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I Forge Iron

TheGreenMan

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Everything posted by TheGreenMan

  1. Not as much good stuff in the pile as I first thought. A decent amount of small diameter rods and a few bricks with the bulk being dust/soil. I got a bit of biased look at it earlier, I guess the good stuff was mostly buried by the time I got there. I grabbed a few bits of rod and bricks, maybe two 5 gallon buckets worth. I'll find some use for it. ThomasPowers, the highest I've ever seen were two meters I grabbed off a junk pile that measured from 0 - 4000 amps. And I thought that was a lot! HojPoj, I sent you a PM about some bricks.
  2. I think I know the answer but I'd like to put it past yinz as well. For the next couple of days I'm going to have access to literally tons of carbon (graphite) rods, plate, fabric and block. Much of it is chipped and broken but some is in nice condition. All of it is in smaller, easily managed sizes (blocks are mostly the size of two regular bricks put together). Would the block be of any use in a forge? Or would it, as I suspect, 'suck up' too much of my heat? If nothing else I'll have plenty of sacrificial anodes for electrolysis.
  3. I found a source on Amazon for bone charcoal. It is about 1/2 the price of what the gunsmithing sites sell. It is marketed as a fertilizer. Since it was cheap I ordered some to check it out. According to the seller it is 100% bone charcoal. Looking at it now I have it it seems to be finer than what I have seen in the few pictures I found online with a decent amount of 'dust'. I have not run it through a sieve. Once it gets warm again and I can work on getting my new kiln up and running I'll test it out on a few scrap pieces of low carbon steel.
  4. For a partially exhaustive ramble through the trials and tribulations of color case hardening and some experimentation of different techniques here is a 31 page thread about it: http://www.marlin-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=3732&sid=5f79e004accccedbd5a49cb0bf4e9fea Very nice, if long, read. After doing some looking it seems that the 'finer' size of charcoals is what I am looking for. The pieces look to be around 2mm-ish to 10mm-ish in size. The patterning of the color doesn't seem to be a direct result of the size of the charcoal. The small size may just be a good way to limit the initial oxygen content in the crucible? The color seems to be more effected by the ratios of stuff packed around the metal, the amount of turbulence in the water used for the quenching/shielding around the metal, the temperature of the water and the oxygen content of the water. At least that is what I get from reading the posts at the link.
  5. I was looking to mess around with color case hardening a bit. I am hoping someone has a local (to Cincinnati, OH) source for bone black/bone charcoal. Or an online place that isn't prohibitively expensive on price and shipping. I think I can just use the wood charcoal for grilling from the local hardware store though I will probably need to crush it to a smaller size, and it may be more expensive than in bulk. But at least it is available close. Brownell's sells both but for $120 for 125 lbs. of the bone black and $44 for 10 lbs. of the wood plus shipping.... They say that they have bone black in 10x28 sieve size and wood in #6 size. But to crush the wood charcoal to the correct size I need to know the size. What inch size would those be? As a geologist I use mesh size too. Would a #6 sieve equal #6 mesh at about 0.13''? I cannot find a picture of their product to even guess. As to 10x28 sieve size ..... no clue. Maybe they mean most of the material is caught on a #10 to a #28 mesh?
  6. On a work site recently I pulled about 80 pounds of copper 'wire' out of an old transformer. I use the term "wire" rather loosely as it consists of about 8 mm x 4 mm and 4 mm x 4 mm 'wire'. I'm trying to think of something I can use this for. Or looking for someone who can use it before I take it in and get scrap prices for it at the local yard. If anyone in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky/Dayton area would like this let me know and we can work something out. Trade for materials, cash, old firearm stuff, what not. Barring someone wanting it any interesting ideas for uses? Besides some abstract sculpture I can't really think of anything.
  7. Any one here from the Cincinnati/Dayton area? I'm looking to get a new brick for my 1 brick forge. I ruined the old one from moving it so much and I was making mokume gane so I can't try my hand at welding in it anymore even if I 'glue' it together. I can't find anyone locally who has them (it is driving me nuts, black powder was easier to find). And at $11 - $47 for shipping a local source would save some money. The only thing close is a pottery place that has the curved ones with groove for elements. I used them last time but it was not an ideal solution. Heck is there anyone around that has an extra brick I could buy off of 'em?
  8. I found these foe sale online and was wondering if you all thought it would be worth buying one? From the add: These handy knives [from Nepal] saw their height in use during the muzzle-loading era; perfectly sized to cut away the excess patch material before loading. These hand-forged antiques have genuine stag handles and were probably carried in kukri pouches by the Royal Guard of Bhimsen Thapa. There is great variation as you would expect after all these years, but they are generally 6 1/2" to 7 1/2" overall, with blades ranging from 2 3/4" to 3 1/4". Sorry, no selection. Very Good condition. They have them for $35. I already bought 2 rifles from the same company (though not muzzle loaders) and they are good at telling you what you will be getting, positive and negative. I attached a representative pic.
  9. I'm off on a job so I'm not near my computer much so I don't have as much time to visit as I normally do. If you go to the link you should be able to at least read the posts there. They give a lot more info than I have and go into some greater discussion as to the cause than I did. This is the only crack in the receiver. There is no indication that the receiver was hit or torqued by anything (meaning no dents or scratches of any significant size). The headspace has not been checked to see if there was any small set back to the bolt. There was no easily noticeable set back and the bolt still travels freely in its raceways.
  10. I think this may be the best place to post this. If not please put it in the correct area. There is a discussion going on at a firearms forum I visit about what caused a crack in a 1942 German WWII rifle. There has been some debate about it being a stress crack from the heat treating, a crack cause by too much pressure from an overloaded cartridge causing the bolt to be set back and putting undue stress on the receiver bridge, from the receiver hitting something/being twisted or a combination of the above. I was wondering if any of you could shed some light on this interesting little puzzle. The thread is located here. If you can not see the pics without signing up I will see if I can post a few here.
  11. Or you do what I do and pick them up off of deactivated tracks. (And the occasional random ones laying in the gravel by my work places ;-) .)
  12. Sounds like a knife blank for a Gundam.
  13. I kinda figured out a way to replicate it. I bought a "Tungsten Carbide Cutter" for my Dremel tool that gives similar looking results.
  14. Not to steal the thread or anything.....well OK I'm stealing it. I found this picture of a mokume gane ring and have been trying to think how the texture was done. I can't think up with the technique. I probably just don't have the correct tools to do this nor even know what the tools are. I did give it one try: Being hands on I made up a ring 'blank' (a thin strip ready to be bent into a ring) of mokume gane out of quarters and some copper sheet I had lying around. I tried just drilling some closely/randomly placed holes of different sizes and then acid etched after protecting the back sides and some of the high points of the blank. Didn't really work. It looks a little too much like a manufactured moon surface than the random canyon look. If I can find the camera I'll try and take a picture of my try. Photo property of James Binnion
  15. Yeah the M95 strait pull. Many of the Bulgarian reworks out there now have worn extractor tails so when the bolt is removed the bolt head is either retracts very easily or snaps back on it own with out any assistance or bumps, etc. I only have one that will not stay open at all. But most of the other Bulgarian reworks I have are touchy to one degree or another. But all of the old imports/bring backs I have that did not go through Bulgaria are fine. I stopped off at Hobby Lobby and picked up some copper. I think that my plating is just...I forget what they call it but just spontaneously coming out of solution and only giving a thin inconsistent layer that is not bonded well. I will need to do a Wood's nickel strike if I want a good plating. But I'll try to use copper sheeting instead of stainless steel. If that works out (or maybe brass) I'll just go that rout.
  16. I believe copper roof flashing is a bit too thick. I'll have to look at it again to make sure though. I am making a little....thing, that will hold the bolt head out when putting the bolt back in the action of a M95. When the extractors on these get worn (most of them are) the bolt head will not stay extended and so it is a pain (or almost impossible) to put the bolt back in the action. You can do a trick with a dime but I was looking for something a little more purpose made and less likely to go shooting out if bumped. The copper is so it does not scratch the finish on the bolt. Would you look at that: McMaster-Carr - copper sheeting 0.02'' thick. Thanks.
  17. I just use the magnet on my bottle opener.... And then I use my bottle opener.... And then....I don't know, I don't remember much after that. :-D
  18. I am trying to copper plate small pieces of stainless steel. Why stainless you ask? Because it is what I had in the correct size laying around. On that note: Anyone know where I could get copper sheet in about 0.02 inch (0.5mm) thickness or alloy steel (e.g. spring steel) that would be easier to plate, at that thickness? Anyway, in a glass mason jar I used a saturated solution of baking soda and in that I put the copper donor hooked up as the cathode (positive) and the piece to be plated as the anode (negative). Both hanging on copper wire. After about 15 minutes there was a noticeable amount of copper being deposited on the piece. I took it out of the solution, which was turning green, after about an hour. The copper did not get a very even coating, I think due to me not cleaning it off well enough, but it is sticking and not flaking off. The layer is not quite thick enough for my needs though. I don;t need it too thick just enough so that the steel does not come into contact with anything and it is not likely to wear through quickly. Questions: Would the copper layer get thicker if I left it in for longer or is it at its maximum? Would a nickel strike be a good thing to do before the copper plating? Would adding adding copper sulfate to the solution help? For my own edification: What is the solution now? The green means it is copper something. Is it just copper in solution or maybe copper carbonate? If you think I need to do a Wood's Nickel Strike is there a good step by step some one can give me or point me to, including where to get the chemicals? Thanks very, very much!
  19. Very nice looking. I got some cable I'd give you if you could make me a knife like that! :-) Wish I could do that. Ah well, more welding practice.
  20. I can't tell you what pressure I am running at as I do not have a gauge, just a 0-60 psi (not 0-30 like I said earlier) regulator. I have it running OK at just slightly more than the pressure I use to light it any more than that and it goes out, so not really high at all. If I keep it at the lighting pressure it will backfire fairly quickly. The ID of the pipe is just over 3/4 of an inch. Which is why I think it needs narrowed still. I am reducing the diameter a little at a time, letting it cool in between and trying it out. I'll see if I can get some pics up later. Right now I got to go look for a house to rent. Hopefully I can find one so I don't have to keep living in an apartment. Thanks very much for the help. It is nice to have someone to ask questions of. Thants why I like this site. It would be nice if there was someone in Cincinnati/Mason/Loveland that could help out but I haven't heard of anyone around here yet. Sorta strange considering how big an area this is, though it is mostly city and suburbs.
  21. Slight update. I've fullered the 12'' pipe down a bit but the flame still goes out if I turn up the gas much. It does look and sound much better at a low pressure though ot backfires if I let the pressure go down too much. Do I just need to fuller it more? (I will but I just want to know if I am on the correct track.) Thanks.
  22. I think this and the fuller are my two problems. I have no way to drill the hole very strait, just a drill and my arm. I hope I can get this to fit in my 2 brick forge. :-) Nope. This be my first. Indeed. Thanks!
  23. Some pics. Looking at that last one it does look like the hole in the cap is not right. Well I'll wait for the #65 bit to get here and I guess I might be able to find someone some where with a drill press to drill it for me. Any ideas where?
  24. I am trying to make a gas burner like the one in BP0192. I have everything, as near as I can tell, like in the blueprint except for 2 things: 1. The hole in the cap is from a #60 drill bit and I'm not entirely sure if the hole is strait and completely burr free. 2. I did not fuller the 1''x12'' iron pipe. If I light it the gas almost immediately starts to burn the reverse of what you want and it makes a lovely backfiring noise. If I use a 1''x6'' pipe it will burn ok (seems to be a bit blue green flame) but makes a bit of a light put-put-put/backfiring noise. And probably not relevant: If I use a bushing and a 3/4''x6'' pipe I can get a light flame going but it will put itself out if I try to turn up the gas. Similar results with a 3/4''x12'' pipe. I have sealed all joints with plumbers putty, I am using a 0-30 psi adjustable regulator (though I can't tell what psi I am using). I think I have the hole pointing right down the pipe. I have tried with the brass fittings slid all the way back and moved it forward all the way (to the end of the slot which was cut to just past the threads in the bell). No real change. Any help/suggestions would be nice. Do I just need to fuller the pipe? Thanks. I'll see if I can take some pics later on tonight.
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