[TheForge] Suggestions needed for scroungeable steel

Tue Nov 18 12:02:01 2003

Bruce,

Don't know how you are thinking of guiding the ram but how about cutting
(burning) the rail head from the required length of railroad rail.  This
steel is very similar to a 1080 steel and can be heat treated if you want or
even just flame harden the working end.  I know it is not round or square
but it is very damn good steel.  You could then also cut up the web and base
of the rail to make treadle hammer tooling.  Should not be too hard for
folks to scrounge scrap railroad rail.  Now about using another length of
rail for the anvil?  (No need to remove the web and base for the anvil.)

Dave Smucker

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Freeman" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 10:52 AM
Subject: [TheForge] Suggestions needed for scroungeable steel

> I'm designing another treadle hammer, a lightweight job.  I want the ram
> to be 20#.  What would be ideal is square or roundstock of about 2
> sq.in. in cross-section (i.e., 2" square or 2.25" round) and about 18"
> long.
>
> Ideally, the material would be suitable for use as a hammer, with
> ordinary hardening & tempering.  Exotic materials not needed, but mild
> steel wouldn't be appropriate unless faced with tool steel (a
> possibility I'd prefer to avoid).
>
> Since I prefer to design in scroungeable materials, I could use some
> suggestions as to sources of such steel.  The truck axles I've seen are
> of smaller diameter than this (though I've seen tractors with axles of
> 3" dia.).  Track pins seem to be shorter than this - like 8" or so.
> Anyone have any other suggestions - preferably of materials you'd have
> no particular trouble scrounging yourself?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Bruce
> NJ
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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