Hello all.
I have been going around looking/securing places to get scrap. 3 so far.
Some questions.
1) I have some shock's off a jeep. Is the rod worth saving? The oil for a Quenching agent? ( Sorry! I HAVE NOT DONE A EXTENSIVE SEARCH ON QUENCHING OIL YET.......But I will!)
2) I have a hot water tank that I am hoping to make into a foundry. Is this metal good for Blacksmithing also?
3) Does a motorcycle have any scraping potentional for blacksmithing?
P.S.
I do not know what tempering in water,oil,sand etc is,about, how-to, when-to or anything.
I DO KNOW NOT TO THROW ANYTHING AWAY UNLESS APPROVED BY A ADULT.....Which happen's to be you folk's.

So number 1 above is not asked by someone who is lazy, looking for the easy way out, or anything else that some of the more professional Blacksmith's with the good look's, big house, pretty wife's, cute girlfriends, both, good teeth, fat bank account's know, have or will not diminish themselves with such a trivial question.
Just, do I keep these because I am a FNG trying to learn?

Later, erietuna

If the hot water tank is galvanized then it's best place is a slack tub. If it is stainless and you have a way to cut it then it will have many uses.
If the motorcycle was chain driven then the chain may be forge welded into a billet. Coil springs from the bike can be used for many items such as tools which a new guy and an old guy can never have enough of.
There are probably a lot of easier ways to obtain oil but recycling is recycling.

Marksnagel ,
Thank you,
I do not want to toss something that might have a use. I am not nor will ever be a professional.
Just want to save a buck for a hobby.
later, erietuna

Those connecting rods in the block of the motorcycle are very good forged steel usually , likely better than car connecting rods . Piston rings are high carbon steel . The crank is most likely forged steel . The frame could be used to build stuff , be it steel or aluminum . Hope that helps !

I'd stay away from the shocks. The rods are usually chrome which can have all sorts of nasty consequences...

Thinkin about this and remembering that I have not stirred the pot for a log time,,,ok well a little now and then. If you can find and old harley and have a big boat you got yourself a real anchor!!!!( may have to only come in here with full armor on for a while now :)

rich..that's just unsanitary! why would a old harley need a boat anchor ???

Remembers why he loves this place so much. :)

If you are going to use any oil for heat treating stay with vegatable oil, its a lot easier on the lungs and will do fine for what you are doing.

I don't think a boat is heavy enough, especially if the Harley is a stroker.
hey, erietuna look for your local smithin' group......they will help a whole bunch

I'd beware of Piston Rings.

They're often made from various Inconel, Monel, or Stellite Alloys.

The "oil" in the shocks, and forks, is very likely a synthetic blend, rather than a petroleum product.

A motorcycle frame is most likely 4130 or 4140 "moly" steel.


Unless it's that aforementioned Harley, ... in which case, it's just Pig Iron.


.

The best use I've found for old shock rods is in my Diacro bender, older shocks very often have a dia. of .625 which fits perfectly in the pin holes.....They would be fine for fabricated bending forks as well....

Rich, Rich, Rich, don't you have *any* environmental conscience? The way the old Harley's leak oil, dumping them in the water would be like another Exxon Valdez!

Now for another viewpoint: when we start we often try to save *everything* and so get a unsightly scrap pile that we can find *nothing* in. There really is a purpose in selling scrap off to leave just the stuff you can use in a reasonable amount of time. In general the more "worked" the metal is the less likely it is to have a future use---unless you do a lot of something that needs those "shapes". I *store* a lot of metal at the scrapyard until I need it and try to only bring home stuff I know I'll need in the next year or two.

Picked up a Transmission today. The wife is looking at me funny. Now I have to figure how to take it apart? Of course I will be asking what to save when that is accomplished! Am going to a open forge at WRABA tomorrow 11-15-11. Can't wait. Get to see what I am getting myself into finally. Thank you all for the input.....and yes I am going to take apart one of the shock's........just because. Oh and yes I started to read up on Quenching agent's.......yep well past 3 million question's now. Oh well gotta go back to work and pay my due's Later, erietuna