SoCal Dave Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 I want to take 2" pipe, cut off the threaded end, flatten the threads out, and use them as a fuller to impart lines in 1/4" and 3/8" round stock. I don't think the threads will hold up very long and wonder if I can do anything to harden them. I assume that most threaded pipe is mild steel. My goal is to make the stock look like vines, or small branches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 I would just try it. If it does not hold up you can stop the flat bit into some steel then a bit of tool steel In to your negative or you could try some casonite or cherry red Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Dave Posted May 1, 2010 Author Share Posted May 1, 2010 I have some casonite I will try. I also thought that some bolt threads might be harder that pipe threads, but I'm not sure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamptroll Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Allen head screws are tougher material Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike-hr Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 I think this has been covered before, but don't know how to look for it.. my vine dies(borrowed the idea from many other folks),make some spring clapper dies,mine are flat so I can use various size stock. I think Off-Center tools makes them semi-round, a better idea. Take a .040 slit wheel and slit a bunch of lines randomly, 1/8 apart or so. It works in the anvil hardy hole, or the power hammer. Hit, pull, index, hit, repeat. looks like vines to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy seale Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 maybe use the heel of a old pipe wrench?or maybe a piece of a file, let us know what workes ok, jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecelticforge Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 You could try superquenching them and using them to make a negative, then transfer the negative to some more usable tool steels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Dave Posted May 2, 2010 Author Share Posted May 2, 2010 Sorry, but I don't know what superquenching is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Browne Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 I would just try it. If it does not hold up you can stop the flat bit into some steel then a bit of tool steel In to your negative or you could try some casonite or cherry red I'm with Larry... "just try it" (and let us know how it goes). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 I want to take 2" pipe, cut off the threaded end, flatten the threads out, and use them as a fuller to impart lines in 1/4" and 3/8" round stock. I don't think the threads will hold up very long and wonder if I can do anything to harden them. I assume that most threaded pipe is mild steel. My goal is to make the stock look like vines, or small branches. You could use a large single cut file or the end bit of a farriers rasp where it is single cut, normalise first before use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Dave Posted May 2, 2010 Author Share Posted May 2, 2010 I found an old rasp with some good single cut portions still left and will try that on Monday or Tuesday. John B. - Do I run the colors and temper the rasp after normalizing or just normalize it. I will report back on what happened and what worked best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 If it was me I would just pop a piece of good steel into the mill, or shaper, and knock one out B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 I found an old rasp with some good single cut portions still left and will try that on Monday or Tuesday. John B. - Do I run the colors and temper the rasp after normalizing or just normalize it. I will report back on what happened and what worked best. Just normalised should be OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
son_of_bluegrass Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Sorry, but I don't know what superquenching is? Super quench is a quenchant that was created to be very fast to harden mild steel as much as it can. You mix it up yourself. I don't know the recipe off hand but a search should find the recipe easy enough. I've heard some of the ingredients are becoming harder to find and there are a few variants of the recipe. ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve McCarthy Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Wore out pipe thread dies would work if you flattened them out a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukellos Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 You could try to forge a Mark Aspery-type spring fuller out of a length of threaded rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Usually when you are trying to mimic natural stuff you want a bit more variety than regular machined stuff. I'd suggest making your own die with a slitting chisel rather than trying to use pipe threads and *don't* go for perfectly space lines! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Dave Posted May 4, 2010 Author Share Posted May 4, 2010 Test #1 Report. I took a two inch pipe nipple and cut it. The nipple was all threads, with no unthreaded space. I opened it up and made it flat with the threads running the length of the rectangle. I heated up 1/8 and 1/4 inch rod and used a wooden mallet at first but then changed to a light weight auto repair hammer. The wooden mallet wasn't getting the job done. I hit the stock when it was going with the threads but not perfectly in line and at 45 degree angles. I followed that up with just hammer blows to the stock on the anvil just to impart some texture. The best results came on the 1/4 inch stock during this first test run, and it looks pretty good with definite lines. I would like to get some deeper lines and so I will be more aggressive when I run a 10' section through tomorrow or thursday. I hope to send pictures in the next report, but I have never included pictures with my postings, and I'm not sure how to do it so they are not extremely large and difficult to view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Dave Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 I took some pictures of the pipe thread fuller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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