Bigred1o1 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 ok i am looking to make a bit of lemonade today i now have a 3ft long 1 3/4 inch wide piece of steel from a piston that was bent when the piston on the other side blew its line so i am wondering if anyone knows what kind of steel this is and if it is something i can forge i know from having seen one of these break that it had a odd fracture pattern so i don't know if they are made up of more than one kind of metal or if it was just a result of how it was tempered so long story short anyone have any thoughts for it i was sort of thinking hammer heads but i am very open to ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigred1o1 Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 cutting this stuff up wish a chopsaw is taking forever i dont know what it is but it seems quite hard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Often (usually?) 1045 or in higher end stuff 4140. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigred1o1 Posted October 19, 2011 Author Share Posted October 19, 2011 fantastic its not often i come across a nice clean piece of steel admittedly this one has a bit of a elbow in it it gives off a white energetic spark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainely,Bob Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Quite a few of the hydraulic rods around here are hard chromed. If you have one that`s chromed you won`t want to be forging it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fosterob Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Hard chrome has a melting temp of 3400 degrees F so I would not worry so much about toxic fumes coming of the solid metal. Just be aware that there is a slight possibility of hazard. Good score on the rod, I have several of those and love them, good way to get larger rounds, usually free. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLMartin Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I know its bent but you might consider cutting it at the bend and sticking any of the rod that it straight in a lathe and turning it down just a hair so that the chrome plating is off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigred1o1 Posted October 19, 2011 Author Share Posted October 19, 2011 i sanded the out side of it bc i had noticed that the inside of the bend that the chrome was splintering off and after reading a post in here about not messing around with chromed sockets i thought i would play it safe as to this being a free lol only if you dont count the cost of getting a new one put on the tractor my lathe is not up and running yet as i am missing a few parts but it is getting closer to being able to be a tool instead of just dam heavy i should have the time tomorrow to get some forge time in so i am looking forward to trying my hand at some hammer heads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SReynolds Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I had one replace in the hyd shop as mine was bent. I had asked if it was anything special and was informed it was mild steel with Chromed O.D. The replacement was not chromed, just mild steel. Should have kept that old rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigred1o1 Posted October 20, 2011 Author Share Posted October 20, 2011 this stuff was hard enough i had to hook a external blower up my forge instead of using the crank blower as you had to work it white hot or it felt like trying to work a piece of mild steel cold anyways i thought i would make a smallish crosspeen hammer a little over 1 3/4 lb this thing has fantastic rebound to the point where you can get it to sort of skitter across the face of an anvil if you hold it loosely and give a gentle tap nothing that purty in the end but for a first go at forging a hammer i am very happy with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I had one replace in the hyd shop as mine was bent. I had asked if it was anything special and was informed it was mild steel with Chromed O.D. The replacement was not chromed, just mild steel. Should have kept that old rod. Most hydraulic guys (even if they are good at hydraulics) know diddly-squat about steel. You got an answer cause he didn't want to admit that he didn't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I worked in a hydraulic cylinder shop in the past century. The reputable makers use IHCP for piston rods on both hydraulic and pnuematic cylinders. IHCP stands for Induction Hardened Chrome Plated. The rod is induction hardened and is in the "Case and Core" condition meaning it has a hard outer surface that gradually transitions to soft at the center. Then the rods are hard chromed and ground. I think the The material would be a 1045H in the smaller sizes and something like 1541H in the bigger sizes just like truck axles. Same general hardening requirements and equipment. To machine if you try to turn the hard chrome of by taking a shallow cut you best have a new, tight extremely rigid machine with ceramic or diamond tooling or the hard chrome with hard substrate will destroy the tooling instantly. In the factories the way the rod ends are machined is to go in from the end, and undercut the hard chrome and very hard surface by about .030" and as you face back the chrome will chip off just ahead of the tool. Not sure about forging, but should forge about like truck axle. In an AG cylinder all bets are off, as these get made by many small shops, and then repaired with who knows what. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arean Ellis Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I picked one up recently and made a hammer head as well. I hot cut it with a striker. I'm very happy with the hammer that came from it. The hammer is the second closest... I'm wanting to do a drift with it next. Anyone have any thoughts on how that would work out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigred1o1 Posted October 21, 2011 Author Share Posted October 21, 2011 very nice i have been quite happy with mine i have been wanting a nice thick cross peen hammer for drawing and i gave it a test run this afternoon and it was quite nice looks like a keeper to me i sure wish i had had someone to be a striker when i do this again i will see if i can track down someone around here who wants to make a day of it and make some some hammer heads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Same position here. I have a lovely piece of the bull nose from 6" of railway line that would make such a lovely sledgehammer but I need a striker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigred1o1 Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 and sorry but i am a bit to far away from you to offer any help other wise i would have been glad to stop by Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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