ausfire Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 OK, we've all got heaps of old bolts around the place. So what to do with them?? They make nice leaf hooks, and if you are careful you can use the threads to form serrations on the leaf. The leaf hook on the right (made from a 3/8 cuphead bolt) in this pic is done like that. Show us your ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Wow Ausfire, you are on it! Nice work on everything pictured. I'll have to try some ideas and get them on here. Can't say I utilized the bolt head in them but I have used bolts to make nails. Thinking back on that .... Using a bolt to make a nail is a little reversal on technology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 Thanks Das. I made a whole panel of hooks that were made from different common objects - horseshoes, spanners, tools, and yes, bolts. The tourists like to guess what they were before they became wall hooks. I'm thinking a double hook might be an idea. Two bolts twisted together perhaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Quint- Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Does threaded rod count? I've been using stainless threaded rod to make corkscrew worms, it's the only stainless I've been able to get my hands on... but it turns out not to be such a great grade of stainless. One piece I hammered out is rusting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share Posted January 8, 2016 Yeah, we'll include threaded rod ... just as long as you can tell it was threaded. Makes great fine-scaled snakes and softer than rebar. (Trouble is most threaded rod is galvanised - not in my forge!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matto Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Quint,. As for your stainless rusting it can be from your tools. When ever I do stainless I use tools that have never been used on mild steel or non stainless material. Got the habit from when I was an ironworker. We where adding on to a subway rail car plant and had to tent where ever we where because if the sparks from our work would hit a stainless rail car it would rust the car. It is a metal transfer like using a brass brush on your steel. We also had same issue when building ethanol plants and in med plants. I'm sure if that is just a myth someone else will correct it. It is use what I learned in the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Culver Creek Hunt Club Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 That is very accurate. Stainless can pick up contamination from any carbon steel used to work it . I have seen it happen a lot with grinder wheels that were used on carbon first. I imagine in order to totally avoid this you would need a stainless cover plate for the anvil and even a stainless hammer or other tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Or just run a passivation treatment on the stainless afterwards.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 The original marketing for stainless meant that it stains-less than regular steels, it is not impervious to rust. When we machine stainless parts we have to passivate them to eat off the surface iron that is exposed. Some stainless parts are also heat treated to increase their corrosion resistance. Quint, what size ss are you looking for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 Well here's a bolt bottle opener. Not too spectacular but simple enough. Has a good grip with the threads. Comfortable in the hand too. 5/8" full thread bolt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatfudd Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 I couldn't insert where I got those pictures from but its one of my favorite metal artists Tobbe Malm search for his web site - Jeremalm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatfudd Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Actuall you need to look for Jeremalm metal artist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Quint- Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 On 1/8/2016 at 8:25 AM, matto said: Quint,. As for your stainless rusting it can be from your tools. When ever I do stainless I use tools that have never been used on mild steel or non stainless material. Got the habit from when I was an ironworker. We where adding on to a subway rail car plant and had to tent where ever we where because if the sparks from our work would hit a stainless rail car it would rust the car. It is a metal transfer like using a brass brush on your steel. We also had same issue when building ethanol plants and in med plants. I'm sure if that is just a myth someone else will correct it. It is use what I learned in the field. On 1/8/2016 at 9:22 AM, Culver Creek Hunt Club said: That is very accurate. Stainless can pick up contamination from any carbon steel used to work it . I have seen it happen a lot with grinder wheels that were used on carbon first. I imagine in order to totally avoid this you would need a stainless cover plate for the anvil and even a stainless hammer or other tools. Very interesting, that never occurred to me. The piece I made is actually an embalming instrument and it sits in a disinfectant/water solution quite a bit. The other manufactured instruments that sit in the same solution never show any signs of rusting so I assumed they were of a higher quality SS, but this explanation seems more likely. On 1/8/2016 at 11:09 AM, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: Quint, what size ss are you looking for? Nothing particular just yet, I grabbed the stainless threaded rod to make a couple of corkscrew worms for xmas gifts. Worked out pretty well, or at least good enough for a few beginner projects. On 1/8/2016 at 10:58 AM, ThomasPowers said: Or just run a passivation treatment on the stainless afterwards.... Mr. Powers, you are a wealth of knowledge. I unashamedly admit that I have NO idea what that means but I will most certainly be researching it now. Thank you. On 1/10/2016 at 3:49 AM, ausfire said: Well here's a bolt bottle opener. Not too spectacular but simple enough. Has a good grip with the threads. Comfortable in the hand too. 5/8" full thread bolt. Ausfire, I think that is absolutely spectacular! Very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Food grade citric acid from a health food/canning supply store is strong enough to passivate SS overnight, if you use hot water to dissolve it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WL smith Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Thank you John McP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 12, 2016 Author Share Posted January 12, 2016 OK, here's another bolt. This is a 5/8 cap bolt. Don't know what grade of steel it is but it was hard. It is stamped SEP and the numbers 12 - 9 which I guess is date of manufacture Sept 2012?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 12.9 is the grade of bolt, 176,900 psi tensile strength. SEP is the manufacturer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 12, 2016 Author Share Posted January 12, 2016 Ah, thanks. I assumed wrongly. It was certainly hard metal. Is SEP an American manufacturer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Errorgance Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 cool, I'm saving your picture to my inspiration folder, I love identifiable re purposed stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 Great. Nice to know one of my things found its way into someone's inspiration folder. I have such a folder full of ideas from this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Don't have many big bolts but tonight I figured I'd try an opener for this post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 20, 2016 Author Share Posted January 20, 2016 Yep, that's a pretty short bolt, but if it fits the hand OK it will work. You can make openers out of so many things. I'm trying to figure out how I can make one from a threaded rod snake shape, but using both head and tail. A bit tricky. Might try something before tomorrow's demos. If I nail it, I'll post it! One finished up in the scrap bin today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Ausfire; That type bolt is almost always pretty high strength steel. They are mostly used for machine and tool assembly and are usually made in some of the highest grades of steel available. Just for general info. They are also commonly sold with blued steel finishes, so safer for forging than galvanized bolts! Too expensive to buy new for forging stock... but good stuff to look for at the scrappers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted January 20, 2016 Author Share Posted January 20, 2016 Yes, I googled SEP, as stamped on the cap bolt, and it said they make high strength steel bolts for various technical applications, including 'explosive(?) bolts', whatever they are. I like the blued steel finish .. much better than playing with gal or cad plated bolts. A guy dropped in a bucket load of them the other day so I have a few to mess with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 You could make one of these Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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