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ToolSteel

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Everything posted by ToolSteel

  1. This is the first time I've considered working with tool steel and I was wondering how best to proceed. The other day, I got a very good deal on an 87 pound round of 8620 steel. It measures 4.25" in diameter and is 9.50" tall. I was thinking of using it as a portable pounding/shaping surface. I know this steel is often case hardened, but I don't yet know it it's annealed, hardened, tempered. It's been around for awhile. Just this morning I managed to remove the rust pitting and something that looked like fairly thick millscale. That seems to tell me this has been through some sort of heating process. I can ask the people where I bought it how they sell this type of steel. I can also tap away on it with a hammer and see if it dents. As you can see, I don't really know squat. Almost everything I learn comes from making mistakes and this looks like an opportunity to learn a lot. ToolSteel
  2. Hey Everyone, Thanks for the replies. I feel a bit sheepish but I'm relieved to say the buzzing was caused by some pieces of 1/16" steel sheet metal I used to clad the top of the log I use as an anvil base. Originally, the pieces were seamed, pounded flat and nailed into place, but pounding has a way of loosening things. I put an asphalt shingle (smooth side up) between and anvil and the cladding... and no buzz. The 200 pound anvil used to set on top of a few layers of roofing felt, but I moved it recently and forgot to put and damping material back in place. Anyway, thanks. ToolSteel
  3. John, I get a jarring, buzzing ring when I tap my 200-pound Trenton on the horn. I thought it was because of a small crack in the horn but filling the crack didn't make the buzzing go away. Now I'm wondering if the buzzing is actually caused by the face plate delaminating. Is it possible to detect face plate problems by striking the horn? ToolSteel
  4. I bought a two-burner Diamondback two years ago and it's never failed me. This morning, I took off the shell, slathered the inside with new Sairset and replaced the thin firebrick floor. I figure it's good for another two years or more. Only thing is I go through a LOT of propane. I haven't installed the idler control that came with the forge. I'm sure it would cut down on my fuel.
  5. Last night, I finally fixed the crack in my Trenton horn. I carefully searched for the base of the fissure using a Dremel cut-off disc. Fortunately, it was very shallow. After deepening and widening the cut I made, I welded it with a 1/8" Forney 312-16 Easy All Stainless Steel electrode. I've had very good luck with these. I cleaned away the slag, hammered the weld into the horn a bit, then used a flap disk on a 7" angle grinder to smooth it out. Can't even tell there used to be a crack there. Thanks everyone for the advice. ToolSteel
  6. How dare you insult my weld bead. (If I weren't a 59 year old man, this is where I'd insert a smiley face emoticon.) When I feel confident enough to stick weld the crack, I'll probably use a flap disk to dress the entire horn and the face. I might as well tackle the weld bead too. It sort of looks like an autopsy incision, doesn't it? ToolSteel,
  7. Frozenforge, Thanks for pinpointing the date for me. No way of proving this, but since this anvil was made during WWII, I'm guessing it was being used in a war effort factory of some sort. I can't see the government letting this much steel go to farmers or private citizens. Thanks to everyone who's replied to this post. I have an old Mouse Hole without a heel or a faceplate. I think I'll cut some lines on the underside of the horn and practice my welding. ToolSteel
  8. Thanks for the replies. I need to make a few things clear: it was NEVER my intention to get rid of the Trenton. I was afraid the horn would fail completely, thereby ending my budding relationship with this beast. I posted my concerns in order to get your opinions about the magnitude of the problem. I'm very grateful for the responses and they make me feel as though I can repair this myself. As for the weld, I merely mentioned it because it took up a large part of one photo. From my understanding, it's how some of these Trentons were made at the factory, so that's not a problem at all. Another reason for that particular picture is the raised-welded "signature" beneath the weld. At least that's my gut feeling about the mark. The man who welded the pieces together intentionally put his mark on this anvil. If that's the case, it's very cool indeed.. So... thanks for the comments. Keep them coming because I find them fascinating. One more thing: by looking at the serial number, can someone tell me when this anvil was made? ToolSteel
  9. Hello again. I've added some pictures of the 200 pound Trenton I recently bought. The first image (1156) is of the crack in the horn. It's not large... yet. I scratched both ends to see if it grows. If I can figure out how to add a sound file, I'll try and let you hear what I think I hear when I'm working over the horn. Image 1121 shows the serial number, which is on the right side of the base, beneath the horn. 200 is stamped into the far left of the base. Although I didn't get a picture of the weight stamp, I know the sound I make when I lift 200 pounds of anything. Picture 1134 gives an indication of the size of this anvil. The WD40 is on top of the face to provide a sense of scale. And lastly, 1117 shows the thick weld seam at the waist and a curious mark below it. It looks as though it's been welded there. I'd really appreciate some feedback on the crack. I'm a bit heartsick because I was really starting to develop a nice relationship with this anvil. Now I have fears of the horn snapping off while I'm working. But I'm new enough to blacksmithing to realize I might be making this out to be far worse than it it. I ramble. ToolSteel
  10. Phil, Why such a negative attitude? Do you have a specific problem with electrolysis or do you suspect monomoit is somehow up to no good? ToolSteel
  11. I recently purchased a 200 pound Trenton. Striking the face produces a bright ring. I just noticed that the horn rings with a bit of a buzz to it. I polished the top and discovered a one inch +/- hairline crack. I have plenty of pictures to post but none yet of the crack. I have a few questions. Can I post an audio file so you guys can hear what I think I hear? Is there any way to repair the horn? ToolSteel
  12. FieryFurnace, For the life of me I don't see a thing wrong with these tongs. But on a different topic: you, sir, are an excellent photographer.
  13. Kosher Salt In the past, I've dissolved as much salt as hot water will hold, put it in a crockpot on low and connected the anode/cathode. A few hours later, I got a DEEP sharp etch on copper. In fact, this was stronger than anything else I tried... and I've tried Muriatic Acid and Bisodium Sulfate... separately.
  14. Ciladog, You're probably right. The more I read about A2, the more I see it requires far more knowledge than I currently have. What I may do it saw off a 4"-6" piece, weld it to a shank and drop it into the hardie hole of my anvil. If I don't screw up A2's hardness and temper, it may make a pretty aggressive bottom fuller. Thanks.
  15. I have a 36" piece of A2 tool steel. It came from a drop room so it's an odd size: roughly square and about 44/64". I've been looking for a way to use this and I was thinking it would make a nice spring fuller. To fit this purpose, I'd need to flatten part of the bar to give it the "springiness" I need. I will also need to bend the A2 to give it a hairpin shape. If the bending is doable, I may double a section of the bar first and drive it into my hardie hole. If A2 will work for this application, what impact will heating have on the bar's hardness and temper? I'd appreciate any pointers. ToolSteel
  16. I'm very new to stick welding and I have a prep question. Before I lay a second bead,I know to chip away the black, glassy slag that forms over a weld. Bit what about the powdery film that coats the metal yet to be welded? I figure this is from the electrode coating. This film is extremely thin and I wonder if it's OK to weld right over it.
  17. Where are my manners? I just came back to this site after a long time away and realized I never gave any update on my project. I put the two pieces back together with JB Weld. It worked like magic. The woman for whom I did this project was amazed at my silverworking "skills". Since this was a freebie for a friend of a friend, I saw no reason to change. Thanks to everyone who pitched in. ToolSteel
  18. John, You know a lot more about this that I do. When I dropped the torch off at Airgas yesterday, I noticed that the hex nut beneath the oxygen valve was still attached when I unscrewed and removed the assembly. I checked the hex nut on the fuel valve and it was stationary as the valve was opened and closed. Obviously, the oxygen hex nut came loose. I briefly thought about taking the torch back home and fiddling with it, but then I thought about blowing my head off if I were wrong. I had the torch sent to Harris to be fixed. I thank you and everyone else on this forum for your replies. P.S. I don't think anything fell out when the valve was unscrewed because prior to yesterday, I only did that once, and I was paying very close attention to what I was doing. ToolSteel
  19. John, I'm not sure I understand, but the cutting torch is in perfect condition. The lever and the oxygen valve work the way they should. It's the oxygen valve at the base of the torch... the one next to the fuel valve... that's giving me problems. In any case, I'll need to have it repaired.
  20. Thanks for the replies. There are no leaks in any of the connections. I always check with soapy water. The oxygen is shooting right out of the welding tip. Closing it down too hard? I never would have thought of that but I've never been told not to. I have to admit I torque it quite a bit. I'll take it to a nearby Airgas and see if they can help. Thanks a lot guys. ToolSteel
  21. I've just started using oxy-acetylene to cut and weld. Last night the strangest thing happened. I was just getting started and was setting the oxygen pressure when I noticed that no matter how tightly I closed the valve, the oxygen kept flowing. Here's my set-up: I have a Harris 2000 Model 85 body and a Harris 2100 cutting assembly. I use a W2030 mixer and have installed a pair of flashback arresters. When I attach the cutting assembly, I normally leave the bottom oxygen valve wide open and use the oxy valve by the upper lever to control how much oxygen I use. When I set it up this way, it seems to work OK since I'm essentially bypassing the lower oxygen valve. I should also mention that I can completely unscrew and remove the lower oxygen valve. The fuel valve won't budge. I'm not foolish enough to use the rig until it's fixed or someone tells me what I'm doing wrong. Thanks  
  22. I've used lots of soft fire brick in the past few years. They're fantastic insulators but they don't last long. As soon as mine develop a violet-colored tint on the side facing the flame, I know they're brittle and about to crack. But even cracked bricks can be reused. Soft fire brick is so easy to cut, it lends itself to many projects. I've scooped a channel out of one and use it to heat small steel rod. Much quicker than heating in air. I've even used pea-sized fire brick pieces as a component in a commercial refractory. You might consider this: Get some Durablanket or similar ceramic insulating fiber. Dampen it and slather it with a refractory adhesive. I use Sairset. Wrap single or stacked fire bricks with this mixture. When it dries, the ceramic fiber and Sairset form a rigid "skin" around the fire brick. Now you have a forge container that combines the insulating value of both fire brick and ceramic wool... although the ceramic wool's insulating ability may change a bit since it's impregnated with Sairset and compressed. I've had good luck with this.
  23. "If none of the seam is visable have you considered JB weld?" I never even remotely considered JB Weld until I read your post, Rich. What a brilliant solution! Last night I used a scrap piece of wood and a hammer to tighten the seam a bit, then applied a thin bead of JB Weld to the inner rim. I gently twisted the vase and the bottom back and forth a few times to make sure I had 100% coverage. This morning, I checked the seam: It's invisible and hard as steel. Once again, JB Weld has saved the day. I absolutely love the stuff. Thanks for recommending it. ToolSteel
  24. Hey everyone. I hope this is the place for repair questions. I've worked quite a bit with copper, but never with silver. As luck would have it, I've been given a 12" tall silver vase and asked if I can repair it. The bottom has come off. I cleaned up both vase and bottom last night. To me, it looks like it was soldered together long ago with lead. The original bonding material is greyish and was easy to carve off. Where I cut into it with a razor, it was bright silver. When I was young, I had far more experience with lead than I care to admit, so it looks familiar to me. In the center of the bottom is a thick disk of something that looks like bronze or brass. It's raised about 1/8th of an inch and surrounded by a flat shelf of the same size. Sorry, but I don't know the technical terms. The vase fits over this disk. If you turn it all upside down, it's like the vase is a bottle and the bottom is a cork that fits inside. Now to my question: What material should I use to repair this? I have plenty of silver plumbing solder. I have a bar of 50/50. I know that 50 percent is lead and I think the other half is tin. I also have some braze, but it's bronze and not silver... although I could buy silver braze. I know braze is very strong but I worry about melting the silver. Any pointers would be appreciated. ToolSteel
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