Cast iron

[Richard Hed]

Bollolocks! if you machine cast iron the whole place is clittered with nfree carbon that notonlygets into your fingers but your hair and a lotof othr unmentinable places which i~m am Too much of a gentkeman to eaborate. However, you will add your own expletives when you have to clean down your precious lathe bed. Mildsteel ground makes pretty sparklers for the Carthorse Julie and probably events created by our former colonies.

Bloody charts-- whatever people will think up next!

?????? Whatever are you talking about? Forget your meds?

 

[goldstar31]

No. It's the classic story of the two explorers.
One went to explore with a flint and seel to cook b whilst the other took a castv iron bit and a flint

The guy with the steel survived bu the gy with the cast iron-- died of Salmonella!
Me? I started to learn about metals when I was just big enough to see what my Dad was doing on the anvil. I suppose that I was about 3. My son who had the benefit of education tool degrees in Geography in Frrench and Geograpy. Miserable me It ee=was only Matriculation and -well a lot, took his Lotus to bits. Understandably, I was a bit baffled. I watched you. Dad. Of course I may be a bean counter but, I am a Certified Welder and have double distinctions in City and Guilds in motor Vehicle Restoration. I had ONE chemistry lesson in the war- and taught my self- enough.
As a spae time occupation, I ran a travel business in my lunch hour of 20minutes' and - retired at 55.
I still go back to those happy days of watching my father shoeing a horse on shoes ade on one heat of the anvil, tempering spring steel using charred wood-- and pulling the detonators out of incendiary bombs- in the light of the English Blitz. I was a terrified little boy-- but I was not afraid to learn.

Good Night

 

[abby]

Cast iron sparks are blood red , just like HSS , modern rings are now made commercially from sintered cast iron but they were made from cast iron bar of the meehanite persuasion. It is easily obtained from ME suppliers in the UK and is cheap too.
Health and safety regulations make it illegal for the general public to browse through scrap yards , mores the pity ! however after spending much of my working life employed by a large scrap metal company in Birmingham I can vouch that it is a very sensible rule.
Dan.

 

[SmithDoor]

Some rode are 4140 but most are 1020 chrome plated.
Cylinder are type 1020 aka DOM tubing.
You find cast iron for large older cylinders.

Dave

I believe hydraulic rods are a harden able steel like 4140 and I don't think the cylinders would be cast iron either. Cast iron would be to brittle for that kind of pressure.

 

[Richard Hed]

Some rode are 4140 but most are 1020 chrome plated.
Cylinder are type 1020 aka DOM tubing.
You find cast iron for large older cylinders.

Dave

Thank you for that. I lookt up the characteristics of DOM 1020 and it has good machinability which is important to my use of it. If this is chrome plated, is chrome low friction? That would be nice. We used to chrome plate some mandrels we used in the manufacturing process--the savings in longevity certainly paid for the chrome plating process. I'm thimking these cylinders may be very goo for ready made cylinders--except for the machinig on the outside of the hole but there is plenty of metal to make chips on and the tubes are very cheap at the scrap yard. I doesn't have a band saw so this causes some trouble in cutting them to length but I will probably buy a cheapo at Harbor Freight next month. Does anyone have any ideas about this? Or recommends? My ears are open and even at MY age (12), I can still take advice.

 

[SmithDoor]

You can buy chrome plated DOM tube. It is not cheap and for our work un-plated DOM works great.
At time hydraulic piston rods they just nickel plated again some we can do at home. Plate and buff ready for use.

Dave

Thank you for that. I lookt up the characteristics of DOM 1020 and it has good machinability which is important to my use of it. If this is chrome plated, is chrome low friction? That would be nice. We used to chrome plate some mandrels we used in the manufacturing process--the savings in longevity certainly paid for the chrome plating process. I'm thimking these cylinders may be very goo for ready made cylinders--except for the machinig on the outside of the hole but there is plenty of metal to make chips on and the tubes are very cheap at the scrap yard. I doesn't have a band saw so this causes some trouble in cutting them to length but I will probably buy a cheapo at Harbor Freight next month. Does anyone have any ideas about this? Or recommends? My ears are open and even at MY age (12), I can still take advice.

 

[goldstar31]

Not only being on lockdown since - mid February but I am also repeatedly having to tackle phishing.
It's difficult to pinpoint- but I'd appreciate any feed back from other forum users

The lockdown has been a continued matter affecting family and friends. Deaths, divorces and assaults. I'm simply waiting for a a couple of anti- virus jabs as well as worsening eyesight.

Accept my apologies, please!

Norman

Quite a lot is in Spanish but recent stuff is purportedly about mobile excess phone usage

 

[SmithDoor]

This is on cast iron and cylinders.

I am say home too,
Give time to work on my work shop It now has R13 insulation in walls and R28 in the ceilings. New flooring next to install cooling.

My story is in 2009 I tool I stage 4 cancer little chemo, Then in 2018 I had some pain I multi cat scans, MRI's and very type of blood test to find no cancer it just getting old and had 5 more back injuries and was tool cancer free get day a week was had biopsy it was stage 4 again. Finished all treatment and just getting over side effects. Then Covid-19 hit.
To me just another day in park.
I think I will say at home and work on my work shop.

Dave

Not only being on lockdown since - mid February but I am also repeatedly having to tackle phishing.
It's difficult to pinpoint- but I'd appreciate any feed back from other forum users

The lockdown has been a continued matter affecting family and friends. Deaths, divorces and assaults. I'm simply waiting for a a couple of anti- virus jabs as well as worsening eyesight.

Accept my apologies, please!

Norman

Quite a lot is in Spanish but recent stuff is purportedly about mobile excess phone usage

 

[Shaun free]

Thank you for that. I lookt up the characteristics of DOM 1020 and it has good machinability which is important to my use of it. If this is chrome plated, is chrome low friction? That would be nice. We used to chrome plate some mandrels we used in the manufacturing process--the savings in longevity certainly paid for the chrome plating process. I'm thimking these cylinders may be very goo for ready made cylinders--except for the machinig on the outside of the hole but there is plenty of metal to make chips on and the tubes are very cheap at the scrap yard. I doesn't have a band saw so this causes some trouble in cutting them to length but I will probably buy a cheapo at Harbor Freight next month. Does anyone have any ideas about this? Or recommends? My ears are open and even at MY age (12), I can still take advice.

For DOM 1020 you can use a hacksaw, I know its not fun or glorious but a hacksaw with a new blade is a valuable tool.

 

[SmithDoor]

I think I would use saws all with metal blade.
A hacksaw can be lot of work.

Dave

For DOM 1020 you can use a hacksaw, I know its not fun or glorious but a hacksaw with a new blade is a valuable tool.

 

[Richard Hed]

I think I would use saws all with metal blade.
A hacksaw can be lot of work.

Dave

At this point it is irrelevant anyway, as I have other irons in the fire at the moment. there will be plenty of time and as I said before, I am going to buy a cheapo band saw next month.

 

[SmithDoor]

At this point it is irrelevant anyway, as I have other irons in the fire at the moment. there will be plenty of time and as I said before, I am going to buy a cheapo band saw next month.

About 15 years I found sale at Harbor freight 4x6. Works great.
Use would too but where live they run saws till nothing left to rebuild.

Dave

 

[HMEL]

For those of you who are interested here is a nice resource for determining types of metal by observing the spark from a grinding wheel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spark_testing
Patterns can also be found in some machinist handbook. Its s practical tool when material is not clearly marked and often used by blacksmiths or others who fabricate knives and other things from scrap. They know what they are looking for.

It does take time to observe the pattern and its not precise but it will tell you what you are working with. Its an old method but if used correctly can be helpful.

 

[goldstar31]

About 15 years I found sale at Harbor freight 4x6. Works great.
Use would too but where live they run saws till nothing left to rebuild.

Dave

I agree with Dave, Crude and all sorts of difficulties in aligning blades at first -- but once done

100%-- or better
Norman

 

[Brian Hutchings]

In England at least, it's possible to buy continuous cast, cast iron bar from the likes of Reeves. They sell a foot of 1" bar for around £14.00. I'm sure that many other suppliers will also stock it.
It's just not worth using unknown material.
Brian

 

[Skipper]

In England at least, it's possible to buy continuous cast, cast iron bar from the likes of Reeves. They sell a foot of 1" bar for around £14.00. I'm sure that many other suppliers will also stock it.
It's just not worth using unknown material.
Brian

I agree with Brian , finally found some Meehanite cast iron. It is great material. So much better than regular cast iron.

 

[goldstar31]

I paid £3 for a complete marking off table. I've still got another one.