SmoothBore

Some days more than others ..... Some days are very "Zen", ... and others explore to outer limits of "Chaos" theory. Either way, ... it's what you get, ... so you might as well enjoy ..... :rolleyes: .

For what it's worth ..... Machined steel parts, intended for use in Food Service Equipment, ... or Medical Instruments, ... are routinely "Normalized". Normalizing is a very basic heat treating process, that involves raising the temperature of the part above "critical" heat, and then allowing it to air cool. It's basically the same process as "Anealing", ... and in the case of Food Service items, pretty much amounts to a through "sterilization" process. A good source for small diameter, round, Stainless material, suitable for making Cooking Utensils, ... is old Oven Racks. NOT Refrigerator Racks, ... which are often Carbon Steel, with a Chrome plating. .

I designed molds for the Zinc and Aluminum Die Casting Industry, for about 15 years, and was in contact with those operations on a daily basis. The most common Zinc Alloy, for casting, is what's commonly known as "#3 Alloy". It begins to melt at about 700 F, and the "ideal" temp for casting is 788 F. The alloy begins to separate around 1000 F, ... and the Zinc will begin to "burn", ... and give off a white ash, ... at about 1150 F. "Heavy Metal Poisioning" is a serious thing, ... but in a well ventilated enviornment, it's nothing to fear, either. I saw many more health issues arrise in that enviornment, from incomplete combustion of Natural Gas, in the Smelting Furnaces. But you rarely hear anyone warn against the dangers of operating a Gas Forge. .

I reccommend that you don't "over-think" this issue. The Horror Freight tools aren't first quality, ... but they are often valauble learning tools. If you don't already know EXACTLY what you want, ... then I would sugest that you don't know enough, to justify a large expenditure. And that's not just about the money. If you go ahead and spend your money on an "ill considered" item, ... you will then be "trapped" into using it,, ... just to get a return on your investment. Better to wait, and perhaps experiment with the low cost tools, until you're SURE about what you want. .

Typically, damascus is NOT formed by welding a "stack" of separate pieces. Try welding 3 alternate pieces, ... drawing them out, ... repeat heat and flux, ... and then fold them back on themselves. In that way, you're always heating and welding the outside surfaces back to themselves.You never need to penetrate welding heat into the center of the billet, ... because every time you fold it, the outside becomes the center. Repeat the process of drawing out, and folding in half, until you have the desired number of laminations. It doesn't take as long as you might think, for 3 layers to become 6, ... 12, ... 24, ... 48, ... 96 .....

It's generally agreed that I'm a cranky old so-and-so, ... but I didn't know the rest of you were, too. :P Figures .....

Standing's optional. Most of the time I use a stool.

Is the rust "red" or "brown", ... "coarse" or "fine" ? Mild ( Cold Rolled ) steel, should have coarse, red rust. If it's a fine textured rust, more brown than red, it's very likely "Stress Proof" shafting. .

I think the best "practice" is by making scarfed joints, in fairly small pieces. Making Chain Links, is my reccommendation. .

Well yeah, ... but then it's no longer a 3/4" bar ..... .

For what it's worth, ... and in my opinion only, ... It's NOT worth the bother. I've had great success by drilling an undersize pilot hole, ... starting the thread in the wood by tapping the hole with a standard HSS tap of the correct size, ... and then just let the threaded bolt "form" it's own threads, as it's screwed in. I've done this with 3/8" - 16 threads, into a 2x4 wall stud, ( to hold the ends of custom curtain rods ) ... right on up to 3/4"-10 threads, into a very hard, creosoted Telephone Pole. ( to carry a 12' farm gate ) Works like a charm. :D .

That is a very good idea, ... that greatly simplifies that particular job. Before making the square drift punch, ... Google up a picture of a "Wobble Broach", ... and take note of the concave shape of the end of the "punch". Rather than displacing the "corner" metal, a Wobble Broach shaves it out, ... pushing the "chips" ahead of the broach. This is the way the hex shaped hole is formed, in "Allen Head", or "Socket Head" Bolts.

Or maybe Centuries ..... .

Anything you buy on Ebay, will incurr Shipping costs. I'd use Ebay prices as a negotiating tool, ... to try to get a better deal, ... and I'd ask if the seller had a bill of sale from the RR. :mellow: That ought to help "correct" the price, ... but, bottom line, ... saving the Shipping, by buying local, is worth a lot ..... .

Quite often, Grade #8 hardware is specified, because of the shear strength of the bolt, rather than issues of compression, or streach. In those cases, it's common to use a "high grade" bolt, with Grade #2 Nuts and Washers, to retain it in position. Also, it's common practice to use a "low grade" bolt, as a cheap alternative to a proper Shear Pin. Applications vary too much, to make any sort of "rule" about matching the grades of Nuts, Bolts and Washers. As for Forging a grade #8 bolt, ... how do you think the head of that bolt was formed ? Of course it can be successfully Forged. I'd be more concerned about the fumes that will result from heating the Zinc/Cadimum, ... or whatever protective coating might be on the bolt. I wouldn't let that stop me, ... but I'd be aware of that issue, and be sure I had very positive ventilation. .

I had one of those, ... nearly 40 years ago. Used about 2 quarts of oil per 100 miles. I hope, by now, someone has found a cure for the valve seal issue ..... :P

It would be very instructive, to check back with the customer from time to time, ... to see if that design holds it's shape, when subjected to prolonged contact with a bed of coals.

A "wood" stove is basically an enclosed hearth. A "coal" stove is fitted with a "shaker grate", that permits the ash to fall away from the burning coal, ... thus enabling full combustion of the coal. While it's feasible to burn wood in a coal stove, ... the reverse is not true. .

Yes, ... you really DO need more information about the correct size ball, ... for any black powdfer firearm. A 38 caliber muzzle loading RIFLE, might actually have a .380 bore, ... but it's very likely that it is actually bored at .357. ( A patched ball, fired from a muzzle loading rifle, will normally be about .010 undersize. ) So, in this case, the "correct" ball, might be as small as .345 to .350 in diameter, ... or perhaps as large as .370 While it's true that a slightly oversize, soft lead ball can be easily forced into a muzzle loader, the deformation that occurs, has a negative influence on the rifle's accuracy. A muzzle loading PISTOL might be rifled, or smoothbore, ... and would also require a patched ball, that was about .010 smaller than the actual bore size. ( Smoothbore pistols, ... particularly "dueling pistols", were ( for a variety of reasons ) often loaded with an unpatched ball. ) And finally, ... the cylinder of a "Cap & Ball" Revolver is normally loaded with a slightly oversize, unpatched ball. ( As an example, ... the very common .36 caliber Cap & Ball revolvers, of the Civil War Era, were commonly loaded with . 375 diameter unpatched balls. ) The point of all the above verbage, is to impress the importance of knowing the required ball size, before beginning the process. Were it me, I'd forge and assemble the "blanks", ... using a 5/16" ball bearing, ... and then finish the cavities by other means. .

"Also, he called me the other day to tell me he came across a post vise. I'm on the fence about it because it's missing the spring." Half the ones you find are missing the spring. It's an easy fix. .

Double the price, and advertise them as "Goldfish Bowls".

Just a "for what it's worth" critique : Personally, my back would never stand working hunched over, the way you are in the video. Yeah, ... I know, ... "conventional wisdome" dictates the Anvil be "knuckle high", :wacko: ... and that works OK when you're wailing away on larger work. But a small Anvil, sitting on top of a workbench, ... or any kind of Stake Anvil, mounted in the Hardy Hole, ... would really save you a lot of back strain. You don't think about that sort of thing much, when you're 30 something, ... and still think you're bullet proof. But eventually, your body will begin reminding you about the poor decisions of your youth. :P .

I'm not very knowlegable about Earrings, ... but doesn't copper, brass, or aluminum pose an electrolisis problem, when in contact with other non-ferrous metals ? What about using .030 thick, Stainless shim stock ? A judicious touch with a propane torch, will create a nice range of "blue" coloration in that material. .

Hammer/Hatchet combination tools of that design, were originally intended for use in applying Cedar Shake Roofs. More recently, I've seen them used by Customs Inspectors, for opening and closing wood shipping crates. .

Spark Test was also my first thought. There are several very different forms of "cast iron", ... that will have a huge bearing on it's potential uses. .