[TheForge] Suggestions needed for scroungeable steel

Tue Nov 18 13:50:01 2003

Dave,
Damned good idea.  Thanks.  That's exactly the kind of inspiration I
was looking for.  Don't know why I didn't think of it myself!  (Probably
because I was thinking "round or square or MAYBE octagonal"!)
Bruce

>>> [email protected] 11/18/2003 11:58:11 AM >>>

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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