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I Forge Iron

SLAG

2021 Donor
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Everything posted by SLAG

  1. Ditto. Got most of my equipment in the late 1980's SLAG.
  2. T. P. I knew that. That vintage specimen, would make fine blast furnace fodder. (or mini-mill feed.) We will have to wait for the blacksmith reality "shows" to expire and the majority of the anvil collectors give up, or pay $$$ for every move they have to make. Then the prices will come down.. Regards, SLAG.
  3. T. P. Is that your best offer? Can you come down a little? It's a tad over my budget. Regards, SLAG.
  4. Frosty, thanks for the clarification. SLAG.
  5. If the top surface of crème brulee is very slightly moist the sugar would stay put for the caramelizing. But you fashioned a solution and that's the important part. What's a "hose thing" ? SLAG.
  6. I have found that using a hand propane torch in a horizontal or inverted manner causes surge and flare up. The tanks were fully charged. (not low on fuel causing low pressure) .Some of the smaller torches seem to work much better that way.(I.e.in a horizontal fashion) It would be easier to hold the dessert container up and angle it in several was to accomplish the desired browning of the confection. Pay attention to where you hands and fingers are situated when doing so. SLAG.
  7. Ditto, Thank you for the reference. It is excellent & it will serve as an excellent introduction to an area that I have become very interested in. I'm already taking detailed notes on the article's content. SLAG.
  8. Iron oxide (= rust). does not form a protective skin that would shield the underlying deeper iron from oxidation. In other words more iron rusts under the surface coat of rust. The rusting will continue until the iron is completely oxidized away. Aluminum is a different story. Surface aluminum oxide, (aluminum "rust") forms a very stable chemical, The oxide surface layer stops further aluminum oxidation under its coating. On average, a crushed iron can, discarded in temperate wet woods, will turn into rusty pieces and powder in about five years. On the other hand, a crushed aluminum can takes about five thousand years to similarly end up as powder. Chrome oxide, also, forms a resistant surface layer. That property makes for "stainless" steel. ( most of those steels will oxidize given enough time or the right conditions). I hope this note will add to the expertize given in earlier posts SLAG.
  9. Please do not put oxalic acid into the laundry washer. Not a good move. I take the garment out put it on an acid resistant substrate (support), and spot treat the rust stain and flush it out a few times. For the last treatment, I leave the liquid on the stain for a day or so. Then wash it, then throw it into the laundry. As always, SLAG.
  10. Rust spots on the floor, or driveway, or shirt can sometimes bother some people. Others view it as a badge of honor, or perhaps a fashion statement or fashion accent. One of the best chemicals to remove the rust stain and not destroy the substrate is a mild acid called oxalic acid. You can often order it from the local druggist, or source it on the internet. I have salvaged several shirts & towels over the years. Warning: do not drink the acid. Chemistry study and practice has its side benefits. SLAG.
  11. Lee Valley tools sells a wire wrapping tool called a "clamptite". It is specifically designed to, among other functions, tightly wrap thin steel wire about a broken (or partially broken), hammer handle. I have used it for temporary repairs before fashioning a new permanent handle The temporary fix works fine too. You could substitute your own choice of wire, if you so desire. For example copper wire to create a handsome fashionable color contrast for the tool. SLAG.
  12. Barndor Where in Newfounland are you. The distance between the capital St. Johns (in the East). and Corner Brook , (in the West), is about 350 lonely miles, (690 kilometers). That your neighbor is situated just about in your lap, I would guess St. Johns. Incidentally Newfoundland is one of the most beautiful & hospitable provinces in Canada, in my experience I have fond, long ago memories of the rock. Don't worry, anthracite coal, and coke work just fine. Just set up an electric blower. There is loads of information on this site. Search & read, you'll do fine. Regards & welcome aboard. SLAG.
  13. The first nail making machine was invented by a mister Ezekial Reid, around 1793. SLAG.
  14. Never apologize for the archaelological traits in you. I have been suffering from a bad case of archaeology for almost six decades. You're in good company. (if I may say so myself). SLAG.
  15. Fence lines are good spots, for post hole banks. As high as one in four deaths was sudden. (e.g. due to sudden illness or accident), And the deceased never got a chance to divulge the location of his hidey hole to family. Also, check around old tree stumps and standing tree trunks. Also any out buildings, or root cellars, or servant's quarters. (highly unlikely in Maine). The area around where the clothesline was situated is a good place to look. The house is also worth a close study. 18'th. and 19'th. century banks were notoriously unsafe businesses. (they often went out of business, like in the panic of 1837, etc.). Also, there is more chance that money was hidden, if the house was located in a semi-rural or country setting, at that time. Getting into town could be a real, time consuming chore. The forgoing are just a few harmless suggestions. SLAG. Lou what is a "scorpion wrap". I genuinely do not know. Due most likely to my sheltered upbringing, (in a sheltered workshop?). I look forward to your anticipated answer in due course. Thank you, SLAG.
  16. Mr. Steamboat, I presume that you have searched through old survey records for the dating your house. I believe that your neck of the woods has a land titles registry for the purchase and sale of area properties. (the jurisdiction should be land titles and not the more "modern' Torrens system found west of the Mississippi River). Also the first population survey occurred in 1790. (mandated by the U.S. Constitution, to be done every 10 years for the numbers of House of Representatives). Such records could help in dating your abode. The local wills registry may bring forth information concerning the property and who owned it. The local historical society may, also, have records too. For example biographies, or diaries, etc. that mention your house or its construction, or incidents that occurred on the property. But, I suspect that you already know that. In any event good luck in your research. SLAG.
  17. Mr. Steamboat, I know that this post may be a little off topic. But then again, it could prove profitable. I suggest that you fully go over the house and property with a metal detector. There may be some very interesting finds to be found, doing so. The property is 225 years old. Who knows you may find a coin that is worth the price of the property. (unlikely, to be sure, but there have been Several such finds in New England. in the past 6 decades.) Good luck with that. Could the house have been one of several colonial houses where "Washington slept here" ? If so the house could be converted into a deluxe tourist trap. But I AM serious about the search. Welcome to the forum, both of you and warm regards, SLAG.
  18. T. P. Thank you very much for those references. No I do not have them in my reference library. I will suggest them for Margaret's "Dan's Christmas present" wish list. They sound like wonderful snowy, winter evening reading! Your suggestions are very much appreciated. Regards. SLAG.
  19. The whole carburizing process reminds of Huntsman's invention for making cast steel that was usable for clock springs. I'm sure you are aware of the process and history of it. But some of the I.F.I. might not & could profit from the information., and also, perhaps find it fascinating. Mr. Huntsman acquired come Swedish blister steel, as a starting material. The Swedish iron ore and wrought iron had little sulfur and phosphorus. The steel was almost pure iron with very little impurities. In order to make blister steel, Swedish iron makers packed iron bars in air-tight boxes and heated it for a long time. The boxes also had carbonaceous material packed in with the iron. (e.g. hoof trimmings, bark, and other vegetable matter). All that heating caused some carbon to go into solution with the iron. A process now known as carburization. The resultant product was called blister steel. Because it had a mottled colorization. The carburization was not uniform. And clock springs had to be of uniform consistency or they would break. Huntsman and co. broke up the blister steel and heated it in small crucibles together with a flux that was used by glass makers. ( I forget what it is but I will look it up soon).The furnace he used resembled glass makers' furnaces that the glass making trade used. These furnaces reached a much higher temperature than standard furnaces of the day. The iron actually melted and the flux carried off impurities. The resultant product was uniform high carbon steel. The cost was very high. But smiths were stuck with it They welded strips of that steel with wrought iron to make axes etc. All this changed with the invention of the Bessemer steel making process, of !855 and 1856. simultaneously invented by the Englishman Sir Henry Bessemer, and the American Mr. Kelley. Mr. Stokes process of welding and mixing of cast iron with mild steel is in some ways similar to Mr. Huntsman's process. The attendant story of Mr. Huntsman's trade secret and industrial espionage is also a fascinating tale. But that subject is for another day. I trust that some of our fraternity will enjoy this post I really love industrial history and technology., & enjoy being able to share it with others. Cheers, SLAG.
  20. T. P. I also was intrigued by the F. A. O. reference that mentioned carburizing mild steel by heating it, and welding it with cast iron strips or cast iron particles. The first book in that three volume series is FAO AGRICULTURAL SERVICES BULLETIN 88/1 Agricultural engineering in development Basic blacksmithing: a training manual by J. B.Stokes That reference mentions the method can be found at the end of the booklet. It states; CAST IRON Not used for forge work but can be used as a hard-facing material on low-carbon steels. The job is brought to a bright yellow heat in the forge and flux and cast iron applied to the surface. Cast iron is smeared on to the work. Remove from the fire and allow to cool to a dull red heat, then quench in water. An extremely hard surface will result. Depending on the job, the finish can be left rough or ground to a better finish. Where there is a shortage of carbon steel, a mixture of cast iron and mild steel can be used for some purposes. Cast iron is smeared on to the surface of a piece of mild steel, more flux added and a second piece of mild steel placed over the cast-iron face. The whole is heated until the cast iron is molten and then the whole is squeezed together in a vice with large jaws. Next, bring to a good welding heat with flux and hammer together. The piece can be cut through and re welded a number of times. The resulting steel can be made into a wide range of woodcutting tools and serves well as ploughshare steel. I am intrigued by his narrative and will probably try it out in a month or two. Just as an exercise. The Stokes reference was written for aspiring blacksmiths in rural underdeveloped regions. More specifically, Africa. Some remote areas may not have access to high carbon steel scrap.(which is hard to imagine), Hence description and instruction of this carburizing-like process. Mr. Stokes further elaborates the procedure in his second booklet, http://www.fao.org/3/a-ah635e/index.html as follows Some applications of cast iron as a hard-facing material Material. Low-carbon (mild-steel) work piece, cast iron welding rod (not electrodes used for welding cast iron) or pieces of broken cast iron; powdered borax or a commercial cast-iron or bronze-welding flux. Additional tools. Grinding equipment if this work is performed on tools. METHOD Where steel suitable for the making and repairing of ploughshares, ridged points, landsides and similar equipment is not available, the smith often has to use low-carbon steels. They may also have to be used in tool making. For several kinds of tools the wearing life of parts subjected to abrasion can be prolonged by re-facing the most affected parts of jobs. Where there is a lack of suitable steels, there is almost always a lack of modern hard-facing and wear-resisting materials. Even when available, they are often too expensive for use in rural areas of developing countries. In addition, they usually require electric-arc or oxyacetylene welding equipment, which again is not always available. Nevertheless, given a good blacksmith's fire, flux, cast iron and a little practice, cast iron can be applied to low-carbon steels that, when quenched from high temperature, will give a very hard surface. Although not as effective as the use of modern alloys, this treatment does prolong the life of wearing parts and allows some tools to be made from low-carbon steels. The application of cast iron is far from a new idea. It has been used by smiths for many generations and was of prime importance when only wrought iron and pig or cast iron were available. The process is made possible because of the difference in the melting temperatures of wrought iron and low-carbon steel and that of cast iron. Wrought iron melts at more than 1 500°C, mild steels at about 1 420°C and cast irons at 1 280° to 1 350°C, depending on how much carbon is present in the iron. Cast iron passes through a "pasty" stage when melting and does not become really fluid until a fluxing agent is applied. If cast-iron welding rod is used, the application is fairly easy. If broken pieces of cast iron are used, they should be of fairly thin section. Pieces from old cylinder blocks or cylinder heads of motor vehicles are quite good. Pieces need to be of sufficient length to be held in tongs without overheating. Flux should be placed close to the fire, perhaps on a metal dish. The work piece is heated at the part to be treated to a bright yellow or nearly white heat. While this heating is taking place, the cast iron is also heated. As the cast iron nears the melting point, it will sag toward the fire. Dip the cast iron in to the flux, reheat a little and then apply it to the job by rubbing it on to the heated part of the work. The cast iron can be spread fairly easily on to the work and a buildup will be observed. Sufficient thickness is 1 to 2 mm. More can be deposited if needed. During this operation the work remains in the fire. Allow it to cool to a dull red heat and quench it in water. No additional work is required on jobs such as those shown in Figs 172 to 173. Figure 172 Figure 173 For hammers and suchlike only the faces are treated in turn and, after quenching, these need to be ground smooth. It is a good idea to practice this operation on a scrap piece of mild steel with cast iron and flux before attempting it on an important job. You will learn by experience the best angles to hold the job in the fire and how to judge temperatures. Although cast iron is a very brittle material, it is so modified during this operation, as well as being backed up by the tough mild steel, that it can be used with confidence on hammer faces without fear of cracking. I have been a little long in quoting Mr. Stoke's narrative but I wished to err on the side of inclusiveness. Regards to all. SLAG.
  21. Metallurgy enthusiasts. This article should be of interest http://phys.org/news/2016-08-alloy-oxidation-breakthrough-steel-production.html SLAG.
  22. A cordwainer is defined as a maker of shoes. A cobbler is a repairer of shoes. These definitions are now becoming obscure, and started to become so when shoemaking shifted to factories. The name for a rope maker is "rope maker". The old French term for such an artisan was cordeur Hence the confusion for cordwainer. Just saying. SLAG.
  23. Schaun could it be ! Could it really be ! A marriage proposal ?? !!! (SLAG.) p.s.( I am already taken, maybe Liz will have you.) Will she be had. Tune in next day. Same time. Same station. to find out. (organ skirls & screen fades to black).
  24. The product name gives it away. "pH down" probably connotes a solution that would lower the pH. and make it more acidic. pH 7 is neutral and pH 7 and up is a basic solution. Acids lower the pH so it is a good bet that the product has acid in it. (i.e. pH 6 to 1 is acidic). Clear as mud what hey? SLAG.
  25. Lou, Welcome aboard. It's great to have you. Regards, SLAG.
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