ThomasPowers Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Sort of depends on what you want to do, right? In general ground contact stuff was higher carbon for wear resistance, stay bars and load distribution items were often medium to high carbon for strength---my Landlord has an old disk out behind my place that has a 4" sq bar about 15' long that I would bet was at least medium; he's 97 and not using it anymore. (I should ask him about it and perhaps do a run of post anvils...) The old disks would make decent blades... New disks and things like brush hog blades are often a boron alloy and not good for blades... Note that old stuff; particularly things that went through the depression may have mixed repairs on them---I once had one where one bar was 1080 and the other was real wrought iron....TEST! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 A lot of the old tractor/farm stuff was malleable iron... Kind of neat stuff to forge but it for sure isn't wrought iron.. old train cars if you can find them.. Now its kinda tough.. Lots of people get lucky with old dams that are being removed.. Me I get lucky around any old mills with rivers nearby.. I've found quite a few items in the water.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koek Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Just finished my first paying gig. reforging a dozen jack hammer bits today. nothing to glorious or with pretty pictures, but it is nice to know that my “hobby” pays for itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Koek, Reforge and harden/temper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koek Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 reforged, hardend and tempered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 What did you do for the harden and temper? points or spades? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koek Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Cherryred quench in oil and afterwards holding it in the fire till blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koek Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Thanks for checking my work for mistakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Sorry, no wasnt thinking of mistakes.. Im just curious.. I like to hear what others are doing with heat treats and such.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanL Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Got my new (to me) plasma cutter working. As far as I can tell, I basically have a lightsaber now. I think rose petal blanks soon. Dont mind my shaky hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58er Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Antler lamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 A little something to warm up with. A good way to start the day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 16 hours ago, BryanL said: I basically have a light saber now. Don't mind my shaky hand. Tip speed and somewhere for the kerf material to go will improve your cuts. Hold the tip vertical unless you want a slope on the cut. Depending on the tip, do not touch the material being cut, leave a small gap between the two. Remember that plasma cutters produce a LOT of bad air and debris that you do not want to breathe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanL Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Good to know Glenn, thanks. Do you think I need a respirator or is working out in the open air sufficient? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 58er, that antler lamp is absolutely awesome. Very inspirational since id love to make a full deer skull and antlers on it. Vaughn, nice warm up and you can put it right in the for sale pile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Bryan Wait until the ground is covered in snow and fire up the plasma cutter. The gray debris all over the place will answer a lot of your questions. For me, definitely outside with a fan under the cutting area, blowing the bad air and debris out of the work area. Remember that if the material is galvanized (zinc coated) or coated with something, the stuff is vaporized and now floating in the air. When your finished cutting take a damp white cloth and wipe the top side of the material being cut and wipe around the work area. Is the cloth still white? You think you inhaled any of that stuff? As you get a little more practice with the plasma cutter, cut the box apart so you do not have to think outside the box. You have a plasma cutter so why not use it to cut things, like round and flat bar stock into the length you want, hardie plates for the anvil (always nice to have several extra), and cut the leaf spring so you can make the guillotine fuller you been wanting to build. DO NOT cut into closed containers as you are blowing air and sparks and any combustible material in a closed container can go BOOM ! Always wear eye protection when running a plasma cutter. Always. A respirator is another level of protection. Your call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Actually a shaded lens eye protection is better. I use torching safety glasses when using mine when I can. A kid I worked with at one shop went to cut the lid off a 55 barrel that had contained ( I believe) methynol. It was " empty" he pulled the trigger on the cutter and BOOM! the barrel bounced 5' in the air. Thankfully he was not in the way or injured. I have cut these successfully after "Thuroughly" hosing them out. Another guy i know got blown through a garage door from torching a barrel that had oil residue. A guy just brought me a barrel to cut the top off. It still had residue so i chiseled it off instead of risking the plasma cutter on it. Be smart about how you use it. And when not to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanL Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Good points guys. I don't have a respirator right now but I'll take a look into what's available. Probably if I search around the site, it has been discussed before. Good tip about the barrels, that sound like a disaster. Certainly exciting to get a new capability. Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 10 minutes ago, Daswulf said: shaded lens eye protection Thank you, I left that out. I picked up a 55 gallon drum clearly marked 10w30 motor oil. The lid had a bit of a hoove to it so I ask the fellow if he knew why. Oh that was the drum we used for racing fuel at the track last weekend. You can NEVER know what is in a drum. Always proceed with caution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Respirator = good. You’ve only got one set of lungs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Bryan, a good respirator should only run around $20-30. More or less generally. They have been discussed in the safety section. Also about changing the filters! Buy extra filters and a air tight container to keep your respirator in when not in use to prolong filter life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Plasma cutters are often used over a water tray to trap debris. You still want a respirator and eye protection. One of these days I'd like to have a plasma cutter. <envious sigh> Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 I’d picked up a chunk of square grid (1/4” round on 2” centers) and realized it would make a nice rack for the hardy tools that fit the portable hole/striking anvil. Here it is with some 1/2” rebar welded to the edge for reinforcement: Also welded some 1/2” round and some bits of I-beam to the base plate of the top: These act as brackets to hold a chunk of RR track on its side: To use the curves of the sides as swages and the edges as fullers: Next up is to finish replacing the stems on some of those tools (the ones I made before changing the hole from 1-3/4” to 1-1/2”). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Looks good John. The screen shelf will be a good place to let stuff cool off. Please round the corners off the angle iron hangers before you find out how I know you Don't want sharp corners at that level. Heck round off any sharp protrusions for safety's sake. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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