[TheForge] ranite hardfacing rods

[Jerry Frost]

>From: "Jeffrey Polaski" <jeff.polaski at rgs.uci.edu>
>

>
>Oh, as far as grinding goes, you'll probably want to 
>use a 7" or a 9"
>grinder. Good hardfacing, especially the wear 
>resistant kind, takes a
>shockingly long time to grind through.
>
>
>Jeff Polaski


Actually good hardfacing is APPALLINGLY difficult to 
grind. . .  When it's cold.

If you weld a section, say 1" wide across the face and 
grind it immediately while it's still at red or hotter, 
it'll grind much easier. (Observe the previous pre and 
post heat advice! I'm just not going to repeat it.)

You'll need cup stones, disks will just burn up, and 
it'll be rough ground but it'll save you a LOT of work. 
You'll also have to work quickly, making a pass or two 
then grinding relatively smooth.

However.

What I'd do IF the anvil were swayed badly enough to 
need rebuilding would depend on a couple variables:

First being how badly swayed it is. 1/4" over the 
length of the face is, in my book, just fine. The worst 
I've used was swayed just over 3/4" and posed no real 
problems. Sure it took a little (and I mean LITTLE) 
extra effort straightening work but that's about it. 
Admitedly the face was smooth if not flat.

Secondly is how much face plate there is to work with. 
If there's 3/4" of meat to work with and I just had to 
have a flat face I'd have it surface ground.

If there was less than 1/2" left and I had to have a 
flat face I'd consider using one of the hard buildup 
rods intended for use under hardfacing in high impact 
situations. For example the buildup rod used in cyclone 
crushers and what I used on drill bits.

There's no good or even defensible bad reason to use an 
abrasion resistant rod on an anvil face, you're NOT 
going to crush rocks on it or drag it behind your truck 
afterall. What an anvil needs is impact resistance and 
this is exactly what hardface buildup rod provides.

Buildup rods are intended to provide a non flexible 
impact resistant bed to support hardfacing. If the 
steel under hardfacing flexes the hardfacing will check 
then spall, shatter or just fall off.

This is the example they gave us at the hardfacing 
school. Lay a piece of window glass on a smooth clean 
desk top and press on it, get up and stand on it and it 
won't break. Then lay the same piece on a piece of foam 
rubber and press in the center and watch it shatter.

For buildup, rods like 7018 act like foam rubber under 
the hardfacing so you need the purpose designed 
hardfacing buildup rod to avoid flex.

The buildup rods I've used ran very much like 7024 Jet 
rod. It laid down a low, wide (relatively) smooth bead 
and grinds about like hardened 5160 spring steel but 
not as hard as 1080-90 RR rail face.

It's been more than 10 years since I used the stuff and 
I can't recall the designation but will see if I can 
find someone at the welding supplier who knows. I used 
to know all those guys pretty well but they've retired 
since I left the drill crew.

Lastly, if there were less than 1/4" of faceplate left 
and I couldn't retire the anvil I'd consider forge 
welding on a new face. This isn't an easy proposition 
and there is a real probability of destroying the anvil 
in the attempt. It's not like there are anvil smiths 
available who make their living making and repairing 
anvils anymore. <sigh>

Whatever method I used I would NOT hardface it.

Frosty
-------------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.

http://www.artmetalradio.com/