bluerooster

If it's truly dual voltage 110/220, there will be an indication of the proper wiring somewhere on the device. Check to be certian how it's wired internally, (either for 110, or 220) Then replace the existing plug with the proper one to fit the proper outlet.

Yes, I just disassembled a front hub from a 2010 Chevy van. I was after the bearing races. The outer race, and housing, are monolithic. One chunk of low carbon steel, with bearing surface carburized. But the inner race is a seperate part, and I believe it to be 52100.

Serviced my tractor, and bushhog, in preparation for the up comming season.

Yes Sid.

I purchased a blade many years ago from a bladesmith in Henrietta Tx. It was sold to me as being Damascus. When I got it, it was not smooth at all, but rough textured. Almost as if the softer steel was eaten away by the etch, leaving only the hard steel. What I see in photographs seems to be smooth and only different colors.

I soaked it for a good long time at several hundred degrees above non-magnetic, and kept it that way with my rosebud, all the way to the quench in cold water. Oh well. I decided to make a wall hanger out of it, so spent better part of today fitting handle. Guard is 6061T6, handle is mahogany, and pommel is lugnut from a TR7. Rivet is 1/8" 6013 welding rod. Still have sanding, and polishing to do, and rivet the handle.

Les, the cowboys are cool as all get-out. Virusds, Blade is coming along nicely. I like the hair gizmos, I'm gonna have to try one myself. I also enjoy playing with "mystery metal". But in this case, I was sorely dissapointed. I decided to go ahead and finish it, so I spent better part of the day hunting for handle components. Guard is 6061T6, handle is Mahogany, and pommel is a lugnut from a TR7. Still have sanding, and polishing to do, and pin the handle.

Got it to non-magnetic, plus a few 100 degrees. Held it there for a bit then into the dunking tank. That process has served me well in the past.

Thanx, Too bad it's junk steel. It won't harden. Who'da thunkit? A kingpin being low carbon. Even cold water quench, still soft.

Well it's been nearly two years, so I guess it's time to resurrect this thread. Thinking I wanted to forge a sword is what got me started in smithing. Well, I had to gather up the tools for the job, so I built a forge, then I needed an anvil, so I made one. While the forge was quite adequate, the anvil was only ok for a tinsmith, but not enough mass for blacksmith. I managed my first blade on that anvil. A nice letter opener made from an old bearing race. Since, I've made another forge, and a way better anvil. I needed a way to hold onto hot steel, and a way to tend the fire. So, I made a poker, and rake, and tongs. Then I needed a way to cut stock, so I made a hot cut. Wanting to leave my good body hammer in the shop, and needing a light crosspeen at the forge, I made one. Well, I needed to make a handle hole in the new hammer, so I hadda make a punch, and drift. I've spent so much time making the tools to forge a sword, that I haven't had time to forge a sword. (probably a good thing too) I found out the other day that I need a holdfast, a spring fuller, and a swage block. So those will be happening next time I fire up the forge. Oh, I also need a rivet header as well. mabe, one of these days, I'll get around to making a sword of some sort. But I'm having too much fun making tools of the trade, and learning how to tend a coal fired forge. As to kids wanting to build a sword, I say go for it. But do it properly. I once wanted to fly airplanes. So I found someone willing to show me how. On my sixteenth birthday, I guess I'd scared him enough that he got out of the airplane and told me to go make 3 landings and come back. When I got back, he said "go fly awhile". That was 1979, I've been flying ever since.

What I learned is this: What you would think is steel with a reasonable carbon content (60+) turns out to be 30 or less. I had a kingpin from my old Ford that I forged into a dagger. It wasn't untill heat treat that I found it to not be hardenable. (at least by the techniques that I have on hand) So I learned that Kingpins make better drifts, and punches than blades. Here's the blade I forged

Yes it sure is. And the hardy hole has been a life saver. A hot cut hardy is the only way I have to cut stock at the forge. Got the tang drawn out and blade filed down, ready for heat treat. Tang is a bit too long, but I figure it would be easier to shorten, than to lengthen.

In some instances, whether the OP comes back or not is immaterial to me. The answer to the question posed, is what I'm after, and haven't been dissapointed yet. Thanx for the help. And I didn't need to ask, it was already answered. :D

That sir, is a set of tongs! :D Nice work on the hammers. I spent a few hours Forming the jaws on my new tongs to do a specific task. Then used those tongs to forge out a rough dagger shape. I still need to draw out the tang, and fine tune the blade. It started life as an old kingpin from my old Ford pickup.

jlp, thats a good way to look at it. Also, In my regular job I charge a labor rate of $40-$70/hr depending on what's to be done. I have the benefit of having a book that outlines time to perform certian tasks. So if the book says it takes an hour to do something, and I do it in 10 min. I still get paid for an hour. (>30 years experience has it's perks) Add to that consumables, parts, and shop expenses. As a beginner smith, I can't justify charging that kind of labor. But as time goes on, (mabe 100 years) labor may well increase. As it stands now; if someone sees something that I've forged, and asks "how much?" I'd probably say ten bucks, or mabe even give it to them. But I know the quality isn't the best, and I may have 2 days in it, along with several pounds of coal, hadda make a tool to make the gizmo, etc. But, It still stands that I'm no where near a smith, much less a master. So I can't, in good conscience, charge top dollar. Anyway, I didn't do much in the shop today. I took apart a hub assembly from a 2012 Chevy van. I wanted the bearing races. Found out that the outer housing that bolts to the steering knuckle, is also the outer race. It's either cast, or drop forged, then case hardened on the inside to form the outer race, Monolithic. Well the inner race is still a separate part.

Oh so you have fun with them.

Thanx. Peppie, good looking mount. Wish I'd thought of that.

There's a sizable chunk of steel in there. Making a hardy. Hair drier.Several 3/4" Holes drilled in the tubing as a wastegate. I can regulate the air by closing holes, or opening the ash dump, as need be.

Just out of curiosity. What becomes of blades that ya'll have started, and didn't go according to plan? (pretty much junk for a blade as planned). Do you recycle them, hang them on the "wall of shame", or .... ?

Thanx Chris.

I like the tool racks too. That just gave me an idea.

Here's a pic of the old grate, or what's left of it, and the replacement part after a couple hours in the heat. I guess I could have removed the ash better, so you can see that it fits perfectly across the bottom.

Spent the day finishing up the door latch project. All made from re-bar, except the handle, which started as an old sway bar from my tractor, and rods which started as, rods. The thumb latch handle came out a bit wonky but it's my first time. I left all the hammer marks, and painted it black. Now wishing I hadn't painted it. I need longer bolts, to install it properly, so it's just got a couple screws holding it for now. Had to add a counter weight for the cross arm, as I didn't have a spring on hand. Looks better than the tongs I made today. :D I made a pair of down and dirty, bend 'em, pin 'em, cut 'em and use 'em tongs. Needed something to hold a bolt endways.

I guess I need to look into how I'm tending the fire. In the latter scenerio I'd be losing the majority of my fuel down the hole, first time I add more fuel. I tried two bolts like in the pic above when I first built this forge. They lasted almost one forging session, then were gone. That's why I went with the cast iron grate. Obviously, I'm doing something wrong. I'll post a couple pics tomorrow, so you can see what I've got going on.

Not floor drain. Cast iron grate from an old grille. Made to get hot. (but mabe not that hot ) Kinda crazy, but the 3/16" thick firebox is holding up quite well. I've still got several squares of the grill grate, but when they get used up, I'll see about getting one of those new ones from Centaur. Thanx for the tips.