--A kiln is built;Craft Horizon,25:38,Jn'65
--Sand mold casting with styrofoam;Sch Arts,65:36,Je'66
--Make your own metal castings;Pop Mech,128:162,Ag'67
--Charcoal casting;Sch Arts,67:26,N'67
--Make your own heat-treating furnace:Electric Kiln;Pop Mech,129:178,F'68
--Exploration in pewter casting; Sch Arts,69:16,Ja'70
--Kilnbuilding with space age materials;Craft Horiz,30:46,Ag'70
--Cast jewelry;pewter pendants;Sch Arts,70:16,Ja'71
--Pewter the humble giant;Sch Arts,70:20,Mr'71
--We built our kiln;Sch Arts,73:42,F'74
--Firing with diesel fuel;Ceram Mo,23:34,F'75
--Low pressure propane firing;Ceram Mo,24:34,O'76
--Cold casting with epoxy & metal powders;Am Artist,41:56,Ap'77
HAMMERS & EQUIPMENT:
--Development of the hammer;Ind Arts M, 13:389,O'24
--Drop-hammer;Ind Ed M,31:73,Ag'29
--Rebuilding hammer edges with oxyacetlene torch;Ind A & V Ed,25:123,Ap'36
--Embossing hammer;Ind A & V Ed,26:135,Ap'37
--Art metal hammers;Ind A & V Ed,29:388,N'40
--Trip hammer has many uses in small shop;Pop Mech,86:219,O'46
--Re-handling a hammer;Pop Sci,158:112,My'51
--Turn yourself a hammer;Pop Mech,96:214,O'51
--Repairing a hammer;Pop Sci,176:183,Ja'60
--Two soft hammers you can make;Pop Sci,190:159,Mr'67
LATHES, MILLS, FILING:
--Small lathe made of a sewing machine;Sci Am,103:301,O,15'10
--Homemade speed lathe;World,32:993,F'20
--How to make & use hollow mills & counterbores;World,34:897,Ja'21
--Inexpensive bench lathe;World,34:897,Ja'21
--Bench lathe of simple design;Pop Mech,41:477,Mr'24
--Milling tools for the home machinists' lathe;Pop Sci,120:104,My'32
--Homemade fixtures for holding work to be milled in a small lathe; Pop Sci,121:89,Jl'32
--Coaxing old milling cutters to do the work of new;Pop Sci,121:83,Jl'32
--Pewter spinning;Ind Ed M,34:103,N'32
--Homemade chasing dial for lathe;Pop Sci,122:71,Ja'33
--Metal turning on a woodworking lathe;Pop Mech,59:32,F'33
--There's no mystery about metal spinning;Pop Sci,122:64,Mr'33
--How to spin a hollow metal sphere;Pop Sci,122:69,My'33
--Spinning metal with sectional chucks;Pop Sci,122:76,Je'33
--Hints on difficult metal spinning;Pop Sci,123:83,Jl'33
--Tool-post for lathe;Ind Ed M,34:85,O'33
--Gear cutting in the lathe; Pop Sci,124:62,F'34
--Metal spinning;Pop Mech,62:952,O'34
--Spinning a pewter bowl;Ind A & V Ed,24:234,Ag'35
--Metal turning tool equipment;Pop Mech,64:301,Ag'35
--Metal turning tool slide fits your wood lathe;Pop Mech,65:463,Mr'36
--Geared cross feed for small lathes;Pop Sci,130:86,F'37
--Drill-vise milling unit on small lathe;Pop Mech,71:621,Ap'39
--Chipping and filing;Ind A & V Ed,28:214,My'39
--Set of lathe drill pads easily made;Pop Mech,71:281,My'39
--Draw in chucks & spring collets;Pop Sci,137:148,S'40
--Make your own milling cutters & accessories;Pop Mech,75:147,Ja'41
--Homemade filing machine saves time in the shop;Pop Mech,75:301,F'41
--Milling attachment;Sci Am,164:207,Ap'41
--Inexpensive milling attachment for your lathe;Pop Mech,80:137,S'43
--Lathe attachment to cut your own small gears;Pop Mech,83:133,Mr'45
--Mill it in the lathe;Pop Mech,83:130,My'45
--Make your own steady rest;Pop Mech,85:127,F'46
--Shop made milling attachment fits any lathe;Pop Mech,86:201,Jl'46 --Drill
as lathe;Sci Am,177:36,Jl'47
--Modernize that old lathe;Pop Mech,88:202,Jl'47
--Spinning silver;Sci Illus,2:94,Ag'47
--How to make rotary files;Pop Sci,151:191,S'47
--How I built a milling machine;Pop Sci,152:209,Ap'48
--How to turn metals with hand tools;Sci Illus,3:82,My'48
--Build your own tool-post turret;Pop Mech,91:221,F'49
--Making draw-in collets;Pop Sci,155:200,Ag'49
--Filing rest does small milling jobs;Pop Sci,155:209,S'49
--Metal spinning with aluminum;Ind A & V Ed,39:330,O'50
--Spun candlesticks;Ind A & V Ed,39:402,D'50
--Milling in your drill press;Pop Sci,160:218,Ja'52
--Collet attachment for metal lathe;Pop Mech,98:193,S'52
--Metal turning freehand;Pop Mech,100:198,S'53
--Milling arm for drill press;Pop Mech,102:191,Jl'54
--Filing machine fits your lathe;Pop Mech,107:205,Mr'57
--Hand milling attachment;Pop Mech,108:210,N'57
--Roller rest for precision filing;Pop Sci,184:140,Ap'64
--Tricks for milling on a lathe;Pop Sci,188:144,Ja'66
--Basic course in metal turning;Mech Illus,64:96,Ap'68
--How to mill on a drill press;Pop Mech,131:180,Ja'69
--Plumbing fittings make milling attachment;Pop Sci,197:133,S'70
--Make this faceplate lathe from odds & ends;Pop Mech,134:194,N'72
--Lathe milling machine table for about $10;Pop Mech,138:172,Jl'72
--Fly cutter holder you can make for your lathe;Pop Mech,140:172,Jl'73
--Steady rest for lathe milling attachment;Pop Mech,140:156,Ag'73
--Jaw stretchers give your lathe chuck a bigger bite;Pop Mech,140:180,N'73
--Make this boring-bar set for your lathe;Pop Mech,149:72,F'78
--Lathe attachment for sharpening milling cutters;Pop Mech,151:125,M'79
PLATING, PATINATING, & COLORING METAL:
--Coloring, gilding, silvering & oxydizing;Sci Am S,56:23369,D,12'03
--Plating spoons & forks at home;Sci Am,101:395,N,27'09
--Coloring copper;Sci Am S,83:346,Je,2'17
--Metal coloring;Sci Am S,85:35,Ja,19'18
--Plating iron with copper automatically;Sci Am,120:661,Je,21'19
--Hues of rainbow rivaled in copper;Pop Mech,41:501,Ap'24
--Finishes for handwrought metalwork;Ind Ed M,31:351,Mr'30
--Decorative finishes on metals;Ind A & V Ed,19:430,N'30
--Manipulation of gold leaf;Pop Mech,55:174,Ja'31
--Attractive metal finishes;Ind A & V Ed,20:412,N'31
--Electroplating with gold & silver;Pop Mech,58:513,S'32
--Antique verdigris finish for brass & copper;Pop Mech,60:268,Ag'33
--Electroplating in your own laboratory;Pop Sci,124:48,F'34
--Protective coatings for metalwork;Arch Rec,77:70,Ja'35
--Preventing silver tarnish;Sci Am,153:34,Jl'35
--Coloring & finishing copper & brass;Ind A & V Ed,25:252,Ag'36
--Current for electroplating;Pop Sci,129:62,N'36
--Copper & nickel plating without cyanides;Pop Mech,67:630,Ap'37
--Protect brass with transparent lacquer;Pop Sci,131:100,S'37
--Working with gold leaf;Pop Mech,69:779,My'38
--Chemical coloring of iron, copper, aluminum & alloys;Pop Mech,69:947, Je'38
--Finishing copper;Ind A & V Ed,27:263,Je'38
--Cleaning & coloring of metals;Ind A & V Ed,29:77,F'40
--How to copperplate wood;Pop Sci,137:162,Jl'40
--Coloring metal;Ind A & V Ed,29:430,O'40
--Coloring metal;Ind A & V Ed,30:sup 18,My'41
--Decorative plating by dipping process;Pop Mech,75:781,My'41
--Electroplating in a flowerpot;Pop Sci,200:116,F'72
--Electroforming in your workshop;Sci Illus,2:102,Jl'47
--How to apply gold leaf;House B,99:128,F'57
--Now electroplating in your own shop;Pop Sci,181:124,N'62
--Patination of bronzes;Craft Horiz,25:26,N'65
--How to turn everything into gold;House & Gard,132:224,O'67
--Electroplating aluminum & zinc-alloy die castings;Pop Mech,75:149,Je'41
--Forming & etching as a plating process;Sch Arts,77:30,D'77
--Gilding picture frames;Workbench,34:52,Je'78
PRESSES, PUNCHES & STAMPING:
--Punch press as a shop problem;Ind Arts M,9:5,Ja'20
--Punch & die press;Ind Ed M,28:23,Jl'26
--Bench Punch;Ind A & V Ed,23:301,S'34
--Patterns & tools for stamping metal;Sch Arts M,36:621,Je'37
--Marking metal;Pop Mech,74:153,Jl'40
--Miniature punch press does difficult jobs;Pop Sci,145:190,D'44
--Light punch press from a bicycle fork;Pop Sci,143:182,Je'46
--Making hollow punches to order;Pop Sci,153:186,Ag'48
--Make your own automatic punch;Pop Mech,100:197,S'53
--Punches for sheet metal & cardboard;Pop Mech,100:183,D'53
--Punch press;working drawings;Ind A & V Ed,45:278,O'56
--Arbor press for a small shop;Pop Mech,107:211,Ap'57
--Making a bench punch;Pop Mech,111:189,Je'59
--Self hammering layout punch;Pop Sci,184:152,My'64
--Special-shaped punches you can make;Pop Mech,128:172,D'67
--How to make an arbor press;Pop Sci,192:146,F'68
--Hand-operated arbor press;Pop Mech,138:154,S'72
SANDING & SANDING MACHINES:
--Emery-coated tools;Sci Am,85:263,O,26'01
--Belt sander;Pop Mech,90:197,Ag'48
--Make your own belt sander;Pop Sci,195:232,D'49
--Belt sander mounts on lathe;Pop Mech,118:186,N'62
--Spindle sander in an evening;Pop Mech,118:168,O'62
SAWS, CUTTING EQUIPMENT & TOOLS:
--Art of cutting metals;Sci Am S,63:25929,Ja,5'09
--Scroll-saw;Sci Am,100:267,Ap'09
--How to make a scroll saw or filing machine;World,33:339,Ap'20
--Constructing a cut off saw;Ind Arts M,13:427,N'24
--Jigsaw for a dollar;Pop Mech,43:51,Ja'25
--Power hacksaw for small shops;Pop Mech,51:157,Ja'29
--Homemade bandsaw for your workshop;Pop Mech,59:637,Ap'33
--Using your hacksaw;Pop Mech,62:631,O'34
--Homemade bandsaw from pipe fittings & auto parts;Pop Mech,63:951,Je'35
--Hand-power scroll saw;Ind A & V Ed,24:346,N'35
--Sturdy power hack saw built at low cost;Pop Sci,128:62,Mr'36
--Drive your hacksaw electrically;Pop Mech,67;141,Ja'37
--Nibbling machine;Ind A & V Ed,27:165,Ap'38
--Reclaiming hacksaw blades;Pop Sci,142:530,F'43
--Homemade jigsaw;Pop Sci,145:190,Mr'44
--You can build this sturdy scrollsaw;Pop Mech,84:121,Ag'45
--From sewing machine to jigsaw;Pop Mech,86:177,Ag'46
--Cutting heavy metal with your jigsaw;Pop Mech,87:217,My'47
--Metal rod cutter;Sci Am,177:82,Ag'47
--Tin snips converted to bench tool;Pop Sci,152:213,Ap'48
--Homemade cut-off wheel slices steel;Pop Sci,153:188,Ag'48
--Your electric drill can cut sheet metal;Pop Sci,156:184,Ja'50
--How to make a power hacksaw;Pop Mech,96:197,Jl'51
--Metal-cutting bandsaw made from old lawn mower;Pop Sci,163:223,O'53
--Jigsaw from small engine block;Pop Mech,101:219,Ja'54
--Rod & bolt cutter for your shop;Pop Mech,112:226,O'59
--Lathe doubles as metal shear;Pop Mech,114:234,O'60
--Sewing to sawing;conversion of old sewing machine;Pop Mech,117:192,Ja'62
--Bike saw;Pop Mech,121:186,F'64
--Homemade power hacksaw for less than $20;Pop Sci,184:162,F'64
--How to cut metal with woodworking power tools;Pop Sci,186:128,Je'65
--Speed reducer for metal cutting;Pop Mech,124:152,D'65
--Here's an easy way to make an abrasive cutoff machine;Pop Mech,128:184,N'67
--Build this power hacksaw from a washing machine;Pop Mech,132:188,N'69
--Abrasive cutoff machine you can make for $15;Pop Mech,136:166,S'71
--Metal cutoff machine;a mighty handy shop tool;Pop Mech,147:148,D'74
--Deburring jig makes saw cuts smoother;Pop Mech,144:76,Ag'75
--Easy to make sheet-metal cutter;Pop Mech,145:170,Ap'76
--Low-cost cutoff saws you can make;Pop Mech,145:109,F'76
SAWBLADE BRAZING:
--Brazing a bandsaw;Ind Ed M,28:261,F'27
--Brazing the bandsaw;Ind A & V Ed,20:109,Mr'31
--Brazing bandsaw blades;Pop Mech,70:139,Jl'38
--Brazing a bandsaw;Ind A & V Ed ,27:296,S'38
--Silver soldering bandsaw blades;Pop Mech,104:219,D'55
TOOLS: MAKING & REPAIRING:
--Foot-power hammer;Sci Am,82:52,Ja,27'1900
--Making chisels & other tools from files;Sci Am S,50:20899,D,29'00
--Toolmaking;Manual training,21:340,Je'20
--Vaccum gauge;Ind Arts M,18:199,My'29
--Handy depth gauge;Ind Arts M,18:389,O'29
--Preventing tools from rusting;Ind A & V Ed,19:277,Jl'30
--Hardening & tempering small tools;Pop Mech,55:687,Ap'31
--Hints on salvaging high-speed tools;Pop Sci,118:98,My'31
--Tips on tempering tools;Pop Sci,119:91,Jl'31
--Rewinding motors;Ind A & V Ed,21:311,O'32
--Right way to true up worn drill chucks & other useful info;Pop Sci, 122:22,My'33
--Toolmakers clamp or vise;Ind A & V Ed,22:235,Jl'33
--Surface-gauge;Ind Ed M,35:32,Ag'33
--Useful anvil;Ind A & V Ed,23:190,My'34
--Rewinding motors;Pop Mech,62:794,N'34
--Tools you can make from drill rod;Pop Mech,65:311,F'36
--Welder's bench made from scrap materials;Pop Sci,129:71,S'36
--Toolroom tray for metal files;Ind A & V Ed,25:387,D'36
--Metal tooling;Pop Sci,130:79,Ja'37
--Model-maker's vise has universal action;Pop Mech,68:781,N'37
--Make your own hand chucks & pin vises;Pop Mech,74:301,Ag'40
--Handy vise;Ind A & V Ed,29:367,N'40
--New tools from old;Ind A & V Ed,32:325,O'43
--Jeweler's vise;Ind A & V Ed,32:436,D'43
--How to clean a blowtorch;Pop Sci,144:190,Mr'44
--Make your own surface gauge;Pop Mech,81:121,Je'44
--Building a drill-press vise;Pop Sci,145:180,O'44
--Vacuum gauge;Ind A & V Ed,34:34,Ja'45
--New life for those worn pliars;Pop Sci,146:182,F'45
--Flexible-shaft tool uses speedometer cable;Pop Sci,150:172,Ja'47
--Details & assembly of machinist hand vise;Ind A & V Ed,36:126,Mr'47
--Pantograph;Ind A & V Ed,39:199,My'50
--Homemade tools from old auto valves;Pop Sci,158:193,F'51
--How to judge used power tools;Pop Sci,159:201,O'51.& 159:232,N'51
--Small bench vise;Ind A & V Ed,42:227,S'53
--How to build a good workbench;Pop Sci,167:116,S'55
--Turn a can into a tray;Workbench,13:25,My'57
--New tools from old files;Pop Sci,177:186,D'60
--Seven tools you can make from lathe bits;Pop Sci,185:123,N'64
--Don't bypass the hobby shop;hard to find tools & materials;Pop Electr, 35:50,O'71
--Make your own workbench & tool cabinet;Workbench,13:38,Jl'57
--Shop pantograph copies anything;Pop Mech,119:164,Je'63
--Make this two way machine-vise clamp;Pop Mech,130:168,N'68
--Make a pantograph for your router;Pop Sci,197:104,O'70
--How to repair your electric drill;Pop Mech,151:102,Ja'79
--Give new life to abandoned tools;Mother Earth News,55:160,Ja'79
WELDING, SOLDERING, BRAZING, TORCHES:
--Hard-soldering for enameling purposes;Sci Am S,59:24287,Ja,21'05
--How to solder aluminum;Sci Am,100:121,F,6'09
--Homemade electric welder;Pop Mech,42:831,N'24
--Building a two-kilowatt spot welding set;Pop Mech,44:867,N'25
--Making soldering fluxes;Pop Mech,45:867,My'26
--Blowtorch made from gasoline lamp;Pop Mech,46:685,O'26
--Powerful gasoline torch;Pop Mech,47:517,Mr'27
--Brazing cast iron & other metals;Sci Am S,66:283,O'31
--Pistol-grip blowpipe simplifies silver soldering;Pop Sci,120:96,My'32
--Gasoline cutting torch;Sci Am,147:46,Jl'32
--Secret of soldering aluminum;Pop Sci,121:78,S'32
--Brazing & silver soldering;Pop Mech,58:682,O'32
--Homemade soldering equipment for the general shop;Ind A & V Ed,23:216,Je'34
--Soldering spouts on pewter creamers;Ind A & V Ed,23:260,Ag'34
--Soldering with an electric arc;Pop Mech,62:621,O'34
--Shopmade air-diesel torch gives intense heat;Pop Sci,128:84,Je'36
--Soldering aluinum;Pop Mech,66:461,S'36
--Simple lab-made blast lamp;Science,84:296,S,25'36
--Electric arc torch;Pop Mech,67:781,My'37
--Arc welder built for fifteen dollars;Pop Sci,130:69,Je'37
--Forge welding;Sci Am,146:283,My'37
--Spot welder;Pop Sci,131:98,S'37
--Vaccum-cleaner soldering torch;Ind A & V Ed,27:74,F'38
--Stainless steel soldered, brazed & welded;Pop Mech,69:788,My'38
--Tin-can soldering furnace;Ind A & V Ed,27:302,S'38
--Welding sheet iron;Pop Sci,133:70,S'38
--Welding aluminum with the oxyacetylene torch;Pop Sci,137:164,Ag'40
--Inexpensive blowtorch;Ind A & V Ed,29:391,N'40
--Gas torch works without compressed air;Pop Mech,76:143,Jl'41
--Acetylene brazing torch requires no oxygen;Pop Sci,140:38,Je'42
--Gas blowtorch;Ind A & V Ed,31:353,O'42
--Battery carbons for welding & cutting;Ind A & V Ed,31:295,S'42
--When & how of silver soldering & brazing;Pop Sci,148:178,Ap'46
--Gas torch from brass tubing;Pop Sci,149:115,N'46
--Welding with an alcohol torch;Sci Illus,2:102,S'47
--Spot welding on your drill press;Pop Sci,156:157,S,3'49
--Shop-made torch solders or welds;Pop Sci,157:203,S'50
--Welded all-steel soldering bench;Ind A & V Ed,43:26,Je'54
--Soldering jig;Ind A & V Ed,49:40,O'60
--Make your own arc welder;Pop Sci,187:142,N'65
--Build this handy arc-welding gun;Pop Sci,190:149,F'67
--Build yourself this carbon arc welder for $5;Pop Mech,128:174,S'67
--Simple jig holds small parts for soldering;Pop Sci,196:105,Je'70
--How to weld with your lathe;Pop Sci,196:67,Je'70
--Torch stand & lead ladle;Pop Mech,135:174,Ja'71
--Pinpoint propane torch;Mech Illus,67:92,Ja'71
GENERAL METAL WORKING TECHNIQUES:
--Overcoming difficulties in hammering copper;Craftsman,19:99,O'10
--Spoon-making;Manual training,15:123,D'13
--Developments in American siversmithing;Art World,2:192,Mr'17
--Making of the spoon;Art World,2:559,S'17
--Art metal work;a course in manual training;Ind Arts M,7:86,Mr'18 --Hand
forged spoons;Ind Arts M,12:276,Jl'23
--You can do hammered-copper work;Pop Mech,46:873,N'26
--Equipping a shop for bench metalwork;Ind Ed M,28:334,Ap'27
--Making a pewter bowl;Ind Ed M,31:146,O'29
--Pewter in the art-metal shop;Ind Arts M,19:170,My'30
--Estimating the blank required for holloware;InInd A & V Ed,20:222,Je'31
--Inlaid art-metal work;Ind A & V Ed,20:450,D'31
--How to ornament plain metal tubing with spirals;Pop Sci,124:74,Je'34
--Pewter tea set;Ind A & V Ed,24:126,Ap'35
--Flame sculpture by means of the oxyacetylene process;Sci Am,155:284,N'36
--Modern pewtercraft;Ind A & V Ed,25:344,N'36
--Simplified brass tapping;Pop Mech,66:903,D'36
--Easy way to inlay metal with metal;Pop Sci,130:124,F'37
--Modern candleholders turned from homemade pewter casting;Pop Sci,131:95, N'37
--Hand-hammered textures;Ind A & V Ed,27:39,Ja'38
--Copper modeling;Sch Arts,37:191,F'38
--Sugar bowls & creamers;Ind A & V Ed,,27:336,O-N'38
--Metalworking kinks;Ind A & V Ed,27:398,N'38
--Welded metal sculpture;Sci Am,160:160,Mr'39
--Wrought-iron work;Pop Sci,134:194,Ap'39
--Steps in making sterling silver jewelry;Pop Sci,131:102,N'39
--Modeling in sheet metal;Pop Mech,73:897,Je'40
--Finishing hammered iron;Ind A & V Ed,30:(sup)84,Mr'41
--Art metalwork;Ind A & V Ed,30:253,Je'41
--Pewter art metalwork;Ind A & V Ed,30:291,S'41
--Shortcuts in diemaking;Pop Mech,79:146,F'43
--Cutting an art metal die;Ind A & V Ed,44:194,Je'44
--Raising aluminum cups;Ind A & V Ed,35:28,Ja'46
--Indian silversmithing;Ind A & V Ed,Ja,F,A-N'48.& Ja--Ap'49
--You can make brass handles for furniture;Pop Sci,155:211,D'49
--Metalsmithing U.S.A.;Craft Horiz,35:22,F'75
--Gleaming pewter tableware you can make;Pop Mech,152:92,Ag' 79
MISCELLANEOUS:
--Generators (acetylene);Sci Am S,53:21969,Ap,12'02
--Fillings for delicate hollow sheet-metal work;Sci Am S,61:25404,My,19'06
--Grinding wheel sparks:how they indicate the characteristics of steel; Sci
Am S,75:297,My,10'13
--Casehardening bronze for dyes;Sci Am S,83:61,Ja,27'17
--Simple gas generator for lab use;Science n.s.,56:287,S,8'22
--Britannia metal;Ind Arts M,12:338, 12:387, 12:464, 13:5, 13:56, 13:141,
13:178, 13:411, S--O,D'23. & F,Ap'My,N'24
--How gold leaf is made;Sci Am,130:244,Ap'24
--Sword making as a peacetime art;Pop Mech,43:51,Ja'25
--Repairing broken pewter;Pop Mech,49:859,My'28
--Getting rid of the smoke;Ind Ed M,31:324,F'30
--Resilvering mirrors at home;Pop Sci,118:98,Mr'31
--How to silver mirrors;Pop Mech,60:770,N'33
--How to use bronze powders;Pop Mech,83:96,Je'45
--How to run many tools with one motor;Pop Sci,164:166,Ap'54
--Arts & crafts supplies,sourcs and books;Am Artist,33:22,F'69
--Resource materials:books,filmstrips,film,slides,loops;Sch Arts,69:32,Ja'70
--Treadle power in the workshop;Org Gard & Farm,24Z:83,Je'77
--How to scrounge;Design,79:26,Ja'78
Rev. 02/17/96
Bill Wyant wrote:
...6011 is rather "violent" especially when used on AC..it cuts deep and
as it is a fast-freezing rod, the bead is rough....the pinhole problem is
usually caused by the release of trapped gasses, from the flux, however.
6013 presents a smoother more eye-appealing bead and so far as
appearance is concerned, 7014 is the best. 7014 has iron powder in the
flux which melts into the puddle as well as the filler rod, it does not
leave much opportunity to produce blowholes.it is also 70K psi tensile
strength (the first two digits indicate the tensile strength). Keep your
welding "in position" (flat) as much as possible. watch your puddle,
don't let the rod undercut the metal too much. You may want to go to
3/32" if you use 7014 as the iron powder makes a rather large pile of
weldment as compared to 6011..Go to your Welding Supply shop and get a
few pounds of each, 6013, 7014 1/8, and 7014 3/32 and experiment before
you make your choice...be sure and ask the salesperson about the
technique for each rod as regards uphand, downhand, vertical and
overhead, it is not the same as 6011; they may have a pamphlet or two
covering this,,if not, e-mail me...glad to help.
From Frosty:
AC and E60- series rod is known for sometimes excessive penetration and
high tolerance for dirty base metal. E60- series powdered iron rods are
fast freeze, making them good for gap, vertical welds and field repairs.
However, there is a tendency to over-amp. It's not too critical with 70-
series rods and makes for pretty beads, that is of course if you're not
doing inspected or structural welds. With E60- series rods on the other
hand over-amping causes excessive penetration and undercutting and as
it's fast freeze inclussions and pin holes. Pinholes are usually the
result of outgassing from included slag or gasses injected into the
melted metal that are trapped when it freezes.
It's a natural inclination, when running into problems arc welding, to
turn it up. Unfortunately this is usually the wrong thing to do,
especially with E60- series rods. In this case it blows holes through
and slag into the work, causing the little pinholes you're finding.
The solution is to turn it down and practice. Lower amp settings make
rods sticky and frustrating when striking an arc. Practice brushing the
rod across the work rather than tapping or touching, a good technique is
to move the tip of the rod in little circles where the bottom of the
circle touches the base metal. Another trick you might try is to incline
the work a few degrees 10-15 and work uphand. Also remember to drag the
rod, meaning to point the rod away from the direction of travel.
Dragging the rod allows the plasma jet from the flux coating and wire to
clean the scarf and puddle and also pushes the deposited metal into a
uniform bead, with the slag forced to the top.
A simpler solution might be to try various 70- series rods. They're not
fast freeze, allowing slag and gasses to escape before it freezes
(solidus). I've never tried 7014 and can't speak for it, however I'd
give it a try as the general characteristics of 70- series rods are more
civilized to run and leave cleaner beads.
One last thing and I have to add a disclaimer here as it's been a
loooong time since I cracked a book, so don't quote me on this. As I
recall, rods with odd number designators, eg; 6011, 6013, etc, are AC
and even number designators, eg 6012, 6014, 7018, etc are DC. Some are
AC/DC but the even/odd indicates the preferred current.
AC welders or "buzzboxes" were the first welders to become commercially
available at a price the general public could afford, particularly with
the introduction of the Forney welder/battery charger that was promoted
to the farmer in the middle '50's...before that time the welder was a
major investment and found only in welding shops and garages. The
Lincoln that your wife was so kind and and caring to provide for you is
legendary; I can't remember when there wasn't one. I have used the
Lincoln 225, I have "test driven" a Lincoln 225AC/125DC machine, I have
owned a Miller 225AC for about 27 years...For most shop work, DC is not
necessary unless you get into the more exotic rods such as hardfacing and
such; even then electrodes are available for use with AC, though they are
usually marked AC/DC and run better with DC. For most purposes, the AC
rods E-6011,6013 and 7014 will do just about anything you need to do in
the matter of joining steel using AC. The AC machines do not run 7018
rod well, even though the rod is classified as AC/DC; the flux runs down
and covers the end of the electrode then cools during the period when
there is no electricity flow and stops the arc, so I was told by the guys
at the welding supply store. If I may make a suggestion, invest in a
50lb carton of 6011 in 5/32" diameter (it's about half the price of
lesser quantities) and a 50lb carton of 6013 in 1/8" diameter..my welding
shop *runs* on these two types of rod...A small package of 7014 is nice
to have, use it to fill the holes you burn with the
6011..{snrk}...'course, if you have arc welded before, you *know* about
6011. Keep your rod dry, an old refrigerator with the compressor
disconnected and the switch in the door defeated (so the light stays on
all the time is an excellent "hotbox"...As far as the quality of your
Lincoln 225...do you have any mechanically-minded grandchildren?
...Yes, it will last that long....
From Chris Ray:
<< ago
about Lincoln's excellent, and inexpensive books were very useful. There is
excellent attention to us home shop types here on Artmetal. But literally
no info for hobby welders from the AWS. Their mag and books are so
technical, I only got maybe, 1% useful knowledge from them. >>
Weep no more Dave. Here is a book I picked up at a discount seller's once,
and though I have a passing familiarity with welding, it never hurts to look
at something else in print. I'm sure you can get this from the publisher or
elewhere and this book is one of the clearest I've seen and is actually
helpful. I found out something new or two from it myself.
"The Complete Book Of Home Welding" (don't be put off by the title) by John
Todd, published by TAB Bookis, Inc. Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214 ISBN
0-8306-2717-0. Try it, you'll like it. I actually think it's more useful
than any of the technical books I've seen. If they changed the title to
something more technical sounding, it would be a best seller in the welding
trades, I'm sure. Well, maybe not, but it's great for folks like us.
The Norfolk-Southern Railroad uses McKay TI-55 hardfacing rod to build up
frogs and switch-points; it seems to withstand both shock and abrasion
very well, and can be applied with an AC machine...it costs about $8 lb
in a 10-lb tube. the recommendations are to pad the surface with a
shock-resisting underlay, which may or may *not* be a good idea in this
case, I don't think I would do this as the anvil base itself provides
shock resistance. Preheat the anvil, of course, and as you weld, be sure
to chip and brush away *all* the slag from *each* bead before applying
the next one, this is extremely important! You might do well to peen each
bead as you would if you were welding cast iron, it makes the bond
tighter....a blunt punch in a muffler chisel (air hammer) makes short
work of this, if you have compressed air. McKay recommends not less than
2 layers. Figure on spending more time grinding than you did welding...
...Good luck, how *ever* you try to do it...
Jack...
Another possible rod is Missle or 'super missle' rod from Arco, 400 degree pre-heat
(use heat sink on face of anvil), alot of grinding.
I was reviewing my video and notes from Robb Gunter's demonstration at the
Fall Conference of the Guild of Metalsmiths in MN. Several people were
interested in knowing what Robb Gunter used for flux in the gas forge. Did
he prefer plain ole borax, or E-Z Weld, or what? He replied that he used a
blend of fluxes and gave his personal preference as follows:
1/3 Borax
1/3 E-Z Weld
1/3 Sure Weld
Blend well and use. There is nothing really special about this
formulation, it's just that that's what he found to work best for him. I
don't have it on video, but my notes indicate that he said (or implied, or
I just thought he said) that Jack Andrews also uses this blend.
Next time someone is at a conference where Robb is demonstrating, you could
ask more specific questions.
Or, does anyone on the list have any thoughts on this?
Dave Brown
**********
Bill Fiorini, who also uses a gas forge in his shop, demonstrated last month
at SOFA Quad State. His flux recipe is 4 parts borax, 1 part boric acid, by
volume.
Dale Dreyfuss
*********
David, This is extraordinary, I figure theforge dumped me for flirting
with alt.crafts.blacksmithing, must've gotten caught in a hiccup of the
listproc system that's been going on lately. Anyway...
The best flux for gas forge welding that I've found is from
David and Suzanne Willis
Valley Forge and Tool,
21383 J South Yeoman Rd.
Beavercreek, OR 97004
503-632-4366 voice
503-632-4623 fax
The product is called Sure Weld and can be use in coal or gas forges but
is expensive, so I just use it in the propane forge as I can do ok in coal
with borax. Also this caveat; I don't always get a good weld, but these
observations come from those that do and the times that I have.
For sure, weld on a warm anvil or heated plate. I have a 1/2x3x6 inch
plate that I use for a door on my gas forge or hang on some tabs above it
to heat up, then place the plate on the anvil just prior to welding. Gas
welding is a bit different from coal welding in a couple of respects. 1)
Hammer fairly lightly to start. Giving a good whack to start seems to
pancake the material and keep it from sticking. I think the Sure Weld has
iron filings in it that become integral to the weld. 2) Don't wait for the
piece to get white hot, bring it out when the flux starts to flow. If
you wait to get a coal type heat in a gas forge you get too much scale.
Scarf as usual and make sure the mating surfaces are scale free. I find
that fluxing at a lower temp (red or so) keeps the scale down and allows
the flux to run and protect the iron from oxygen. Set the forge flame to
reducing, i.e. a bit of flame coming out the door or a slight excess of
fuel.
I did get to see Tom Joyce weld a piece of 1/2" round to pipe out of a gas
forge using Borax for flux. But I feel good getting a simple lap weld on a
bar shoe.
I have no connection with Dave Willis except a debt of gratitude as I
overheard him comment that my gas forge copy of his excellent product was
one of the only working copies he'd seen. He had a whole horse stall full
of failed attempts when the guys came in to cough up the $ for his product.
I still use it in my shop, and figure it was more of a testament to
persistence than genius ;-).
Hope this is of some help. And don't forget to hold your mouth right!
Kevin Donahoe
***********
Steve Barnes wrote:
>I merely mentioned that my forge is capable of reaching melting temps so
>that the question of not having enough heat would not arise. I do use borax
>as flux and apply it when the steel is cherry red in color then put the
>steel back in the fire immediatly and bring it to what I "assume" is
>welding temp(a few sparks begin to fly from the steel). I then remove it
>from the fire to my anvil(not really an anvil, but a 5" thick, 6" X 8" cast
>steel block) which is preheated to a few hundred degrees. When I strike the
>steel with the hammer, it just doesn't want to weld. I'm using leaf
>spring(5160) as the working material. What am I doin' wrong?
Steve,
Sounds to me like you're zeroing in on success. Is your fire good and
deep? You need a good 5" or so of good coke fire under your iron and 2
or 3" above. Slide the iron into the fire horizontal, don't point it
down any, oxidation will prevent your weld. Try this with some 1/2"
square stock. Scarf and then heat and flux as you have been doing.
Heat scarf side up first and then turn scarfs down as you near welding
heat. When you reach welding heat if you touch the pieces in the fire
they should stick together, sometimes you have to really twist them to
get them apart. "If they won't stick in the fire they won't stick on
the anvil." Bring them out and try a drop the tongs weld. The first
blows should be light to tack things together. This is a tip I got
from David Norrie that greatly increased my successs in forge welding.
"When the weld is tacked it will SOUND different." After what your
tapping on becomes (and sounds) more solid you can start wailing away
on it. If your fire and everything is right you might just be hitting
too hard those first few blows.
Steve White
................
Steve, if you're attempting what I think you are, folding flat
stock over on itself to make either tools or blades, I had the same
problem. Poured through all kinds of books trying to figure out what I was
doing wrong.
I finally found it by trial and error. I was getting a thin scale
coating on the steel from the fire, and it was preventing it from sticking.
Here's my "fix" for fold welds... make the bend but leave a gap
between the pieces. Dunk the whole end in flux (I use borax too), then
bring it up *past* welding heat. Let the flux start running off. NOW
hammer weld it.
I've gotten much better at it by following the great teacher, Mr.
Experience.<G> Barely need to flux anymore, and I've gotten much better at
judging just where welding temp is on stock.
Roy Wilson
***********
> I'd like to try welding some chain (timing chain) into
> a knife blank. Any ideas on getting started (how
> to keep the stuff in one place)? Do you arc weld it
> onto a rod or what?
> Thanks
> - Matt
Funny that you should mention that, I just welded a large billet
yesterday. The piece I did was large truck timing chain, about 2"
wide. First step is to heat a section of it above critical temp and
quench. Take a file and see if the file slips real good on the
hardened section. If it does, you in business. I first cut the
chain to the length desired, then folded it over a bar of 1084 same
lenght as folded chain and about 3/16 thick. This I placed in the
forge until red, then fluxed with borax and forge the folded end to
conform to the bar. I did not do any arc welding on this, but you
could. Take welding heat and weld the unfolded end first, then take
another heat and weld the other end. once you have it welded, draw,
cut about 3/4 through, fold, and insert another bar of 1084. Repeat
as many times as desired. I added the high carbon steel because the
chain is probably relative low carbon, and I wanted to prevent
problems if I burned out some of the carbon in the welding. I think
that I ended up folding about 3 or 4 bars in the billet. Will forge
out a knife tomorrow and etch to see how it looks.
Forge On !!!!!
Christian Laferriere wrote:
>
> >Hello Chris
> >To judge the correct welding temp is very easy. Just take a light heat, wire
> >brushoff any hot scale, and then sprinkle a small amount of borax onto the
> >billet. Place back into the forge and when the borax starts to bubble you have a good welding heat.
> Could you explain what a "light heat, wire" is exactly?
> I guess that I made a few mistakes the first time around. I perhaps didn't completely grind off the scale from the side of my
> tack welded billet (damascus ), I may have put too much borax and hit the piece a little too hard. I did get the initial weld on the first piece, however, my m
> I guess I'll have to practice practice practice...
> >You mentioned that the metal does not sparkle in the gas forge. this usually
> >means either of two things a. the forge has too much thermal mass for the
> >burner size (meaning that it simply cant get hot enough to burn or make the
> >steel sparkle) or b. Like me it takes a long while to teach oneself to drive the
> >darn thing
> Perhaps I was too hasty in removing the piece. It's just that I have to be careful not to burn the carbon out of the O1 by overheating it.
> >Finally regarding power hammer v treadle hammer If all factors are equal,
> >meaning that at your shop noise, electricity supply and cost is not a problem
> >then go for the power hammer every time. I mean who wants a huge left or
> >right leg .
> Good point! Can you recommend a good used equipment broker either in upper new york state, Ontario, Quebec, Maine etc
>I am attempting to cast three small gears, about 4" in diameter. They
>are gears out of my hand cranked forge blower. I used a surplus bomb
>shelter blower when I built my forge, and the gears are plastic. I want
>to replace them with more substantial metal gears. Replacing the blower
>itself would be a poor option. I don't believe the shrinkage will be
>enough to cause a problem as the shrinkage would only be across the
>radius of two inches.
>
>I have a fairly complete foundry, although my experience is very limited
>in it. I mostly spend my time at the forge instead. I have tried to mold
>the gears in "Petrobond" sand, but the gear teeth will not hold up when
>I pull the plastic pattern out of the sand. I have considered lost wax,
>but I would have to create the pattern out of wax and not use the gears
>themselves. I want to make use of the existing gears for patterns. Part
>of the problem is that the sides of the gear are vertical, and the sand
>sticks to the plastic, even when using parting compound.
>
>I would appreciate any suggestions you might have as to the methods to
>use, and the best metal, to produce these gears. Two of them have to be
>cast on to their steel shafts also.
>
>Thank you for any help you can offer.
>
> Ron Reil
Ron,
Nice to have you here. I am pretty new at the casting business (4 years)
doing mostly art stuff. As to your gears, on great way to get a wax for
lost wax casting is to make a rubber mold of the gear and then take wax
castings from the mold. Yes it is another step, but it would allow you
near exact copies (the near comes from teh bit of shrinkage of the wax as
well as the metal). Don't know what metal I would use, ask your metals
supplier??? If you have a problem with the rubbermold part, I do mold work
and for that size, I think about $25.00.
I haven't tried it yet but resin bonded sand could be a way to go. Watched
a class in it this summer (while my classes were on break) and it looked
very interesting. Also, if the plastic can take the heat, there is heat
setting resined sand available that would probably work. I just got 80 lbs
of it to play with and I think it cost $12.00.
Good luck with it what ever way you go.
John
To All,
To make a lost wax pattern, use silicone rubber to make a mold from the
original part. The silicone comes with release agents so it won't stick. The
mold is reusable.
Hochewa
The worlds only source of new made wrought iron is the blomery at
the Blists hill site of the Iorn Bridge gorge Site in Shropshire.
they sell it as 'Merchant Bar' either through the gift shop to the general
public... of to other Non profit Living history sites direct (at I suspect
a discount from the gift shop price) contact them for futher info re
exports and supply... the Bloomery ran last year in June July and Aug on
Mon Wed and Fri the foundry also has set days for pouring... call to be
sure they are runing if you plan a vist to see the works in operation... (I
think only one day a week do both run)
http://www.ftech.net/~irngorge/
Ironbridge Gorge Museum,
Ironbridge,
Telford,
Shropshire,
TF8 7AW
Tel: 01952 433522;
Fax: 01952 432204
Tourist Information Centre. Tel: 01952 432166
Talking Pages: free on 0800 600 900
IGMT Charitable Trust registered no 503717-R
Randolph Lee
Windshadow Engineering
>anywhere outside a casting supplies catalog, and you've gotta buy a ninety
>ton drum. Someone in this group said that "diatomaceous earth", which is
>available at any swimming pool supply store makes a great parting
>compound. I plagued every swimming pool place in the county (where the
If you need to replenish your stock, you can also get diatomaceous earth
from gardening supply houses that cater to the "organic gardening"
trade. It's used as a dust against certain insects. Some of the larger
mail order businesses sell it in big bag quantities that would be appropriate
for your needs.
> Subject: Northwest blacksmiths -- coal
> OK folks that live up here in the great rust bowl, where can I find decent
> coal. Suposed to be a dealer in Chehalis (on some of the supplier lists
> I've seen) have any of you used their coal?
> Just plain ol "Bill"
Just don't know where you are exactly so..
Fall Creek Farrier Supplies
3733 Main St.
Springfield, OR 97478
503-747-9668
Blacksmith coal
Farrier Supplies
26729 Highway 99 West
Monroe, OR 97456
541-847-5854
Blacksmith coal.
Valley Farrier Supply
Valley Forge and Tool
21383 S. Yeoman Road
Beaver Creek, OR 97004
503-632-4366
503-632-4623 fax
Blacksmith coal.
Fire Mountain Forge
Rt 2 Box 292C
Eatonville, WA 98328
206-832-6280
Blacksmith coal
Harry's Leather Shop
2712 Hewitt Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
206-252-5262
Coal supplier.
Lenny's Fuel CO Inc
9010 Delridge Way SW
Seattle, WA
206-767-5750
Variable quality blacksmithing coal. Ask for Cumberland Elkhorn Coal which
they have from time to time.
Morris Coal Sales
26458 Black Diamond Road SE
Maple Valley, WA 98953
206-432-3330
Coal suppliers.
Central Fuel
1945 S. Market Blvd.
Chehalis, WA 98532
206-748-8808
Blacksmith coal. Bring your own containers.
If any of these are in error, please let me know. These suppliers get sent to
me and I keep them around. Just keep me informed about what you find and where.
Mark
**********
Coalesce
P.O. Box 7701
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96158
916-544-0428
Source of excellent blacksmithing coal. High BTU value, low ash &
sulphur. Cokes well
*********
Mike/ Margret wrote:
>
> Does anyone know a source of coal for blacksmithing near Longview,
> Washington? The nearest major city is Portland, Oregon? Pleas email.
> Thanks, am working on a forging project for the boy scouts.
From:
http://wuarchive.wustl.edu/edu/arts/metal/AM_res.html
Coal and Coke Suppliers
There are 25 suppliers listed here, but none anywhere near you. I like
these folks coal:
Cumberland Elkhorn Coal & Coke
950 Swan Street
Louisville, KY 40204
502-589-5300
Source of excellent blacksmithing coal in bulk or by the bag.
The coal is washed, is low in ash, produces little clinker, and
they will ship by truck.
Hi Jim: Welcome aboard.
The method I use and have had the best success with is as follows.
I prefer fire clay, it has good ramming properties, binds at a low
percentage of moisture, remains relatively pourous and isn't inclined to
spall or explode during the first couple heats. However, most clays,
commercial or mined from a river bank or hardpan will work as well.
I dampen the clay only enough to bind into a clump when squeezed HARD in
my hand. I spread the dry clay in a thinish layer, 2" thick or so and
use a spray can to dampen the surface. I don't wet the surface, just
dampen it. Then I rake, cut or riddle(sift through a screen) thouroughly
and test by squeezing. If it doesn't clump, I repeat the process and
test again, till it does clump. Between wettings and mixings, work out
any clumps by simply breaking them up in your fingers and mixing them
back in.
Fire clay starts to clump around 10-12% moisture by weight, at least the
fire clay I use does. For 10 lbs of fire clay, start with a bit less
than 1 lb of water, about a short pint and work up from there.
Once it passes the clump test, you're ready to ram it into the pan. This
is literally what it sounds like, I hammer it in till the hammer
bounces. Ram it to a depth of about 1" and a bit thicker around the
grate, around 1 1/2".
Once you have it rammed to thickness, burnish it with a block of wood
till it's shiny smooth and let it dry for a day or so.
Drying can be a tough call, depending on how wet or dry your climate is,
needless to say, if the humidity is hoovering around 100% it's not going
to dry at all but if you live in the Mojave desert, it'll be ready in a
few hours. If you live in a humid climate, you can warm it with a small
fire, NO BLAST. Use half a dozen sheets of newspaper spread evenly and
light it.
After it's dry, it's ready for the first firing. This should be a layer
of charcoal briquettes two or three deep, or the equivalent, once again,
NO BLAST. Just light it and let it burn till it goes out.
It's ready for use, still if you live in a humid climate, make your
first few working fires small and gentle.
The benefit of using this method rather than wet claying, is the reduced
risk of shrink checking and spalling during firing.
There's another method of dampening the clay that yeilds a "light" more
insulating liner, though for this application, it isn't necessary to
insulate the pan as much as make sure the heat is distributed evenly.
This method is to mix wet sawdust with the clay and let it temper in an
air tight container over night. Test and ram as above.
This method likes a hotter firing so the sawdust burns out but it's not
necessary. This is how light fire brick is made.
Frosty
***********
Why not use nature's own inexpensive refractory? Just get a shovel and
dig up some dirt. Mix a little water with it and mould it to shape. If
you are particular about things like cracks, mix mud with straw (or lawn
clippings from when the wife FINALLY gets you to mow the lawn) for bulk
and mix about 2/3 sand to 1/3 mud for lining next to the fire. Fill the
brake drum just enough to make the fire the right depth. I'd include a
slight slant from edge to center, and a deeper smaller depression in the
center for a smaller welding fire. For a grate, if you don't want to
have a clinker breaker, just set lengths of 3/8" sqare about 1/4" apart
to cover the tuyere.
Of course, with this compound, the brake drum becomes unecessary -- my
forge is a wood box with mud lining. Has worked fine for about 5 years
now. I've changed the shape a couple of times, but it's evolved to
something that works fine for me. I usually only get about 6 hours max
on it, but the days I've had multiple folks working, (over 16 hrs
continuous) there has been no problem with overheating the wood. 3" of
mud seems to do the trick.
Morgan Hall
Wilsonville, OR
**********
I have a small "rivet" forge I use infrequently. A year ago I
re-"mudded" the bowl with a mix of sand, fire-clay, and portland
cement.
Addresses for Forge and Foundry Equipment and Supplies:
Grant Sarver runs OFF-CENTER FORGE at 1318 South 83rd St., Tacoma, WA 98408,
800 99FORGING. He has the Kick-Ass Hammer and the sweetest lightweight
tongs going. Styles are V-bit, Box Jaw, Rivet, and Pickup in various sizes.
$30/each and worth it. He also has cool punch sets and specialty spring
swages (acorns, balls, rope, etc.) Grant's a cool dude and very helpful
*************
OFF-CENTER does have catalogs. Just call 800 99FORGING. Grant Sarver is our
resident Mad Scientist here in the Northwest Blacksmith Association and I'm
going to give him some of his own Kick-Ass if he doesn't get on-line soon
***********
> Does anyone know if Little Giant has a web address? If not, how about
> a phone number?
> Michael
Automotive Inc./Little Giant
Sid Suedmeier
420 4th Corso
Nebraska City, NE 68410
402-873-6603
402-873-4372 home
Parts for 25, 50 & 100 pound Little Giant power hammers.
These people bought the Little Giant company. Sells rebuilt hammers.
Mark
************
> Subject: Square Copper Tubing
> Can anyone recommend a mail-order source for square copper tubing, say
> 3/4 or 1-inch size? Thanks.
> David C. Hufford
> Richmond KY USA
David,
Try one of the following:
Julius Blum & Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 816
Carlstadt, NJ 07072-0816
800-526-6293
Lewis Brass & Copper Co. Inc.
69-61 78th Street
Box 67
Middle Village, NY 11379
718-894-1442 or 800-221-5579
McMurray Metals Co.
3000 Elm St.
Dallas, TX 75226
214-742-5654
and
131 Eichwurzel
Houston, TX 77009
713-697-3334
800-658-5688
Metal Supermarkets
Chicago location:
1675 Tonne Road
Elk Grove, IL 60007
1-888-metal01
Atlanta location:
184 Selig Drive
Atlanta, GA 30336
1-888-metalnu
Nationwide Architectural Metals
800-851-5053
908-832-5053
908-832-9116 FAX
Let me know where you find what you need.
I hope this helps you.
Mark
*********
Unplated square head machine bolts are available many places such as
fastenal, M.S.C. and Mcmasrter Carr. Square head lags are another story, after about 40 long
distance phone calls and extensive relentless searching I believe I found the one and
the only supplier of square head lags in the U.S. of A.. it is:
E & A Products
4129 85yh Ave North
Brooklyn Park Minn. 55443
tel: (612) 493 3222
Talk with Mark Sr., and you will have to buy in 1/4 keg of any one
size. If anyone else knows of a source for square head Lags, (not
machine bolts) I'd sure like to hear about it.
Roger Olsen
*************
Pexto stakes and other sheet metal forming tools are available from Roper
Whitney of Rockford, Inc. Ask for Catalog M and Catalog M/P/H
Roper Whitney of Rockford, Inc.
2833 Huffman Blvd
Rockford, IL 61101
815-962-3011 Fax 815-962-2227
Laurel Machine and Foundry Co.
PO Box 1049 / 810 Front St.
Laurel, MS 601-428-0541
Blacksmith's Journal
P.O. Box 193
Washington, MO 63090
314-239-7049
A comprehensive source of blacksmiths' information. An extremely useful
tool
Blacksmith's Gazette
950 South Falcon Road
Camano Island, WA 98292
fholder@sos.net email
http://services.skagit.com/blacksmith web site
Monthly publication in newspaper form of useful information and
announcements of interest to blacksmiths. Fred and Arlene Holder are
the publishers
Carolina Glove Company
P.O.Box 820
Newton, NC 28658
800-438-6888
Kevlar gloves are available in pairs or as lefts only.
Brownells Inc.
Route 2 Box 1
200 South Front Street
Montezuma, IA 50171-9989
515-623-5401
Gunsmithing supplies. Catalog available.
Burgon Tool Steel Co.
Tide Mill Road
Box 1510
Hampton, NH 03842
(603) 926-4994)
800-582-7223 (in NH)
800-258-7106 (elsewhere)
603-926-5704 fax
Contact Art Putnam
A good source for small quantities of tool steel. They usually
have the material and size you need in stock. Unusual orders are
normally processed within 10 days.
The sales people are quite knowledgeable about all the metals they
handle. They have metallurgists that can be consulted in
difficult problems. Burgon has produced a nice little book entitled
"Burgon Tool and Die Manual" (FREE). It's probably one of the best
for selecting tool steels and heat treating them.
Centaur Forge Ltd.
117 N. Spring Street
P.O.Box 340
Burlington, WI 53105
414-763-9175
Anvils, forges, vises, blacksmith & farrier tools, books and
supplies.
Catalog available
Champ Spring Company
2107-2119 Chouteau Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63103
or
P.O. Box 7103
St. Louis, MO 63177
314-231-7570
Leaf spring specialists since 1882. Source of Clay Spencer treadle
hammer springs
Farrier Supplies
26729 Highway 99 W
Monroe, OR 97456
503-847-5874
Blacksmith and farrier tools and supplies, including coal.
Iron Age Antiques
Bill Gichner
Ocean View, DE
302-539-5344
Anvils, forges, and all types of blacksmithing tools and equipment. If
you really need a tool or piece of equipment, Bill will either have it or get
it for you.
Jere Kirkpatrick's Valley Forge and Welding
30-C E. San Francisco Street
Willits, CA 95490
707-459-2523
800-367-5373
Manufactures treadle hammer kits and other blacksmith tools and
supplies.
Catalog available
Laurel Machine & Foundry Co.
P.O.Box 1049
810 Front Street
Laurel, MS 39440
601-428-0541
Makes anvils, swage blocks, large & small cones, fire pots, and
clinker breakers.
Machinery Information Systems, Inc.
Locator Subscription Fullfillment Dept.
1110 Spring St.
Silver Spring MD 20910-4028
301-585-9498
301-585-9460 fax
http://www.mdna.org.locator
Publisher of The Locator - a consolidation of used equipment available
across the country. The equipment is sorted by type, described clearly
with a few photos.
Mankel Blacksmith Shop
7836 Cannonsburg Road
Cannonsburg, MI 49317
616-874-6955
Anvils, gas forges, tools, and other blacksmithing supplies.
Catalog available.
McEnglevan Industrial Furnace Mfg.
700 Griggs St.
Danville, IL 61832
217-446-0941
800-367-6006, Ext. 12
217-446-0943 fax
Manufacturers of furnaces for school and industry. Featured are both
gas and electric metal melting and heat treating furnaces, sand mullers,
foundry tools, metal handling equipment and safety clothing. Catalog
available. They are nice people to work with and are good for service
on their older furnaces
Milwaukee Tool & Equipment Co.
P.O.Box 2039
Milwaukee, WI 53201
800-394-9087
414-645-2892
414-645-0200
Manufactures blacksmith tools. Has 10 sizes of anvils 30 to 500
pounds.
Modern Casting's Buyer's Reference Issue
American Foundryman's Society
505 State Street
Des Plaines, IL 60016-4237
847 824 0181
Great source of detailed information on suppliers for casting metals.
John J. Moroney & Co.
6817 South Harlem Ave
Bedford Park, IL. 60501
708-496-0600
708-496-1763 fax
800-922-9441
They deal in every kind of refractory you can imagine.
David Oliver
Paddle Creek Forge
P.O.Box 3452
Bristol, TN 37625
615-878-5712
Supplier of used blacksmith tools including anvils & swage blocks
The Surplus Record
20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 2500
Chicago, IL 60606
312-372-9077
800-622-5449
312-372-6537 fax
http://www.surplusrecord.com/ website
Source of new and used industrial equipment and machinery.
Tick Creek Forge
Richard Sheppard
P O Box 146
Bruceton Mills WV 26525
(304) 379-7450
Builds compact, well-made treadle hammers of a unique design.
The patent is pending.
Valley Farrier Supply
21383 S. Yoeman Road
Beaver Creek, OR 97004
503-632-4366
Anvils, forges, hand tools, coal, and other blacksmith supplies.
To retemper oil-bonded sand without a "real" muller, you need some sort of
combined mixing and grinding action ... old cement mixer with some iron
window weights or a mortar mixer.
Amount of oil on retemper depends on how quick you open up the flasks
after a pour. If you let them cool completely, I usually use about an
ounce of 30W oil per 3 gallons of sand (in a Simpson muller). Don't add
too much oil or you'll ruin the whole sand pile.
--
Winston W. Harness
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/brnzcaster/
Texas Knifemaker's Supply catalog $3 10649 Haddington #180, Huston TX
zipcode 77043 phone 713-461-8632
Koval Knives (the one I use) cat $4 P.O.Box 492, New Albany, OH 43054
Admiral Steel L.P. free catalog! 800-323-7055
Jantz Supply cat $5 P.O.Box 584 Davis OK 73030
Knife & Gun Finishing Supplies cat $3 P.O.Box 980 Lakeside AZ 85929
Sheffield Knifemakers Supply Inc. cat $5 P.O.Box 741107
Orange City Florida 32774-1107, (they list D2 3/16" x 1.5" x36"
for $30.75)
The catalog is:
Knife & Gun Finishing Supplies
1972 Forest Avenue
P.O.Box 458
Lakeside, AZ 85929-0458
Info:520-537-8877
Fax: 520-537-8066
Order only: 800-972-1192
To All,
Rail grade steel is the finest mass produced product that come out of the
mill. Just look at what it is asked to do in service and the really bad
things that happen when rails fail. It is usually the wheels or a bed failure
rather than the rails in a wreck. It is almost the perfect eutectoid
composition. At the end of rail manufacture it is 100% fine pearlite. Now
for some of the more modern main line rails, the heads are induction hardened
to give a bainite structure, but the composition yields no free carbide or
free ferrite. Free carbide or ferrite adversley effect the fatigue resistance
of the material. The base composition is .8% (80 points) carbon with not much
else added. If it is main line rail, it probably has a little bit of boron in
it to increase the hardenability to make it more responsive to induction
hardening. 80 point carbon steel make really great tools: hammers, chisels,
swages, etc. It can be hardened in water to about 65/66 Rc. It makes great
blades. Easy to work, easy to heat treat easy to sharpen and easy to keep
sharp. Commercial HC blades are probably 1-1.2% carbon, but they can take
free carbide
Hochewa
If you were to buy or build an air hammer, which design or maker would you
choose and why?
What's good and bad about your choice?
Why do I (you)want one so badly?
Respectfully,
Mark Parmenter >>
Mark
Short and sweet, BUY. Sure you can build an air hammer if your time isn't
worth that much to you. My opion of good is a Chambersburg General Utility
Hammer. There are a lot of these hammers around and you can't build anything
to compare to it. There easy to set up because of their one piece design.
Also, they can be had cheaper then expected.
If you have to ask yourself why you need an air hammer so badly, maybe you
don't need one. Go out and get yourself a good quality mechanical hammer. I
would much rather have a good mechanical hammer then one of the "new" type air
hammers. I have worked on other air hammers and I prefer my 100Lb. Bradley
Compact over them. Both air and mechanical hammers have there place. I use
the Bradley for 90% to 95% or the general work. The Chambersburg is for the
other 10% to 5% the Bradley won't do. There are other mechanical hammers then
Little Giant that are much better, and have greater control. They require
less maintenance, less adjusting and are all around much easier to use. I use
my 100Lb. Bradley to draw out 1/4" stock. It has great control if control is
the issue for an air hammer.
Bruce R. Wallace
************
>what is a good stroke for an air cylinder for an air hammer......
>my theory here is to get the cylinder first and then work from there......
>(i already have a compressor to run it......)
> thanks again....
> jon
jon,
>
Ron Kinyon used a 2"x10" cylinder in his
plans. This seems to be about the biggest
cylinder one can run with an average small
shop size air compressor (5hp). You might
like to read this.
http://wuarchive.wustl.edu/edu/arts/metal/TOC/tools/airhamer.htm
Bob
I personally go through many wheels working with stainless steel in large
scale sculptural applications. If you are buying your wheels locally you are
probably paying too much. Call 1 800 645 7270 to get MSC Industrial's super
catalog. If you are doing alot of grinding it is well worth the while to buy
wheels 10 or more at a time. They will sell them individually for a little
more moneybut thier selection is amazing and will have an abrasive for every
application. I order before 10 am and have them next day at no extra charge.
They have warehouses all over the US.
The main thing about abraisives is to remember that the harder thre metal, the
faster you want the resin to break down to expose fresh sharp abraisive. Also
high quality abraisives such as alumina zirconia are a much better investment
than alumininum oxide. I have been using Norton's Charger wheel and ZEC''s
spiral aluminum oxide discs on a 8500 rpm Bosch and they get all the heavy
grinding done in short order on stainless. Spend more money on abraisives and less time
grinding, Your hands and your time are well worth it.
************
Stan Parsons,1500 East Miller Rd., Midland, Mi 48640. Phone # 517-631-5744.
This unit is quite heavy 80 to 100 Pounds, so shippment may be a problem. He
said he shipped one down south and the freight was $150 or so. He was getting
$350.00 for the unit and $50.00 for the wheel to hollow grind on.
Parsons Manufacturing
Stan and Georgia Parsons
1500 Miller Rd. Midland
MI 48460
517-631-5744
Hello Matt,
Poz tongs are made from 1/4 by 1" flat material, edge bent to form the
boss and jaws. There are plans for them on the Alabama Forge Coucil
page. They are light and grip very hard.
Matt
************
But, when you try those nice drawings at the 'bham' site, make certain
you make the necessary EC to the 3/8" deep, 1/2" fuller. Daniel Piotte
saved me from an interesting mistake when he pointed out that the tongs,
as drawn, will be rather hard to handle. (And how did Daniel come upon
this information, we may ask?)
Put the 3/8" deep fuller on the other side of the piece.
Paul Windt
D.P. Byam's Sled, Sleigh, and Wagon Repository
> In a message dated 10/23/1998 01:40:43 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
> rosche@dilbert.scra.org writes:
> << Phil Rosche >>
> Phil
> Try this: http://www.bham.net/afc/techniques/poztongs.html
> Hope this is what you were looking for.
> Tim
> Attica, IN
Yes I forge a lot with 304 grade . You have to forge hot in the low
yellows and be careful of bends have plenty of heat and sst. has a
tendancy to tear on the outside of the bend , it dose not like to
strech, so heat more inside to allow it to compress. After forging you
must clean the surfaces of all oxides and contaminants left from
working. either acid etch , muriotic is good or sand blast with glass
beads or granit dust, do not use black beauty as it is a slag product
and will impinge into the surface iron oxides as well as other
contaminants. you can use a stainless steel wire wheel to clean. be
cautious of carrying steel contamiants with a grinder, hammer, chisle,
file, sand paper that has been used on iron etc. If you are cautious
about cleaning well after you work it the natural finish protection of
sst will form again and the piece will last forever. Just remember any
grinding drilling, working, and welding will change the surface
charactoistics of the material. If all that is done you can forge sst
as well as any steel. I do it all the time with no problems. It works
alittle harder and will work harden if to cool. Quench in CLEAN iron
free water and it will help the corrosion ability . i USE A COAL FORGE
BUT IT IS RECOMMENDED TO USE GAS OOPPS Ihave no problem swith the
coal i quess it is not as clean as gas. good luck!!!! bob jordan
************
Try some 316. I have worked it into fine smaller shapes with no other
problems than it is a lot harder to work and your hammering window is less
per heat. 316 does have a higher nickel content, so finishes up nice when
your forge work is done.
Good luck.
Harry Foster
Grader Blades:
There are two basic types of steel used for grader blades as far as I
know. 1045 and an abrasion resistant tungsten alloy. Look at the worn
edge, if it has a burr it's the 1045. I don't know if or how they're
heat treated but they're tough enough to stop a 60.000lb grader going 30
mph dead in it's tracks without breaking.
They're not the easiest thing to weld, you need to preheat to about
400-450f and cool slowly. I have good luck with 7018 but it took a few
tries to get good welds. I collected several hundred lbs last winter
with the intention of welding up an anvil if I wasn't able to find one.
I don't know anything about the tungsten alloy edges, I've only heard of
them.
Frosty
Sucker Rod:
Sucker rods may be made from several materials
I am providing the "low-end" specs for the rods we use.
most rods you find will already be 16/22 rc in hardness. this is for
corrosion resistance to hydrogen-sulfide stress failure.
The most common is aisi c-1536 Hot Rolled Steel.
Chemical properties %
Carbon .32/.39
Manganese 1.15/1.45
Phosphorus .04 Mx
Sulphur .04 Mx
Silicon .20/.30
Vanadium .02/.03
Of course the balance is Iron.
Mechanical Properties
Tensile Strength, psi 100/110,000
Yield Strength, psi 70/80,000
Elongation, 8", % 18/23
Reduction of Area, % 50/65
Brinell Hardness 190/205
by: jerry boudreaux
thru
Dave Mudge / Magic Hammer Forge
My name is Paul and I work for a machine shop that does a lot of work with
sucker rods, generally it is made from 4140 heat treated steel, which is the
primary material we use to manufacture most of the parts we make. However it
can be made from other types of iron. 4140 is a good general purpose steel
and comes heat treated when you buy it. It is very strong and easy to machine
and weld. If you need to harden or temper it, you can do so as you need to.
Our shop sends off material to a local vendor to get heat treated or whatever
needs to be done as per what the customer wants. I am not exactly sure the
procedure that is done to do the actual hardening and tempering but it is
usually left to the companies who specialize in this. I do know however it
has something to do with heating up the material and quenching it in oil, but
I am not sure. Hope this will help you, If you have any other questions
please feel free to email me.
Paul STREETRDDR@aol.com
Sucker rods are used in oil and gas wells to connect a pump jack to the
pump cups that are down in the bottom of the well. The sucker rod is a
steel rod with threaded connectors on each end. They are connected end
to end and may go down the well a half a mile or more.
When a well becomes uneconomical to maintain, the sucker rods and tubing
is pulled and usually scrapped. In oil and gas country its amazing what
you'll see made out of old sucker rod, well tubing, casing or drill
stem.
Jay Hayes
> Hm..Were I to build a propane forge, I would have a use for the tangled-up
>> ball of SS MIG wire I have, with exception of the rough texture. Failing
>> finde the real thing, is this a possible source for others?
>> (Recycling creatively, as usual)
>
>I don't see why not.
>Leave it up to a devoted junk collector (er I mean re-cycler ) to
>come up with an alternative.
There are probably alot of different high heat castables out there but why
not keep it simple. A.P. Green's refactory called MIZZOU is rated at 3000
degrees, I used it to line my forge with no additives of any kind, my forge
runs between 8 and 12 hours at least 5 days a week and has been with this
refactory for over 8 months with no problems with chipping or pulling away.
I know of 4 other smiths using the same system with no problems. Why make
a simple solution complex?
Roger Olsen
*************
LS-
Go to Seattle Pottery Supply
35 South Hanford st.
50lb bag of Kaolite castable refractory for about 50 bucks. There's two
types: 2500 and 3000 degree.
We're using the 2500 degree stuff and it's holding up fine.
Steve Howell
Seattle
> -----Original Message-----
> From: L.S. [SMTP:hr@nwlink.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 1998 3:15 PM
> To: theforge@wugate.wustl.edu
> Subject: Substitute for Kaowool???
> Hello all:
> Because of the possible carcinogenic risk associated
> with ceramic
> fiber type insulations I would like to avoid them if I can. So does
> anyone out there know of a castable isulation that comes close to the
> Kaowool standard?
> Sincerely,
> L.S.
***************
If you only need to replace a few bricks, just buy the bricks. You
should be able to pick them up locally. If the bricks are just cracked
you can coat them with ITC-100 to give them a new lease on life. Small
gaps can be chinked with ceramic fiber and then coated.
In some cases the bricks in older units are completely replaced with
ceramic fiber refractory such as kaowool. We have seen a vast
improvement in efficiency in most cases. A layer of fiber can also be
added on top of old brick to improve efficiency. The ITC-100 is used to
adhere the the fiber to the brick. Then the fiber is coated to seal it.
We have ITC-100 in pints for $23.00, plus shipping. I can also supply
you with small quantities of ceramic fiber for patching.
Jay Hayes
C.J. Products Inc.
100 Christmas Place
Weston, WV 26452
torin.ironbrow@sfnet.com wrote:
> >Besides building my personal gas forge and several others, we have a lot
> >of experience with large industrial kilns, ovens, and furnaces. We also
> >stock almost everything else needed to build a gas forge.
>
> Hey, maybe you can help me. I have a Speedy-Melt model MP-36 I just got
> from Ron. Several of the bricks could use replacing, but the re-lining kit
> from Mifco is $651! Got anything cheaper?
> Todd
**********
Hi Walt,
My company is a distributor of International Technical Ceramics' ITC-100
coating. We also sell it to members of theforge at a discount. (Actually
cheaper than buying it direct.) I'd be glad to answer any questions that
you may have.
The coating greatly improves the efficiency of a gas forge. It also
protects the ceramic fiber (kaowool) and extends its life many times
over. Because the fiber is coated in a hard shell of ITC-100, the fibers
can not become airborne and inhaled. ITC-100 will also improve the
efficiency of conventional firebrick and castable refractory. It can be
used to repair damaged refractory and as an adhesive to hold fiber and
other refractory in place.
Besides building my personal gas forge and several others, we have a lot
of experience with large industrial kilns, ovens, and furnaces. We also
stock almost everything else needed to build a gas forge.
Jay Hayes
C.J. Products Inc. (304) 269-6111
100 Christmas Place
Weston, WV 26452
> I have a small blacksmithing and foundry operation. I have need to
> expand into doing a limited amount of engraving. What would the best
> steel be to make my graving tools (strictly hand held), and do you
> supply such steel in the small quantities I would want? I presently have
> a good supply of O-1, but do not want to expend the effort in making the
> tools if it will not do the work. I will be engraving both brass and
> steel surfaces.
> Thank you very much.
> Ronald Reil
>
> O1 will engrave the brass with no problem. As for the steels, one has to
be careful of the hardness of the grade of steel being engraved. Surely
O1 would at 58-60Rc be able to engrave 1035 steel 011 down to 1008. I
would not recommend using O1 to engrave the higher carbon or alloy
steels. For these applications you would probably need something like M4
high speed.
John Pirman
*********
Ron,
H-13 is a commonly available tool steel. All of the major makers have an H-13
material. Some places to acquire tool steel are:
Admiral Steel L.P.
4152 W. 123rd street
Chicago(Alsip), IL 60658-1869
708-388-9317 fax
800-323-7055
info@admiralsteel.com email
http://www.mcs.net/~admiral/admiral.html web site
Arizona Specialty Metals
4020 E. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85032
602-276-8407
New and surplus ferrous and non-ferrous metals including tool steels
of many kinds. Ask for Jim or Allison.
A.T.S. Steels Inc.
1901 13th Street N.E.
Arden Hills, MN 55112
612-636-2200
800-328-0432
612-636-6794 fax
and
4802 South 33rd Street
Phoenix, AZ 85040
602-243-3056
800-777-4447
602-268-1179 fax
Suppliers of steel from mild steel, both hot and cold rolled, to tool
steels, to a variety of alloy steels. Services available include:
sawing, flame cutting, milling, and blanchard and surface grinding.
This company prides itself on fast, quality service and has the
inventory to back it up. Brochure available. In Minnesota, ask
for Norm Botoshe.
Burgon Tool Steel Co.
Tide Mill Road
Box 1510
Hampton, NH 03842
800-582-7223 (in NH)
800-258-7106 (elsewhere)
603-926-5704 fax
603-926-4994
A good source for small quantities of tool steel. They usually have
the material and size you need in stock. Unusual orders are
normally processed within 10 days.Contact Art Putnam
The sales people are quite knowledgeable about all the metals they
handle. They have metallurgists that can be consulted in difficult
problems. Burgon has produced a nice little book entitled "Burgon
Tool and Die Manual" (FREE). It's probably one of the best practical
guides for selecting tool steels and heat treating them.
Carpenter Steel Division or Carpenter Technology Corporation
P.O. Box 14662
101 West Bern Street
Reading, PA 19612-4662
610-208-2000
800-654-6543
610-208-2633 fax
or
Snapfinger Woods Industrial Park
5355 Morse Drive
Decatur, GA 30035-3810
http://www.cartech.com
Complete listing of tool and die steels.
Central Steel & Wire Company
(headquarters)
P.O.Box 5100
Chicago, IL 60680-5100
800-621-8510
800-232-9279 fax
centralsteel@worldnet.att.net email
http://www.centralsteel.com/index.html web site
Detroit - 800-462-1950, 800-292-3878 fax
Cincinnati - 800-541-7190, 800-292-2466 fax
Milwaukee - 800-521-8031, 800-292-6459 fax
Greensboro(NC) - 800-621-8510, 888-284-4578
Suppliers of aluminum, brass, copper, alloy & carbon steel, tool steel,
and stainless steel in plate, sheet, coil, tubing, pipe, and wire.
Crucible
5639 West Genesse Street
P.O.Box 991
Camillus, NY 13031-0991
800-365-1185
315-487-4028 fax
315-487-0800 outside North America
http://www.crucibleservice.com/
crucible@crucibleservice.com email
Complete listing tool steels. Service centers located worldwide.
Latrobe Steel Company
(a division of Timken)
Latrobe, PA 15650
412-537-7711
http://www.timken.com/
Make a variety of tool steels. Especially of interest to
smiths is their type MGR (AISI A8) shock resisting die steel.
The hardness vs. temperature tempering curve is dead flat at 57Rc
from 600F through 900F, and is above 55Rc at 1000F. It is a very
nice hot working steel.
MBM Sales
Wisconsin
608-657-0721
Tool steels at good prices. They will ship UPS. Ask for Dale Steger.
Pacific Machinery & Tool Steel
3445 NW Luzon St.
Portland, OR 97210
800-547-1091
Suppliers of all manner of tool steels including A, O, S, and plow &
spring steels.
Teledyne Allvac
P.O.Box 5030
Monroe, NC 22810
800-537-5551
Complete listing tool steels.
Most of the larger concerns have service centers nationwide. Let me know where
you finally get your H-13 especially if it's somewhere other than what I've
listed.
Mark
Snow Hill, MD
************
>The following description is taken from my discussions with Nahum, not from
>seeing him actually do it. Steve had direct experience with making a hammer
>under Nahum's instruction, so if there are any errors in my description
>below I hope he will correct them. Thanks Steve.
Sounds like a very accurate description to me (me having done it once!).
If you haven't done this before, I don't think it is obvious why you mark
the cut line cold (with a cold chisel). The reason is that there are
generally no shadows on hot steel. The steel is glowing uniformly with
its own light, and the room lights are usually not bright when forging.
You need to tell where to put the chisel by feel, not by looking at it hot.
While I really like the philosophy behind using junkyard steel, I often
buy new. Hot work tools like splitting chisels are one example. I am
continually amazed at how much heat and punishment a tool made from S7 or
A10 will take. Both run $3-5 per pound, but are well worth the price. If
you live near a molding shop, you might be able to get S7 or H13 mold
alignment pins from them for free. H13 is also supposed to work pretty
well. MSC is a convenient (not necessarily the cheapest, but convenient)
source of S7.
Steve Smith
Loveland, CO
***********
H-13 can be purchased from Southern Tool Steel 423-870-7888 (they have an 800
number, but I can't seem to find it). You may be able to find at a local
steel supplier or they may be able to get you a "sample".
Richard Furrer
RAILROAD SPIKES & SUPERQUENCH:
Hey Don,
I forged out 3 HC spike knives last month, normalized the blades 3x and then
on the heat treatment quenched #1 in oil, #2 in plain water and #3 in Rob
Gunther quench. When I tested the edges with a file #3 was a lot harder. I
stress relieved it at 1 hr at 350 F and it seems to hold a decent edge for
such a low carbon steel.
**********
Another neat project for RR spikes is candle holders. Flatten the head out and
spread it into a spatula shape about 5-6" from stem to top and maybe 3-4" wide.
Roll the spatula into a cone shape. This will be the candle holer. Holding the
cone, draw out the opposite end to the desired diameter, shape as the urge
strikes and finish. If you draw to about a 1/4" dia you can extend the length
of the whole thing to about 32"-40" long.
The overall shape is similar to a calalily. I do recommend using a power hammer
for the drawing and keep below a yellow heat.
Doug Heritage
**********
Ross Holden wrote:
> > I need to mix up some of Gunter's Superquench for a demo tomorrow
> >and I now find out that the local stores have stopped carrying Dawn dish
> >washing products. Does any know which other brands would be a good
> >sustitute for it.
>
> No, but I'd like the mix. I'm pretty sure I can get Dawn products
> up here.
> Roy Wilson <emperor@slic.com> <ICQ 8094267>
Roy:
5 pounds salt, 32oz blue Dawn dishwashing liquid, 8oz Shaklee Basic
I wetting agent, add water to make 5 gallons of solution.
Stir it up to get it moving before you quench. Don't quench anything
with more than 45- 50 points of carbon.
Ross
*************
Roy,
You can also use Simple Green as a replacement for the Shaklee
product. You can get this at Wal-Mart.
**********
On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 07:59:24 -0500 (CDT), Dave B. wrote:
>5 gal water
>5lb Salt
>32oz Dawn (blue) dishwashing liquid
>8oz Shaklee Basic H (or other surfactant of appropriate quantity for 5 gal mix)
>Will harden mild steel to Rockwell 42-45 (in spite of common wisdom that
>says you can't harden mild steel).
That's an old formula.
Dawn is now a "concentrate". Use the 28oz bottle.
Jet-Dry "liquid rinse agent" can be substituted with terrific
results (and it's a lot easier to find) for the Shaklee product(s). Use
the UNSCENTED 7oz bottle.
The Jet-Dry (or whatever you use for a rinse agent) does something
chemically to the surface of the steel. It allows the salt in the mix to
start attacking it as soon as it hits the air - make sure you have a LOT of
clear water to rinse in ready at hand.
Quench a chunk of low-carbon scrap stock in it, and just set it
aside. You can *watch* the salt eat into it.
Roy Wilson
Jet Dry, Calgon, and other surfacants are wetting agents. They break
down the surface tension of water allowing it to make contact with a
meterial. We've all dipped a cold piece of metal in water and seen a
bubble-like "skin" form with dry metal under it. This is surface tension
trapping a layer of air, it makes a fair heat shield.
In a quench, steam will form a similar surface "skin" and prevent full
contact with the water, insulating the steel from a proper chill.
Wetting agents prevent the "skin" from forming.
Detergents do a somewhat similar job, they're emulsifiers allowing oils
and water to mix. This prevents any oily residues from the fire from
forming a "heat shield" surface layer.
The salt in the water raises the boiling point and causes a faster,
harder chill in the steel. In effect but not exactly, it raises the
specific heat of the water and draws the heat from the steel faster.
Frosty
************
Railroad Spike Info:
I had a section of High Carbon RR spike sent in for analysis to U.S. Steel, as
there had been several people inquire ( as well as satisfying my own curiosity ).
Here are the results:
Carbon - .296 %
Manganese - .68 %
Phosphorous - .016 %
Sulfur - .038 %
Silicon - .244 %
Copper - .287 %
Nickel - .09 %
Chrome - .13 %
Tin - .001 %
Aluminum - .005 %
Vanadium - .022 %
Cobalt - .008 %
High carbon spikes were made exclusively starting in or around 1974 to replace the
low carbon spikes currently out there, and were generally just iron and carbon
(with a couple trace elements thrown in for special areas).
From:
Steve Rabuck
Beloit, WI
(theforge)
For High-Carbon Steel Track Spikes:
Process: Steel shall be made by one or more of the following processes:
open-hearth, acid-bessemer, electric-furnace, basic-oxygen.
Chemical Composition:
Acid-Bessmer Other Process Carbon, min. percent 0.20- 0.30
Copper, when specified:
0.20%
Tensile Properties:
Tensile Strength, min. psi. ............................70,000
Yield Point, min. psi. ....................0.5 tensile strength
Elongation in 2 in., min percent.......................... 25
From:
Machinery's Handbook
Marking:
Manufacturer brand and the letters "HC" indicating high-carbon, and when copper is
specified the letters "CU" will be added.
Railroad Spike Info
**********
>On a slightly different, but related subject. I was surprised at how hard
>the spike got. What are your thoughts on making Repossae hammers out of
>them? For many of the hammers the cross section is just about right. I could
>get one nice hammer out of each spike. I probably have enough spikes to make
>500-600 hammers....grin. Would they be hard enough if tempered full hard on
>the hammer face?
Ron, there seems to have been a wide difference of opinion here on
theforge about the carbon content in HC spikes. The letters I've saved
argue anywhere from 0.3% to 1% carbon, although medium carbon sounds
likely from the application. I would do some careful experimenting to be
sure leaving the hammer full hard won't make it shatter in use. Maybe you
could say that if it doesn't shatter on impact when superquenched, it
should be ok with a water quench/full hard?
Nahum uses 1080-1095 for hammers. He water quenches by putting the
business end of the hammer in 3/4" of water in a can (leaving the center
of the hammer soft). He tempers to brown with purple spots.
I use two different approaches:
1. Rob Gunter method
Use 1040 type steel (i.e. axel steel), quench in Superquench (see below).
Do not temper.
2. My approach
Use 1080-1095 water hardening steel. Quench in kitchen vegetable oil. Do
not temper.
I tried vegetable oil after finding that "water hardening" steel often
cracks in water. Vegetable oil, however, didn't bring the steel to full
hardness--a file will cut the surface pretty well. Untempered, this
approach seems to work pretty well for hammers. What can I say, I'm lazy.
Now, for those who haven't heard of Superquench:
Roy Wilson's letter put it best this spring:
>5 gal water
>5lb Salt
>32oz Dawn (blue) dishwashing liquid
>8oz Shaklee Basic I (or other surfactant of appropriate quantity for 5 gal
>mix)
>
>Will harden mild steel to Rockwell 42-45 (in spite of common wisdom that
>says you can't harden mild steel).
That's an old formula.
Dawn is now a "concentrate". Use the 28oz bottle.
Jet-Dry "liquid rinse agent" can be substituted with terrific
results (and it's a lot easier to find) for the Shaklee product(s). Use
the UNSCENTED 7oz bottle.
The Jet-Dry (or whatever you use for a rinse agent) does something
chemically to the surface of the steel. It allows the salt in the mix to
start attacking it as soon as it hits the air - make sure you have a LOT
of clear water to rinse in ready at hand.
Quench a chunk of low-carbon scrap stock in it, and just set it
aside. You can *watch* the salt eat into it.
Roy Wilson
Steve Smith
Loveland, CO
************
On Wed, 12 Aug 1998 18:30:42 EDT, RJhaus@aol.com wrote:
>You've gotta make it .One clean 5 gal pail with lid holds it just fine.
>The recipe for the soap quench is as follows
>5 gals water
>5lbs table salt
>32 oz dawn dishwashing liquid (blue)
>8oz Shaklee Basic "I" Wetting Agent}
Minor changes to the last two items -
Dawn is now a concentrate. The bottle for a 5g mix is something
like 28.5oz.
You can replace the Shaklee products (hard to find in a lot of
areas) with the small (6oz?) bottle of Jet_Dry, which is available in most
supermarkets.
Don't forget that it's color coded - when you've exhausted the
usefulness of the quench, it'll shift color from blue to green.
Nifty stuff.<G>
Roy Wilson
SKF General catalogue does not give an exact answer -- but does say that
the ball and / or rollers are a carbon chromium steel with a hardness of 60
to 66 HRC. Base on this, I would say that they are very likely 52100.
52100 has an as quenched hardness of 66 HRC, which drops to about 60 HRC
when tempered at 500 F. Races of their bearings are likely to be the same
material.
In very large bearings -- 40 inch bore, I think SKF makes both through
hardened and case hardened bearings dependent on the application.
Dave Smucker, Green Frog Forge, Louisville, Tennessee
**********
I work with Timken engineers on a very regular base and can say for sure
that the bearings are 1.) case hardened -- with a very deep case and 2.)
That they are not 8620. 8620 is a very good and quite common case hardening steel but is not
what Timken uses for their bearings. They use a steel which effectively is a
4320. Key to the bearing performance is that the steel is very very
clean.
Dave Smucker, Green Frog Forge, Louisville Tennessee
*************
Ron, I did not want to imply that because the material in the Timken
bearing races was case hardened steel that it would not work for want you
are doing. It may well work very well. The 4317 (about the same as 4320)
has about 0.5 Chrome, 1.8 Nickel, and 0.25 Moly. This is one tough steel.
The issue is where does the carbon content end up after you have forged
the tool. I will ask that question this week when I am up at Timken in
Canton on Thursday. I am sure that you will have properties that are above
those of 4340, more like a 4360 or 4380 steel. That is why I am interested
in your results -- i.e. how does it work in practice for the blacksmith.
(Used bearings, are not that hard to find and can be had for scrap
prices.)
Timken has a very good web sight with a great deal of information on
bearings and steel. They are a major producer of specialty steel products
especially seamless tubing. To get to things like their Metallurgical
Handbook you have to register -- but that should not be an issue for most
of us.
The Timken URL is http://www.timken.com/
If buying new material, I would go for a H13. It will go for about $ 3.00
to 4.00 per pound. It is a steel "designed" for hot work.
Dave Smucker, Green Frog Forge, Louisville Tennessee
**************
>Where do you get the H-13 Richard?
>Ron
>
If you don't find a local source, try Centaur Forge. They carry 8", 12"
and 14" pieces in 1/2" and 5/8" rounds. To give an idea of price, h-13,
10"x1/2" rnd is $3.25. It's a bit more than carbon tool steel, but once
you use it and see how it holds up, you won't want to use anything else.
They also carry S-5 and S-7.
If you want, I can scan and forward off-list, the page with this
information on it.
Dave Brown
Heritage 'Smithing
***********
To All,
Bearing balls for most applications are 52100. I think that the races are the
same alloy. 52100 is 1.5% Chromium and 1% Carbon. It is tough but not
unreasonable.
Hochewa
> could someone please advise of a resource for screening/mesh
Here are two:
FP Smith Wire Cloth Co.
10110 Pacific Ave.
Franklin Park IL 60131
1-800-323-6842
Cleveland Wire Cloth Mfg Inc.
3575 E. 75th Street
Cleveland OH 44105-1596
1-800-321-3234
Chris
*************
Robert,
Firescreen is available from the following places, and I haven't
refinished it. There is a variety including stainless as I recall.
FP Smith Wire Cloth Co.
10110 Pacific Ave.
Franklin Park IL 60131
1-800-323-6842
Cleveland Wire Cloth Mfg, Inc
3575 E. 75th St.
Cleveland OH 44105-1596
1-800-321-3234
Chris
Alexandria VA
**********
Paul,
I have used McNICHOLS. In Baltimore,Annapolis Junction, Md.
301-362-0200
In New Brunswick, NJ 732-846-8333
They have exactly what you need!!! Great fol ks.
All others 1-800-237-3820
dan.t
Dan T.'s Inferno, Georgia
ABANA,SOFA, AFC,AAC,OBG, Alex Bealer,S.C.b/sa.
On Tue, 29 Sep 1998 23:03:53 -0700 Paul Matthaei <shod@ix.netcom.com>
writes:
>Does anyone know where in the Baltimore/Washington area I can
>find screen appropriate for a fire place screen. My search eng.
>will only tell me where to buy it buy the truck load.
>Please save me from driving all around explaining to clerks
>what fire screen is! ie. Home Depot et al
>Thanks
>Paul
Ernie,
One of the few gentlemen I've seen offering instruction is Mr. Nahum G.
Hersom of Golden Pheasant Studios in Bosie, Idaho.
I've seen samplings of his repousse work in our chapter newsletter that
are quite outstanding.
According to the education page at the ABANA homesite he offers,'for a
donation' , a six-day class of said principals.
Mr. Nahum G. Hersom
3011 Innis St. Boise, ID 83703
There's also the International College of French Wrought Iron that has
yet to return my correspondence as well as the Venice European Centre
for the Trades and Professions of the Conservation of Architectural
Heritage. That's the real deal. If life is truly fair, you'll find me
there, eventually!
Good luck,
Steve Howell
***********
Sure, Ernie.
I had to fetch my volumes of notes.
Techniques were one thing, but I'll first try to give a quick synopsis
of some of his tooling that stuck in my mind.
For hammer eye splitters use bearing race steel. Long and thin in the
profile and use AS forged. High chrome keeps hardness at heat.
Home-made hammer handles from pallet wood are made quite thin in the
neck to give spring. I have some 12-16 oz. handles at home I compared to
that were too long and beefy when compared to 'Grandpas'.
A Beverly type shear is central to the shop, as is a machinist vise