MikedMck Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 How useful is 1045 for forging? From time to time i have to pull electric motors out and from google research and feedback from one OEM, typically the shaft is made out of 1045. If you have a 5 or 10hp motor the shaft is usually a decent sized piece of free steel. It also doesn't look like the easiest metal to heat treat if you're just using a home forge in your garage. What would it's best uses be for a beginner like myself. Thanks Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 what is so hard about heat treating 1045? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedMck Posted February 4, 2019 Author Share Posted February 4, 2019 I found this link. http://www.steelforge.com/aisi-1045/ The tempering is around 700 degrees. Well above what my kitchen oven goes up to. Unless there is a way to temper metal with a torch or in your forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 1045: medium carbon straight steel so good for things that need toughness over hardness: Drifts, fullering tools; I've seen some hammers made from it. Swages, bolsters, etc. Note tempering temperature is based on Alloy and USE, there is no one temperature to temper at! exp: I might temper one alloy at 350 degF for a knife blade and at 550 degF if I was making a spring from it. Note 2 they have been hardening and tempering simple alloy steels for about 1000 years now using forges; much longer than strictly temperature controlled ovens/furnaces have been around.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sly Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 Its an extremely good steel to learn on and it makes slightly more durable tools like tongs ect then 1018, sort of the halfway point between 1018 and tool steels in difficulty. alot of people think 5160 is a bear to work with but compared to the more serious stuff its really not its just the comparison is drastic. Doesnt burn easily and you can work it colder then most steels still wouldnt advise working it under anything glowing but a hit at red temp wont ruin all your work, so its forgiving as a learner steel, big issues for solid forge people. 1045 has .6-.8 manganese so it still has decent hardenability despite the medium carbon. Best part is it welds decently to most things so if you ever want to make something like a danish axe with a w2 blade and a 1045 body its really simple. Doesnt make a good sword but if you want a steel to figure out how to shape one 1045 is good practice, makes decent soft cores or san mai side plates for something heavier and it wont lose much for being quenched out of its prefered range. Means you can quench ideal for another steel and it still works as a soft side. Its also really easy to polish and finish. Also a much cheaper alternative to 4140 in large stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedMck Posted February 8, 2019 Author Share Posted February 8, 2019 Thanks for the advice! When it's spring, i can clean out the garage and build my forge. I think i will try to make a sheet metal hammer with it. Started to take the 10 HP motor apart today and it's going to be a real pain to get the shaft out of the core. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 If the motors are not totally fried they can be used to run three phase equipment off of single phase. I did that back home for my lathe, mill, and surface grinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St.patty Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 16 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: Care to elaborate? I'm no electrician but I have quite a few 3 phase motors around, just havent been able to concoct a way to make them work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedMck Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 This one was 3 phase 575 shorted to ground. You would have to re wind it some how to reuse it 1phase Then you have to consider the Amos you are going to draw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 If it needs new windings it isn't worth it. The easiest way to get three phase is with a static converter, around $100. The next easiest is a rotary phase converter, big bucks and you may have to add a circuit or a panel. The third way is to create a third leg by spinning a three face motor with a 1/2 hp single phase motor and regulating the output with a static phase converter. Wiring instructions come with the static phase converter. There are two other methods as well but I will leave it to the licenced fellows to decide whether to discuss them here or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 There is a fourth way. I asked the electrician ... can you connect 3 phase? Sure! was the answer, so I got 3 phase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 20 minutes ago, Marc1 said: Not available at all locations and expensive to install. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 10, 2019 Share Posted February 10, 2019 Using a 3 phase jack motor a little bigger than the one on the equipment you want to run, you wire the two hot single phase legs to two of the legs on the 3 phase jack motor which in turn are connected to the corresponding wires on the machine motor. The left over 3 phase legs are connected between the two motors, and the ground is wired through the jack motor and to the machine motor. To use, you wrap a cord around the jack motor shaft and give it a pull. When you pull the cord you turn the single phase power on. The 3 phase jack motor will stay running. Then you start your machine normally. If the rotation is wrong, stop the jack motor and restart after spinning the shaft the opposite direction. With this method you only get 2/3rds of the machine's motor rating because you only have two hots instead of three. I would always say a rotary converter over a static because some statics won't start all types of machines. A friend had a lathe with an electric clutch, and it would stall the static converter. With a mechanical clutch you could feather it up to speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazz Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 I have a booklet from the defunct Lindsay Publications detailing the construction of a 3 phase rotary generator form a 3 phase motor run on single phase power. I built one from a 3 phase 5hp motor years ago and it has worked fine to power my lathe, belt grinder and milling machine. I am in the process of converting to VFDs though. I would be happy to provide copies of it but do not want run afoul of copyright issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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