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Oh dope, another electroformer. I put it down a while back because i didn’t like loving with the acid copper bath in my unventilated living room but it’s cool stuff. afaik you actually can directly plate brass onto stuff by using brass metal as the sacrificial anode, don’t quote me on that but i recall base alloy plating being fairly routine when reading industry scuttlebutt. also if you wanna do really cool stuff with electroforming, get some low-melting alloys for electroforming mandrels- they cast into molds at very low temperatures, they’re inherently conductive so you can plate onto them without any intermediary conductive layer like silver paint, and best of all you can just melt the alloy out of the copper formed object afterwards, leaving you with an extremely thin-walled and delicate holloware copper form of almost any shape or level of detail. electroforming over melt-away metal mandrels allows you to make some seriously intricate + delicate hollow forms of a sort you can’t fabricate with any other technique. it’s one way to make heat pipes to any configuration you require without needing any dedicated tooling, or you can backfill the copper forms with other materials like incompressible mineral-filled epoxy resins or stronger tooling alloys to produce very durable yet cheap and accessible metal forming press tools. those are my main interests, anyhow. i’ve also seen people use this approach to make very particular/fine-tuned antennas and RF components that need very specific geometries to work correctly and are difficult to make any other way, but i’ve never hosed with that.
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Dec 11, 2021 07:25
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I was TIG welding some mild steel tube together last night and had a problem I've never had before, sudden large blowouts/holes in an otherwise stable weld. I'd be going along like normal running a bead and all of a sudden the arc would turn green like it picked up some contamination and a hole would start to form and suddenly run back along the bead like 1/2" without warning, no popping or spitting, just like the bead suddenly wicked back on itself and took a bunch of metal with it. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? Tube was pretty clean and I didn't think I was contaminating my electrode but I was working in a different position/torch orientation than I usually do. This was on both butt joints and inside corner joints.
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Dec 16, 2021 19:03
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Was it closing a sealed tube? I've had the last bit of weld blow out / contaminate from escaping pressure at the end. I've also gotten argon with I think moisture in it that drove me mad with inconsistency. Did you swap tanks recently?
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Dec 16, 2021 21:28
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Tubes were all open, and this started happening halfway through the welding session so I don't think it was a gas issue, though I recently had problems with too much gas flow leading to random contamination and spitting. At this point I'm kind of thinking it was coolant from the cold saw that had dried in the tube or something, I couldn't fully wipe the inside of the tubes out so maybe thats it? It ended up being good hole filling practice though.
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Dec 16, 2021 21:47
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My gas issue was intermittent enough I didn't solve it until after replacing my torch, the tube/cable thing that connects it, my ground, and giving the welder a tuneup. It would weld great, go to poo poo, id fiddle with the welder, welds fine again for a while. Check the date stamp on your tank. Guy at the welding shop said it can be an issue when they fill a new tank. I have no idea if mine was new or not.
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Dec 17, 2021 01:06
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meowmeowmeowmeow posted:Tubes were all open, and this started happening halfway through the welding session so I don't think it was a gas issue, though I recently had problems with too much gas flow leading to random contamination and spitting. At this point I'm kind of thinking it was coolant from the cold saw that had dried in the tube or something, I couldn't fully wipe the inside of the tubes out so maybe thats it? Magnetized work? I have had this more with stick welding when doing multi pass welds. The weld current can magnetize the work and you get really weird arc and puddle behavior. I have heard this referred to as arc blow. Fix is to run AC for a bit or reverse the direction of the weld. Sometime peening the weld while it is hot can help as well.
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Dec 17, 2021 04:52
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The blacksmith at my local maker space was looking to re-condition an old 200lb anvil. The anvil has a steel face over a wrought iron base that was forged together. The steel top layer was worn through in places and the face was badly crowned. I volunteered to mill it flat on my CNC so that a new face can be welded on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fNQw3LNJa0 Went though a few inserts doing this as the cut passed through a combination of hard high carbon steel, wrought iron, and slag/flux at the interface layer. Cut beautifully when the inserts were new but as soon as one chipped, there was a light show.
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Dec 19, 2021 20:56
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meowmeowmeowmeow posted:I was TIG welding some mild steel tube together last night and had a problem I've never had before, sudden large blowouts/holes in an otherwise stable weld. I'd be going along like normal running a bead and all of a sudden the arc would turn green like it picked up some contamination and a hole would start to form and suddenly run back along the bead like 1/2" without warning, no popping or spitting, just like the bead suddenly wicked back on itself and took a bunch of metal with it. Agree with others it sounds like a gas issue.
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Dec 20, 2021 18:27
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Thanks for the advice, checked the tank and it's a new fill from the gas store but no one else is running into this issue, it's a shared setup at the shop. I've been running mostly test coupons on smaller pieces of material and as I'm not worried about warping I've been just banging out welds without letting stuff cool, one of the guys at the shop said I might just be overheating the whole piece and eventually weird stuff happens when it all gets hot enough.
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Dec 20, 2021 19:11
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ZincBoy posted:The blacksmith at my local maker space was looking to re-condition an old 200lb anvil. The anvil has a steel face over a wrought iron base that was forged together. The steel top layer was worn through in places and the face was badly crowned. I volunteered to mill it flat on my CNC so that a new face can be welded on. That is very satisfying
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Dec 20, 2021 19:47
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I'm putting a fair number of weld nuts into one side of rectangular tubing and it's causing it to bow pretty good, I'm letting each area cool before doing the next. Any ways to reduce bowing? All I can think of is clamping it to my welding table, but seems like the bow would just spring in after it's released? It's not a major issue, just wondering if there's a truck I'm missing.
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Dec 28, 2021 00:44
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meowmeowmeowmeow posted:I'm putting a fair number of weld nuts into one side of rectangular tubing and it's causing it to bow pretty good, I'm letting each area cool before doing the next. Any ways to reduce bowing? All I can think of is clamping it to my welding table, but seems like the bow would just spring in after it's released? There are a few options to try to mitigate bowing. Clamping the part flat helps. Reducing fitup gaps if your material thickness is low enough can also help because there is less space for weld metal to fill then subsequently shrink together. The best but also most difficult option is to compensate the warping by clamping it or moving it the opposite direction. For example, when you weld a T joint, you might, instead of tacking it at 90 degrees, leave it more obtuse becuase you expect the weld to pull it a few degrees tighter. For your situation i'd try putting some shims under the tube in the middle and then clamp the ends down to create a counter-bow in the tubing. Weld while clamped, let cool, release praying you estimated right.
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Dec 28, 2021 09:17
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Utilizing a thousand dollars worth of precision machinery and countless hours, I have accomplished a feat most astonishing: reducing a small bit of steel rod to a slightly smaller bit of steel rod 
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Dec 29, 2021 01:20
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Bad Munki posted:Utilizing a thousand dollars worth of precision machinery and countless hours, I have accomplished a feat most astonishing: reducing a small bit of steel rod to a slightly smaller bit of steel rod Feels great doesn't it? One time I used my 5 axis at work to put 5 holes in a rectangle so I didn't have to buy it from someone else for $100. 
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Dec 29, 2021 01:43
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honda whisperer posted:Feels great doesn't it? A friend of mine had to make a few dozen small (1" x 1" x 2") delrin widgets for something at work. She priced them out with local shops, and even in that quantity, they were several hundred dollars apiece. She made some workholding for the 2 setups and ran the job on her taig mill at home. It took her maybe 2 days of work all told, at a consumables cost of a single widget at the quoted price.
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Dec 29, 2021 02:50
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Bought a new sauna heater It heats the underside of the floor pretty well, which is tile. I am worried it might hurt the tiles and also the water membrane underneath (though this area is pretty dry), but a commercial floor plate was like 130-170 euros, which is a lot for sheet metal and four feet. I was considering just placing a bunch of garden stones on the floor, but I had all the parts in my garage to make a metal one, aside from the four feet. Just tack welded some square tubing in three places to stiffen it up and painted it with heat resistant paint.  
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Dec 29, 2021 10:23
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Made a vertical hook rack for a belated Christmas gift over the long weekend and I thought it turned out nice! 
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Dec 29, 2021 15:01
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Any recommendations for completely getting rid of mill scale? I have a 3/8” thick 18x26 piece of steel, I need it to be absolutely spotless, both sides. I don’t want to ruin the flatness of the surface, so grinding or flapper disc is out. I read that vinegar will do it, but it’s a bit large for a bath, so I laid paper towels on it and soaked them, but after a couple hours, I can’t really tell that anything has changed. I started to attack it with a sander and 60 grit, and that works, technically, but it’ll take an absurd amount of time to get it all off. Is there a better approach here that I should know about? Does naval jelly work on this stuff? A stronger acid? Find a way to actually do the vinegar bath and also be more patient?
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Dec 31, 2021 03:28
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What about a grinder with a cup brush on it? One like this with the twisted bristles might do the trick. The bristles are stiff as gently caress when they're twisted like that. https://www.amazon.ca/Forney-72757-...567404943&psc=1
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Dec 31, 2021 04:36
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Brushed mild steel has such a nice look to it, that said I'm not sure how well it removes millscale on its own.
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Dec 31, 2021 04:46
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I tried a brass bristle cup brush on my drill, it did a whole lot of nothing. I guess I’m gonna let my vinegar-soaked paper towels sit for the night, if that doesn’t do any more, I’ll try a steel wire brush of some sort, thanks.
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Dec 31, 2021 04:49
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Bad Munki posted:I tried a brass bristle cup brush on my drill, it did a whole lot of nothing. I guess I’m gonna let my vinegar-soaked paper towels sit for the night, if that doesn’t do any more, I’ll try a steel wire brush of some sort, thanks. Twisted, steel wire cup wheel on an angle grinder is vastly different tool than brass wheel on a drill, so don’t discount it just because your drill didn’t do much. It’s probably the best option for mechanically removing the scale short of a needle scaler. No idea if there is a way to do it chemically. E: google says muriatic acid is stronger than vinegar and works better? Should be available in the concrete section. Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 05:10 on Dec 31, 2021 |
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Dec 31, 2021 05:07
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The biggest issue with the bath is the awkwardness of the thing, finding a flat container I can lay it down in. Wouldn’t even need all that much acid, be it vinegar or something meaner, it’s just a large footprint. Anyhow, looks like I have a couple options to try, will post a trip report one way or another. e: Actually, wife had a really good point about the bath just now. A frame of a few 2x4s on the ground with a plastic sheet draped over is all I need. Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 05:32 on Dec 31, 2021 |
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Dec 31, 2021 05:23
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Bad Munki posted:Any recommendations for completely getting rid of mill scale? If the mill scale is a thin, even, flat patina of oxidation, I'd wash it with soap and water (oils and all), dry it, then hit it with rust remover jelly (the kind with phosphoric & gluconic acids). Only thing is the rust remover may leave a thin phosphate coating on the surface which will unevenly darken the steel if you leave it on too long. Muriatic acid would certainly remove the scale, but it's hazardous and can cause pitting corrosion. This was my first choice for de-rusting a tiny anvil a few months back, but I took one look at the container they sell at HD and realized I would not be able to handle or store it safely. The fact that it was stacked on a smashed pallet with containers falling off and a few obviously spilled did not inspire confidence either.
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Dec 31, 2021 09:51
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Even a really aggressive wire wheel on an angle grinder won't remove any significant amount of mill scale. It'll polish most of it and strip off the loose stuff, but that's all. Muriatic works as a direct application with some rags keeping it wet, but it's a lot nastier than vinegar (which imo is the best option and sounds like that's your plan, the plastic sheet and some blocking is what I've done for bigger stuff). For physically removing it, 3m bristle discs work extremely well. Just have to avoid hitting sharp ends/corners as it'll knock off the teeth. https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40064937/
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Dec 31, 2021 15:07
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Bad Munki posted:Any recommendations for completely getting rid of mill scale? See 7:42 if the link doesn't take you right there. He does pretty much exactly what you are looking to do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj_XeepJvlE&t=462s
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Dec 31, 2021 16:13
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Patience was, as always, the key. Left it like this on my way to bed last night: After a quick wipe down this morning, it looked like this:  Still some thick, persistent chunks, but most of it slipped right off in chips of varying sizes, very satisfying, and the remaining bits I’m content to go back to my previous mechanical methods, since that’ll be part of the process anyhow. After working through various grits to what’s surely good enough for my purposes, I’m pretty satisfied.  Now on to side 2…which I recognize I should have done the bath on before putting in the extra cleanup effort, but I just had to know how it was going to turn out, even if I have to go back and repeat some of the process.
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Dec 31, 2021 16:50
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As stated, I’m still doing the backside, and I was going to just do the paper towel thing overnight again, but we got snow coming and my wife has to go in to work at 5AM, so I need to clear this out of her side of the garage. Which also nixes the 2x4 tub frame on the floor. And then I realized the box my air filters just came in is perfect, and the basement bathroom is unused now that everyone has left post-holiday. Perfect! Also, Lowe’s carries 30% vinegar instead of the 5% I had on hand before. Perfect. Bathroom fan should vent any noxious odors as needed.  Off we go!  Update: well that worked incredibly well:  Good to know! Is it worth filtering/reclaiming the used vinegar here? It was basically a gallon. Mostly just wondering how much potency it likely lost during this process. Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 17:12 on Jan 1, 2022 |
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Jan 1, 2022 01:15
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That looks really good. I didn't know vinegar came in percentages? Is this going to be a baking steel?
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Jan 5, 2022 02:15
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Bad Munki posted:Is it worth filtering/reclaiming the used vinegar here? It was basically a gallon. Mostly just wondering how much potency it likely lost during this process. I'm sure it's nearly as good as new. I'd pour it through a coffee filter or something and save it for another project.
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Jan 5, 2022 02:40
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You can reuse it a few times, especially if you're only using it for removing millscale. I filter it out slightly through a rag to keep it from being super gross. I don't know if it eventually breaks down, but after 3-4 uses it seems to work a lot slower. e:fb
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Jan 5, 2022 02:42
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A Proper Uppercut posted:That looks really good. I didn't know vinegar came in percentages? The higher potency ones wont be at your grocer. You can find high percentage horticultural vinegar at some garden centers. Decent alternative for killin weeds and grass that isnt round up.
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Jan 5, 2022 04:00
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A Proper Uppercut posted:That looks really good. I didn't know vinegar came in percentages? Yup! Made to fit the grill just the way I want, and the oven. Bad Munki fucked around with this message at 08:32 on Jan 5, 2022 |
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Jan 5, 2022 08:28
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uguu posted:I'd like to make an earring. I made something with PMC, as per Trabant's suggestion, with some help from a local silversmith. The clay broke a couple of times unfortunately, so it had to be soldered back together and it doesn't fit quite right. But I can probably bend it into shape when I get home and have a vise. Pretty happy with it all in all. uguu fucked around with this message at 13:19 on Jan 5, 2022 |
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Jan 5, 2022 13:15
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Forgive my hair, please.
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Jan 5, 2022 13:20
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I'm working on (among a jillion other little projects) restoring an iron post leg vise right now, via a combination of wire brush on the angle grinder and evapo-rust. I have a few questions for the much more knowledgeable people in the thread: 1) The evapo-rust has gotten all parts except the sliding handle to come loose within the screw, which is still resisting my various gentle hammer taps (I'm paranoid of shattering it or, even worse, the screw, so I'm just dropping hammer weight). I'm giving it another dedicated soak right now for another day or two, but if I can't get it to come loose after that, do I have any other options or should I just consider it permanently seized and resort to cutting/drilling etc? 2) Once I fastidiously remove every little flake or spot of rust, what should I coat this thing with to prevent it from just re-rusting? What are my short-term and long-term solutions? E.g. can i just rub it down with vegetable oil for now and then set it aside to spray it with enamel come warmer weather? 3) Exactly what type of lubricant should I be using on the moving parts?
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Jan 6, 2022 20:50
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CommonShore posted:I'm working on (among a jillion other little projects) restoring an iron post leg vise right now, via a combination of wire brush on the angle grinder and evapo-rust. I have a few questions for the much more knowledgeable people in the thread: 1. Heat. Think propane torch, doesn't have to be crazy hot. Just enough to get it to expand-contract and break free. 2. Oil, Boeshield, or even a Rustoleum paint. I'd use a mineral oil and not veggie oil, less likely to get weird tackiness. 3. Grease.
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Jan 6, 2022 22:09
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When I renovated an old post vise in what sounds like a similar condition to yours, I ended up having to replace the cross handle on the screw because someone had clearly used a hammer to tighten or loosen it multiple times in the past. It was bent and dinged up enough that trying to get it to slide back and forth was far more work than replacing it with a piece of 1/2" round stock with a threaded cap on either end. I used high-temp rustoleum on the leg and other parts I wasn't going to be subjecting to wear. High-wear spots were heated a bit with a torch then dunked in "quenching oil" (aka, old motor oil) to get a reasonably durable finish. Actual moving parts like the screw got a light coat of lithium grease, which was 1000% overkill--it made it 100+ years without and my hobby use isn't ever going to be more than a fraction of what it has already seen.
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Jan 6, 2022 22:29
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ah yes to all. Thanks! I might even still have enough mineral oil laying around to finish the boyo off. e. last question if I spray the thing down with e.g. rustoleum what do I do in the longer run to protect the surfaces that can't be painted e.g. the jaws? Just keep them oiled?
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Jan 6, 2022 22:59
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The oil-quenched finish was sufficient for my needs. If you're using it regularly it won't matter. If you want to put a light coat of oil on parts if it is going to sit unused for a while, it won't hurt anything. Just don't put so much on that the next time you put something hot in the jaws that it turns into a torch.
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Jan 6, 2022 23:29
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