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I Forge Iron

BIGGUNDOCTOR

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Everything posted by BIGGUNDOCTOR

  1. In reference to the Titanic, I believe it was the rivets that they focused on. I remember them talking about the slag inclusions. That is what made me think of wrought iron. There had been some other discussions about the difficulty of welding by other means than forge welding. All of this kind of made we wonder what was so great about it. I can see the advantages with weathering being a plus for outside fixtures, as well as workability when doing intricate details. There is a small antiques store near where I work that has a tech manual from the 60's that is all about wrought iron. Maybe I should check it out a little better next time I am in there. Thanks for the insight.
  2. If it was me I would turn the taper on my lathe, add a weld prep, and do a 100% weld with some 7018. Check with local high school, and junior college metal shops if you, or your friends don't have the equipment.
  3. Just a thought. What about making a shaft extension with a socket on one end that will just slide over the existing shaft, and position the pulley where you need it?
  4. Some earmuffs have softer gel type pads that help sealing, also with safety glasses the bayonet (straight) type ear pieces don't put as much pressure on the ear, as do the regular curved ones when using muffs.This is why a lot of shooting glasses have the bayonet style. I hear talk about I-pods etc. The ear buds are also being looked at now because they put the sound so close to the eardrum. They may actually be a cause of hearing loss.
  5. Freezing temps? Not here, 40's in the mornings and 70's during the day. Been really nice the past few days. I enjoy these temperate days while they last, pretty soon it will be 100's every day with lows in the 80's . I think spring is only like 2 weeks here with a 6 month summer . No skeeters though, which is good since I sleep outside on a hammock during the summer. My Dad was my inspiration for a lot of what I do now. Both of my parents were crafty, and through them I learned quite a few skills. I always appreciated how they encouraged me to do what I liked to do. My Dad told me about how some of the neighbor kids would ask " Sgt Hess, can I build a model at your home?" because their mothers didn't want them making a mess at their house. There was always something going on at our house. Woodcarvings, leather projects, metalwork, drawing, etc. Mom said it was a good thing that she hated house work with everything that went on there. You mention not being that artistic. Just being around artists can be helpful. I am a member of the Vegas Artist Guild. One of the members has been severely disabled from birth, and is confined to a wheelchair. As such she needs constant assistance. Her companion accompanies her to the guild meetings, and over time has developed his own artistic abilities. When he started coming he admitted to not being artistic at all, but being immersed in a creative environment like the guild he found a medium that spoke to him. He has done well enough that he gave the monthly program a couple o months ago. I don't think one can learn to be artistic, but one discovers the artistic style that they already have.
  6. I have been wondering why the big interest in using old wrought iron? I have never used any, and from what I have read recently, wrought iron was a relatively poor material compared to modern day steels, even 1018. I also saw on a TV program where part of the reason the Titanic went down so easily was thought to be due to the wrought iron that was used in its construction-had to do with the slag inclusions found in wrought iron. So what is so magical about wrought iron, other than using material that early smiths did?
  7. Hmmm, never heard having to use fuses. Every welder I have used/seen was hooked up to breakers. I can see the slow blow due to spiking during welding-stick a rod,initial arc starting,etc. That is why we went 125% on the breakers, to give a cushion for spikes.
  8. That will depend on the welder's amp draw. My big welders are on 100A circuits, my small 110V welders can run on a 30A. I like to go oversize on the wiring when I am hooking things like welders, and air compressors up. If the spec calls out 12 ga, I put in 10ga, if it calls for 10ga I put in 8ga. Especially on longer runs. I look at it as cheap insurance. This provides less resistance, and keeps the wiring cooler. It also gives you some room to upgrade later if need be. Of course you still run the appropriate sized breaker. At the plants I have been in we usually went with a breaker that was 125% of rated load.
  9. At the community college I went to they welded the in house fabbed anvils with .0625" innershield wire. Beads were the size of your finger. Post heat wasn't a problem, but overheating was if you were not careful. MIG can be appropriate, if done correctly. A word on welding stresses. A weld bead shrinks as it cools. Being attached to the parent material it starts pulling at it as it cools. Keep adding more beads, and the pulling stress increases. I welded an 8" pipe to a 2" thick 24" diameter piece of plate for a vise base. Started laying the beads down, and didn't give it a second thought. When I was done that 2" thick plate had warped up enough into a bowl shape that it rocked instead of sitting flat. One way to help alleviate these stresses from shrinkage is to peen the weld as it cools. Peening spreads the weld as it is cooling, and helps to counteract the shrinkage of a non-peened weld. Another method that is sometimes used is alternating the welds form side to side, front to back, stitching, etc. These will help with warping, but the part would benefit from a normalizing post heating.
  10. In regards to the 3 phase motor you have a couple of options. #1- phase converter , go with a rotary as opposed to a static type. A good rotary converter can also be used to run other equipment. A lot of 3 phase equipment goes inexpensively at small auctions because it is 3 phase. The converter I have now will start up to a 15HP motor, and run a combined 60HP. Didn't really need one that big, but it will give me 50% output on my 650 MIG which is 3 phase. All that may be a moot point since I have 480 3 phase available to my property - that is when I can afford the $12K to have the wiring run across the street . $7K of that is the transformer alone. In the mean time the converter will get wired up. A converter for what you are doing will run about what a new motor will for the mill. #2-run a jack motor. This is what I did at home after I closed my shop. All you need is another 3 phase motor that is at least, but preferably larger than what you want to run. Easy to do, and relatively inexpensive to free depending on where you get the other motor. With this method you only get 2/3 rated output on the motor being driven. With that being said I have yet to lug my mill (Bridgeport clone), Clausing 10"x16" surface grinder, or my 18.5"x54" Monarch lathe, even under heavy cuts.
  11. First thing to check is that it is in high, or low gear. There is a lever on the side, and a lever on the top that shift the gears. I routinely lock up the spindle by just shifting the side lever to do this, kind of like having the trans in forward, and reverse at the same time. I do this for some indicating , as well as some of the rework jobs I do where I need to keep the spindle aligned. Also before you go ripping into the spindle I would suggest getting a manual. It is easy to get things all fouled up if done incorrectly. I believe that they use annular contact bearing in the spindle, probably class 7 for accuracy.
  12. You would have to buy a TIG torch. High freq units are also available to add on. I prefer dedicated machines, as opposed to the TIG/MIG/ARC combo units. I would also say to check local auctions, all but one of my welders came to me this way. 250 amp migs for $400 complete, 350 amp TIG $250,250 amp TIG $1,000, 650 amp MIG $900. Most of these also came with a pile of extras. Shop around since there is a lot of used equipment on the market now. As for voltage, go with 220V as these will pull less amps than the same sized 110V unit. For example say a welder could run on the following voltages the max amperages would be something like this. 110V-100A, 220V-50A, 440V-25A. With an increase in voltage the amperage decreases for the same load. Most guys I know use dryer outlets, and pigtails for their welders, and air compressors. The amp draw is also at maximum output. If a welder pulls 100A at max, it will pull around 25A at 25% output. Higher duty cycles give you more run time. A duty cycle is 10 minutes. 100% means continuous welding at maximum output. 50% will give you 5 minutes run-5 minutes rest, 25% 2min 30sec run-7min 30sec rest. This is at maximum outputs. Longer run time is possible at lower output loads. Get the biggest welder you can afford. It is easier to run small rod in a big welder than trying to run big rod in a small welder. Get more than you think you need, same as an air compressor.
  13. For a starter anvil I would hit a scrap yard, or other place that may sell/give away urban ore. You may be surprised what is thrown away that will make a good anvil. 1" Steel plate is 40.8# per square foot, so a piece 2x12x12 would be 80+ #.
  14. Just saw a listing for 35 gallons of Muriatic acid on the Craigslist free section.
  15. Interesting, I remember back in the 80's when I was attending various DRMO auctions that the scrap guys were commenting on how little they were getting for Ti. What I usually saw being sold were jet engine tail cones, and hardware. Items like pumps, valves, etc that were made of Monel, Inconel,copper, etc. they were all fighting over, but the Ti stuff went pretty cheap. The community college I attended had some 10' bars of 2"x3" Ti that they got surplus. Don't remember anyone ever using it for a project in the machine shop class. A cutting torch, and some Ti makes some great fireworks. Beautiful intense white sparks.
  16. If your welder will do DC reverse polarity, I would suggest 7018. Very smooth running, low splatter, slag practically falls off on its own, and the flux is non-conductive, so it is good if you are reaching into a hole. It is also a low hydrogen rod which is good for welding materials like this.
  17. I have been using a 125# JHM Journeyman anvil that I got last summer from a farrier who got out of the biz. For smaller stuff it works fine, although I need to get it off of the folding stand, and onto a stump I have here. I don't mind the turning cams on the heel, and actually see them as a plus for some jobs. The price was right, so I picked it up. I got the anvil, stand, a single burner gas forge, tool box of shoe blanks, a tool box of hoof repair items, and a tool box with flux, tongs, hardies, rasp, etc. for $250. I have other blacksmith anvils up to 306#, but couldn't pass this one up. I like the 260# Fisher because it is quieter then the rest. I would agree though that from a cost point you should make a trip to a scrap yard to pick up some various shaped anvils for way less.
  18. Hey FE, maybe the wife has "selective hearing" :D
  19. Dad talked with a smith at a the Napa county fair years ago the was making Ti tent stakes for a circus. He loved working with the stuff because it moved so well. How much ya paying for scrap?
  20. Sound can be transmitted through the skull. One competitive shooter wears plugs, muffs, and a modified motorcycle helmet to kill all of the sound around him. Other's muzzle reports were causing him to flinch some, which isn't good when you have a 1.5oz trigger pull. The training we had, stated that if you are in an area that you have to raise your voice to someone 2' away, so that they can hear, you need hearing protection. My Dad's hearing was toasted by the RB66's he worked on in the Air Force. He wore plugs,and muffs, but the sound was so high pitched from those engines it still wasn't enough. It was so cold out, that they warmed them up inside the hangers. I believe that was at Selfridge (sp?) AFB in Maine.
  21. If ya can't afford the tools, get to be friends with someone, or a shop,who does. Check with your local junior college/high school shop program-hint,hint. Not all torch cuts are rough,cuts done with a track machine can come out super clean. A skilled operator can also do a nice job. A Porta-band would also probably do a good job. On the chop saw, are you cutting through the thin edge, or the face. Should go through faster edgewise.
  22. I prefer the foamies myself since I have to wear them all day. The earmuffs get soaking wet after some time,especially during the summers here, and get in the way of some of the things that I have to do. Plus the foamies I use have a higher NRR than earmuffs do. When I worked at Jelly Belly I wore them for 7 years in the plant. At the new shop they go in as soon as I clock in. I had annual hearing tests at JB, and it stayed the same, but I believe since leaving there it has gotten worse. I now carry a pair of foamies with me at all times. I have walked into too many clubs, bars, etc in Vegas where I ended up putting them in. The ringing in my ears that I do have sucks enough,I don't need it any louder. My hot points are popping air lines loose, grinding, shop-vacs, pipe dropped on the floor, and any other high pitch noise maker.
  23. Can you contact a forge shop, and ask them? I believe Pacific Forge in Berkley Ca is still going, as well as others that may be closer to you. When Mare Island Naval Shipyard closed, after 100+ years, a lot of neat old tools got sold, or scrapped. Not a lot of people think about industrial history, especially developers that have $$$$ in their eyes. Sell it, and clear it out is all they want. One family day I got to see the steam hammers working in the forge shop. Still remember how the ground shook when they would hit hard, yet could also just tap the piece if need be. Lots of control, and lots of skill. I got the 18.5"x78" Axelson lathe out of my Dad's classroom, but couldn't afford the platen table. Have yet to see another one that thick, must have been 8"-10". Anyway, I hope you can save it, and get the info that you need to do so.
  24. Nice knife. A couple of suggestions on taking pictures. If you have a camera with a built in flash try to diffuse the light. I have used a yogurt container over the flash on my Canon 30D, others have used the translucent film canisters. If it is a point and shoot, a piece of tissue paper over the flash may work. With a swiveling flash you can bounce the light in order to get diffused lighting without hot spots in the picture. Another method is to wash the whole area with light. Get a couple of lamps, and put them at opposite ends of the knife to eliminate dark areas/shadows. Watch out for the lamps creating hot spots, in which case a lampshade may need to be employed to soften the lighting. As for backgrounds, it is best to have something simple that doesn't distract from the item. In this case, I may have looked into something in a tan color. Tan would show off both the light handle, and the dark blade better IMHO. I picked up some tricks while having to photograph machine guns where I used to work. Surprising how different two pictures can look with simple lighting changes.
  25. I had one incident that after I was done made me think "never do that again". I had bored a hole that was around 1" in diameter. The bore was a little rough, so I grabbed a strip of sandpaper, and proceed to stick my finger into the hole, with the strip, while it is spinning over 1000 rpm. Polished it up, and then it hit me. What would have happened if the paper had caught with my finger stuck in a hole not much bigger than my finger. Saw what happens when a set up man is in a hurry. This was in a display company that worked with wire products-shelves, book racks, chip racks, etc.He was setting up the front, and back stops on a mechanical press break that was around 50 ton capacity IIRC. Bypasses the palm switch, and steps onto the foot treadle. The ram comes down bending the front bend. He continues holding the treadle down, and slides the part to hit the rear stop. Well he didn't realize how much faster the ram moves on the second go around when you windmill a mechanical break. It stopped on the downstroke with all eight fingers in the dies that were set for 16ga wire. Another setup guy heard him scream, and cycled it off of his fingers. He still has all of his digits, but they don't work the same. Dad got hit on the head by a dropped hammer when he was in one of the dry docks at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. His hardhat saved him, and he found the owner of the hammer, who he chewed out. The guy that dropped it had not even gone to check on where it had gone, or yelled down when it was dropped. I got a couple of bad steam (232 degrees) burns when I worked at the Jelly Belly Candy Co. One on my right arm, and one on my right leg. A drain valve got stuck leading to my arm being burned above the gloves. My leg got hit when a vent pipe vented into a floor drain that redirected the steam up onto my leg. I have some slight tinnitus from not knowing any better growing up. Firecrackers, grinders, routers, loud music, drag racing,working in noisy areas, and various activities made my ears ring. The ringing went away, so no harm done, right?. Found out later it is an accumulative problem. I wear ear plugs for any loud activity now-clubs/bars, mowing lawns, smithing, air tools,etc and all day at work due to the high pitch whine of the CNC screwmachines we have. If you have to raise your voice to talk to someone 2' away you need hearing protection. Really sucks having to hear the constant ringing I do have, so I do not want it to get any worse. Y'all be safe out there. Ya hear?
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