JHCC Posted December 19, 2021 Share Posted December 19, 2021 My point exactly. If you take so much that it kills you, you’ll never have another headache again! (Not a recommendation, just to be clear.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted December 23, 2021 Author Share Posted December 23, 2021 On the advice of JHCC I bought a set of 5 Tong Blanks, just arrived today, just got to set the rivets in a zinc bath since they are galvanized, Mild steel, should be fine for a starting out set Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted December 30, 2021 Author Share Posted December 30, 2021 How reliable is the drill test when it comes to telling the difference between cast iron and steel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 Cast iron produces crumbly bits; steel produces curly shavings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 Cast Iron makes completely different chips, gray crumbly bits Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 So pretty reliable then, two pieces of stock from the three I tested made those distinct grey chips you mentioned when drilled, the pickaxe and the odd piece in in the bottom left of the picture are both decidedly cast iron, but that metal ingot next to the pickaxe seems to be a nice piece of steel from the wire-like shavings it gave me, any suggestions on the cast iron? Ive seen something about "heat treating" it to soften it to a forgable piece, that sounds more like tenpering but everywhere ive seen the process they call it heat treating, but that i think was a welding forum (i am not nor do i claim to be a welder!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 Cast iron cannot be forged. It can be welded, but it requires proper heating before and after to prevent cracking. I wouldn't expect a pickaxe to be cast iron, though. That's a surprising result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 Then I suppose the only use for that 30 lb cast iron weight is to make my anvil more steady Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 Yes a cast iron pickaxe would not stand up to being used. Got any good pictures of the swarf? It might be that it was hardened and so less likely to get curls when drilled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 I drilled a hole through a mild steel tong blank today and noticed the shavings very similar to the pickaxe, I also noticed that while they flaked the same, the pickaxe shavings were a much lighter color than the anchor shavings (silver and shiny vs an ashy grey color, I'll drill it a bit more and post pictures tomorrow for some more experienced opinions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 If you like we can drill some known cast iron and steel types on your next visit to get an idea of what to look for. Same with spark testing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 I'll bring a selection of my stock, I'm interested in what those gears I have are made of, and I'm also making plans to go to a junk yard with my dad-in-law and brother, any parts I should target when I go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Sure thing. Tortion bar is always good. Heavier chunks of steel for bigger anvils, larger coil springs, square and round bar steel for usable stock, hammer heads for hammers lol. Really anything you see as useful/usable. The more you learn and do forging, the more you will know what is really useful and not. I don't buy nearly the kind or amount of stuff I used to at fleamarkets and such. Either you dont need it, can make it, or the price isnt right cause you already have some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 I'll keep my eye out for that stuff when I go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 There is a whole thread covering junkyard metals, and what to look for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 Can I get a thread name or link for that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 I believe this is one. If you use your favorite search engine and add Site:iforgeiron.com to the string like this, without the brackets (junk yard steel site:iforgeiron.com) there is more than one thread on the subject. This one you have to scroll down to see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 That was a lot of info. But I'm assuming number after the listed part in the first paragraph listing the junkyard steel parts is the grade? As in "Hay Rake Teeth" was grade 1095 and "Axels" was 1040? This is example is from the second line of the first "table" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 And of course that's more of a "guess" than a mandatory grade; After all some of the stuff we find was found all over the world for a century plus; made by hundreds of different manufacturers. Scrapyard Rule: test everything *before* you use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 Still seems like a good place to start, I recall reading in a thread that a nice mild steel ingot would make an 8th century blacksmiths head spin with delight due to the quality compared to their pattern welded steel and wrought iron, just gives me more to play with right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Just watch out; there are several "Junkyard Steel" lists that say that jackhammer bits are S7 steel; I believe because "Machinerys Handbook" says that it would be an excellent steel for the purpose. However a former member here had a career of repointed such bits and he said that of the *million*, yes million, he had done; only a handful were anything but 1050. As 1050 is so much cheaper to use even if it wasn't the *best* alloy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 In regards to the steels in the 1000 digits, I'm not sure what these numbers mean? Is it a direct correlation to the amount of carbon? Because I've also seen in the 2000 and 3000 digits, I'm not trying to get a full understanding on the ins and outs of metallurgy on this thread (there are books Thomaspowers has recommended on several other threads on that) just a reference to help me understand a little better Is this chart a good reference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Happy New Year, Mr. Fang Think of the Steel numbers as Vegetable Soup. The first 2 numbers are the kind of Vegetable Soup (with or without Parsnips, Cummin, Ginger, etc. and how much of each ingredient). The last 2 numbers are the percentage of Carbon, 4140=0.40% Carbon, 52100=1.00% Carbon, 1018=0.18% Carbon. The amount of Carbon controls the Hardenability (to a certain point). Cast iron has over 4% Carbon (completely different characteristics). Then you get into the Alloy Steels, A, D, H, S, T, etc. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 Happy new year everyone, hope it's iron clad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Fangs Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share Posted January 1, 2022 As promised yesterday I retested the pickaxe and compared it to that anchor, and I believe I was mistaken, looking again that pickaxe is definetly less than 2% carbon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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