BattleBoar Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 I Hope this works. I have never posted a picture before. Anyhow, I was given 2 of these pieces of cast iron. They are just about 3 inches thick and about 3.5'X 3'. I think they are counter weights off of a pump jack. I have no idea what to build with these. I would like to build something shop related as I am just starting to get set up for forging. My only idea so far is to drill different sized holes near the top and then cut it so only half of the hole is on the work surface and maybe put some different radius and bevels in it. Build a stand for it to stand it on end, kind of like a stand alone swage block? Anyone have any other ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick O Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 that's a big chunk of cast iron maybe you could make a swage block but if you use it for a stand I wouldn't use it for anything that will take a lot of beating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 upsetting plate in the floor; not as good as steel; but you upset *hot* and most folks don't do so much of it that it would make a big difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Buried flush one would make a pretty solid vise stand base though not very mobile. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 My first thought was vise stand base, too. Big enough for several if you wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwolfforgeca Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 are you Sure ! its cast Iron have you ck = tested ? one way to ck is with cutting torch if it cuts then its not cast iron & thats Better ! looks like cast steel hard to say from the pic though if its cut able then you have some good stock supply PS --- a lot of folks don't know one type of metal from the other !!!! happens to me all the time -- well its steel on the phone then turns out its really Aluin @ the shop My Rule #1 Bring to shop let me see it !! then I can tell How ? to deal with it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Drilling and checking the swarf is probably easier than the cutting torch. Cast iron usually has a dusty swarf, often black from the carbon in cast iron, rather than the curly shavings of steel. A classic blacksmithing method was to chisel off a piece and try to forge it---this is mentioned in "The Arms of Krupp" when they were having "contests" on who could cast the largest cast steel ingot and one of Krupp's was accused of being cast iron so he cut a piece off it and forged it as proof it was steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BattleBoar Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 While I am not 100% it is cast iron. I drilled a small hole in it with a sharp bit and the shavings were very fine, powder almost. Similar to lathe/mill cuttings from cast Iron. Does cast steel do this also? I hammered on it and it had the "thump" that I always thought was an indication of cast Iron with maybe 5% rebound. These are heavy, was going to weight them just out of curiosity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 If it's not hardened steel no; it's the excess carbon---as graphite---in cast iron that makes it "dusty" Steel even high carbon steel has much less carbon than cast iron (though some of the high alloy steels are up in that range only with lots of different carbide formers to tie it up as carbides.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 What do the edges look like? Can you see a parting line? I was thinking they may be flame cut steel plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDarkNebulah Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 If you can find a way to mount it and make it stand up sturdy it could make a decent work table top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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