[TheForge] Suggestions needed for scroungeable steel

Thu Nov 20 02:31:02 2003

Hi Bruce;
I did something similar on my TH. The main shaft is a stout old wagon 
axle with a 9"X7"X5" block of  steel welded on the end for the hammer 
face, with a few gussets for luck. I used  as-welded scraperblade for 
the face layer. The heavy welds drew most of the temper out of the face 
and that seems just about right.
I wanted toughness, not hardness.
I'm sure that A36 in a 2 sq." section , hardened with GSQ ought to be 
just fine.
If you can cheat the angle on your THstamps, you have a more versitile 
tool.
Even though I work at the edges frequently, mushrooming hasn't been a 
problem. It's about 90# falling weight and has laid down a lot of swats 
thus far...Pete F

Bruce Freeman wrote:

>Pete,
>This particular TH will be quite simple.  The ram face IS the hammer
>face.  No upper tooling.  Hence it needs to be hard enough not to
>mushroom when it strikes a tool.  I expect to harden and temper it like
>an ordinary hammer face.
>Bruce
>NJ
>
>  
>
>>>>[email protected] 11/18/2003 11:33:20 PM >>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>
>Bruce:
>I'd respectfully argue that a hard face on a treadle hammer is not 
>desirable. A softer face will "stick" to a struck tool allowing greater
>
>latitude in alignment. With a hard face, more struck tools go flying to
>
>mysterious locations where they hide for years.    Pete F
>
>Bruce Freeman wrote:
>
>  
>
>>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
>>    
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>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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