LDW

On this web page there is an article I wrote a while back on forge welding cable. MEMBERS
I am not using ferric chloride anymore just using straight muriatic heated to 140f degrees.(with plenty of ventilation)

See if the duty cycle meets your needs. If it has a 40 percent duty cycle then you can only weld for four minutes then let it rest for seven. Fine for small jobs but wouldnt last on bigger ones. If you forget then burn a bunch of rods and you start smelling the varnish burning off the windings its time to sell it and get one with a longer duty cycle.
I'm sure this has happened a lot of times.

If you clamp 2 hex nuts together in a vise that will give you a 60 degree angle to work with.

I use the electro etch process. I built one of the machines that was posted on one of the websites that gives you a list of everything you buy at Radio Shack. All the components come from Radio shack but the cost is about 80 dollars, I got the stencils from a guy in Florida. Here is his sight, Etching Stencils. The stencils were 30 dollars and then the chemicals and pads were about 80 dollars, I think everything I needed came to around 200 dollars to etch my name into the knives I make. So far I have not had any problems doing this.

I just straightened out two pieces of 5/8" diameter coil spring. They are both 20 inches long and plan to attach a long handle tommorrw. The overall length is going to be 36 inches.The end of one is tapered down and I am planning on rounding it then polishing. The other one is flared out to 1 1/4" rounded on one side and flat on the other. I read that all edges should be rounded and polished. Is this what I should attempt spinnings with? and,What shape is the easiest to begin with?
Thanks fellows

I am not sure about mower teeth but mower blades are regulated by the ansi standards and they require them not to be hard enough to break so if someone hits an object it does not break and go flying. I dont guess that means they are not high carbon steel but I cannot imagine them wasting the money.

The Nobility of Common Metals


1. Aluminum
2. Zinc
3. Steel
4. Iron
5. Stainless Steel - Active
6. Tin
7. Lead
8. Copper
9. Stainless Steel - Passive


When dissimilar metals are in contact with one another in the presence of an electrolyte, galvanic action occurs, resulting in the deterioration of the metal with the lower galvanic number. The electrolyte may be rain water running from one surface to another, or moisture from the air containing enough acid to cause it to act as an electrolyte.

The company I work for made some large copper sailboats one time that had stainless rods welded to them representing the ropes running down each mass. After a while the galvanic reaction caused the stainless rods to start falling off, I had to replace the stainless rods with copper rods. The rods were attached to the copper with phos- copper brazing rods.

Plating shops that do anodizing use titanium racks. They get broke from time to time and have to be repaired. I have seen a man at a local machine shop repair these racks with a tig. If you have a local anodizing shop around you could probably pick up some pieces and some side work as well (if you can weld that tuff stuff together) once you tell them why you want it. good luck

I had that happen several years ago after going through a forge welding class with the Brazeal ( I'm sure thats not spelled right) brothers. They forged four pieces of 1/2" square bar out to a long tapered point in one heat each. I did the same and should not have. My shoulder and arm were killing me with pain the next day. The doctor gave me one of those steroid packs and it stopped hurting for about a year. The next time he decided I had a herniated disc in my neck so I had to have surgery. It was great, instant relief, enjoyed the whole experience as much as a vacation from the time I went to the hospital till the time I went back to work. I think the whole thing lasted about 4 days. The first time he just checked my mobility and since I had never had any back or neck problems he decided I did not need x rays or an MRI. The second time I got the MRI thats when he saw I had a herniated disc. Hopefully you just pulled something but if not don't feel any apprehension about getting it fixed, I enjoyed the whole experience. That was the first time I had ever been cut on purpose.

Good luck, LDW

Put some water on to boil and set the muriatic acid in a glass container down in the water. I do this in an old electric fryer. I wait about 15 minutes before etching. It will etch a blade in about 60 seconds, after etching buff it then hit with the last grit paper that was used when you sanded. If its not as deep as you want degrease and go in the acid again. I am new at this so I am going to try some pics this way.

I have found that if I etch with hot muriatic acid first it does not leave the hardening line.