Tenn Clif Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 If I straighten bolts with forge, do I retemper and harden? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 To steal TP's line, "yes, no and maybe... what kind of bolt and what is the application? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenn Clif Posted May 10, 2016 Author Share Posted May 10, 2016 It's a specialty bolt to fasten a dashboard to a 100 year old doctors buggy I'm restoring. Small, but a special head , and it's bent. There's two of them. Not a structural thing, 1/4" by 2". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Then it was probably not hardened or hardenable to begin with. If you are comfortable working hot you should have no issues and I would let in normalize when you are done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Otherwise head a new 1/4" rod and thread it. That's what they probably did with the original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Heat it with a propane or MAPP torch to straighten if it's only 1/4" thick. Something that small, you'll probably don't need to use a forge to heat, and/or heat treat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Are you sure it's a "specialty" bolt or could it simply be one that is not commonly seen these days?--there are still suppliers for some of what we now consider oddball/out-dated bolts. It might be worth posting a photo in case someone can point to a supplier and you can start fresh instead of battling with an old one. Restoration using the old hardware is nice but sometimes not the wisest choice (corrosion can cause embrittlement for example). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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