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That folding drawknife handle loving owns, I need to make one of those. Also hi thread, long time no see. Love the new title.
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Nov 23, 2023 23:21
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Hey! How's the homestead? Done any blacksmithing lately?
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Nov 28, 2023 19:40
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double posting to ask https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF9Eo73o9-k what on earth?
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Nov 28, 2023 21:10
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Is it actually possible to weld successfully with a car battery? I'd guess that if it was just a bare battery, you'd kill it pretty quick, but if the battery was in a car and the engine running (and presumably revved up a fair bit), would it actually work? I mean work to the point that you'd actually be able to fuse two parts together successfully if not particularly nice looking.
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Dec 5, 2023 01:50
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Yes, you can weld with car batteries. It's the farmer's field weld special. You'll need to have flux of some kind, so stick welding is the best option. You want to weld DC- meaning you connect the positive to the part and put the stick in the negative. Connecting multiple batteries in series is best, at least two. You don't want them connected to the car harness at all, much less a running car, because you will probably blow fuses in the car as soon as you create the short circuit via the arc and if you don't blow fuses you'll risk damaging sensitive components. Here's an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHPXGd0rcMU e. I have no idea how fast this drains the batteries but I imagine you could easily drain one past the point it can still start your car in just a couple minutes of welding, especially if you're trying with just one battery. The video above seems to think 2 batteries gets you the best heat level for welding mild steel, if you go to 3 it might be a bit hot? Not sure. Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 02:27 on Dec 5, 2023 |
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Dec 5, 2023 02:24
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Leperflesh posted:Yes, you can weld with car batteries. It's the farmer's field weld special. You'll need to have flux of some kind, so stick welding is the best option. You want to weld DC- meaning you connect the positive to the part and put the stick in the negative. Thanks I'll take a look at that vid.
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Dec 5, 2023 02:40
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Leperflesh posted:Yes, you can weld with car batteries. It's the farmer's field weld special. You'll need to have flux of some kind, so stick welding is the best option. You want to weld DC- meaning you connect the positive to the part and put the stick in the negative. Why would it matter which way the current is flowing?
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Dec 5, 2023 04:38
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It changes the arc and how the metal accumulates and flows and leads to different results if its positive and negative. When you're welding aluminum you actually use AC, half the cycle adds heat and half the cycle cleans. Its not actually half and half cuz you bias the waveform but the positive and negative do different things.
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Dec 5, 2023 05:45
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Polarity in welding: a beginner's guide, by Universal Technical Institute, aka Urinary Tract Infection is a nice short intro. I'm not enough of a welder to know the whys, at this point I'm following instructions closely and hoping for the best; the guy in the video says weld electrode negative, so that's what I recommended. I have never stick welded. I've dabbled a little with oxyfuel, tig, and mig. Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 17:53 on Dec 5, 2023 |
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Dec 5, 2023 17:48
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Thanks for the replies. I had never considered that the polarity would make a difference, but then again, my experience in welding is a 4 hour night course at the high school taught by a one of the HS teachers who I'm pretty sure also had zero welding experience.
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Dec 5, 2023 20:21
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wesleywillis posted:Is it actually possible to weld successfully with a car battery? the last wrench I accidentally shorted across terminals says yes
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Dec 5, 2023 20:30
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I got a pair of these holdfasts with a really nice fine but rough matt black finish to them. Do you know of a way to achieve something similar on plain mild steel tube? Doesn't have to be exact, but something like it? It'll need to be a little robust, for curtain rods and balusters and such, but I won't be hitting them with a hammer like with the holdfasts.
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Dec 11, 2023 20:57
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Jaded Burnout posted:I got a pair of these holdfasts with a really nice fine but rough matt black finish to them. Do you know of a way to achieve something similar on plain mild steel tube? Doesn't have to be exact, but something like it? Aluminum Oxide blast, 46 Grit. You could do grit steel blast too. Steel shot would be too round for this and would just peen it.
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Dec 11, 2023 21:15
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How would one go about making a square hole in a piece of steel if they do not have any broaching or other similar equipment? Am I stuck drilling a hole and filing the corners in it?
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Dec 12, 2023 00:35
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how thick is the steel, and how big is the hole?
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Dec 12, 2023 01:18
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The whole piece is probabl something like 3/4" x 1.5" Steel probably 1/8" thick. Hole roughly 3/8" square. All measurements approximate as the piece has been missing for a while. There are others I'll be able to look at for exact measurements but I won't be able to see them till tomorrow.
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Dec 12, 2023 01:31
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How many holes? Just file it
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Dec 12, 2023 01:32
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Kinda related, can you use a rotary broach in a drill press? I’ve only ever seen them on lathes and mills, but intuitively I can’t really see why not.
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Dec 12, 2023 02:51
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wesleywillis posted:How would one go about making a square hole in a piece of steel if they do not have any broaching or other similar equipment? use your waterjet or laser cutter.
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Dec 12, 2023 04:52
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Yooper posted:Aluminum Oxide blast, 46 Grit. You could do grit steel blast too. Steel shot would be too round for this and would just peen it. Are there any options that are more DIY friendly? Like spraypaints or etching maybe?
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Dec 12, 2023 13:32
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Jaded Burnout posted:Are there any options that are more DIY friendly? Like spraypaints or etching maybe? https://www.gripworks.com/plastisol-coating.html There are some plastisol's with a "grip" like texture. Think quality tool handle. Maybe a powder coat or paint with a similar texture?
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Dec 12, 2023 13:37
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Jaded Burnout posted:I got a pair of these holdfasts with a really nice fine but rough matt black finish to them. Do you know of a way to achieve something similar on plain mild steel tube? Doesn't have to be exact, but something like it? This looks like Parkerization and is moderately easy to do at home with steel parts. Downside is you have to be able to completely submerge your part in near-boiling liquid, so it's not so great for curtain rods or ballusters, since the tank situation is difficult. Jaded Burnout posted:Are there any options that are more DIY friendly? Like spraypaints or etching maybe? Rustoleum "Hammered" finish looks pretty good and is reasonably durable. Hammered Black works out best, but I've seen Hammered White with matte-black epoxy overcoat and that has a finish very similar to your holdfasts.
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Dec 12, 2023 14:26
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Nice, thanks all. I'm trying to avoid anything that requires infrastructure, but a couple of those sound like great suggestions. If they fail I'll find a durable matt black spray and that'll do well enough. I might look into Parkerisation when it comes time to do the balusters since they'll be more up close and also shorter. Cheers!
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Dec 12, 2023 14:59
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ante posted:How many holes? Just one. That's what I was figuring to do. Drill a slightly smaller sized hole and file out the flats and corners but hoping there was that one weird truck the bug square hole doesn't want you to know
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Dec 12, 2023 18:12
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a blacksmith might drive a square drift through a piece but this is a very small piece and small hole and there's no way lol chiseling for very thin material is another option but again this isn't really an option for your size and shape either if you needed a hundred of them a wire EDM outfit might do it I suppose but you just need 1
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Dec 12, 2023 18:19
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wesleywillis posted:Just one. if your design permits it this will be a lot easier if you drill some relief holes centered on where the corners should be.
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Dec 12, 2023 20:12
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I'm looking for some high quality needle files to replace the cheap ones I've had forever that have always kind of sucked. What are some good brands these days, and where should I buy them to make sure I get real ones? So many knockoffs of tools on Amazon. I'm considering just buying a bunch of used Nicholson or Grobet ones from eBay and seeing what I get. I only really need a flat, a square, a round, and a triangle, but sets are ok too
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Dec 16, 2023 19:12
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Grobet/Vallorbe are the tits when it comes to (needle) files. I'm not in the US, so I can't recommend any specific companies, but buying from a place listed on their dealer page ought to get you the real deal.
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Dec 16, 2023 21:04
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Pferd.
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Dec 16, 2023 21:45
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Same question but slip stones.
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Dec 16, 2023 22:45
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I thought this was very interesting. Don't want to get into Ukraine war discussion here but the manufacturering/marketing aspect is fascinating. My guess is that this is domestic 1/8" flat bar stock, about 2 inches long, from the hardware store with the mill scale removed and then laser etched and sealed  I doubt their website metrics are real but 1.6k buys at $16 ea (didn't check the shipping) would be something like $25k in revenue. My local yard charges about a dollar per foot for 1/8" x 1" bar stock Edit: I should do this for aluminum, but with the significantly less morally ambiguous Russian Buran "space shuttle" Hadlock fucked around with this message at 00:02 on Dec 17, 2023 |
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Dec 17, 2023 00:00
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I may not be in the right area but I figured a bunch of metal goons either know or could point me in the right direction. I’m getting a walk in squat rack secondhand from a friend, it has fixed safeties and no J hooks or hole spacing. It’s one of the racks you’ll see at commercial gyms that isn’t a power cage so it’s as bare bones as you get really. I intend on using it as an outdoor rack for training and I would like to do my relative best at weatherproofing it. For my home, I can’t put it under a roof or inside but I would put it on horse stall mats so it’s off the grass and dirt and could cover it with a tarp or something to keep it from being literally rained on. I do live in Florida and I would like to try and coat this thing in something to protect it from dying instantly with the humidity. Also, what ways would y’all suggest on removing any surface rust in the event it has any?
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Dec 18, 2023 21:33
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Post a pic of this thing (I'm imagining some medieval torture device). What's the finish? Is it plated, powder coated, painted, etc? Do you need to protect the insides of hollow tubes? Are you right on the FL coast where salt is a factor? In terms of broad strategy, I would look to the automotive repair market for applicable paints, rust treatment, and other products. e: and closeup pics of the welds, which is probably where trouble will start ryanrs fucked around with this message at 08:59 on Dec 20, 2023 |
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Dec 20, 2023 08:32
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Cobra Commander posted:I may not be in the right area but I figured a bunch of metal goons either know or could point me in the right direction. Best life would involve sand blasting the whole works, paint it with an etching primer, and follow up with some good quality paint. Think epoxy or enamel. Another option is to use spray can Rustoleum etching primer followed by a gloss top coat. It won't be perfect, but it'll probably be fine.
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Dec 20, 2023 14:26
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ryanrs posted:Post a pic of this thing (I'm imagining some medieval torture device). Yooper thanks for the info that all sounds logical enough and likely the course I will need to follow. Currently phone posting and I don’t have the rack just yet and while this isn’t the exact rack, this is a reasonable facsimile of the type of rack. https://www.pullumsports.co.uk/products/pullum-pro-r-walk-in-squat-rack-with-storage-pins To the best of my knowledge I believe the rack I will get it’s painted and may have chipped off in some spots. I’m not directly on the coast so salt isn’t a likely to be a concern. I’m inland about 15-20 miles. Any hollow parts are sealed as the safeties don’t move and the rack does not have any adjustable parts. Just need to assemble it so those points like the bolts and such will need attention. Of course this rack will come into contact with a barbell and other metal so finishes will chip off and the sun will wear coatings down so I will need to reapply whatever it is periodically, so that’s understood.
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Dec 20, 2023 17:18
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yeah the biggest issue will be if water gets inside the tubes. If you can keep them all well sealed then you can probably get away with a clearcoat finish on top of whatever is there as a sealant, and refresh that finish regularly. Inspect the wear points and corners carefully and if there's already any rust, sand or grind to remove paint around the rust spot so you'll fully expose it, apply a rust-converting primer, and then paint on top of that. The topcoat can be clear or you can try to match the color with paint and then a clearcoat on top of that. Automotive clearcoat protects the paint from both wear and UV exposure. If your rack is actually powder-coated, neither may be necessary, but it'll still be a good idea to apply on top of any spots where you had to expose metal and then apply normal paint to deal with rust or chips. You can buy both the rust converting primer and the clearcoat in spray cans for ease of application. Regardless, I think leaving the rack outside will shorten its life considerably. But if it's inexpensive and keeps you in shape, having it only last 20 years instead of a lifetime is probably still a good deal, right? Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Dec 20, 2023 |
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Dec 20, 2023 19:19
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Thank y’all very much for the insight and suggestions. I am ok with the life of the rack being shortened, even considerably. This isn’t intended to be the one rack I use forever. I’m going blind so I can’t make it out to my local gym reasonably, so making a gym in my backyard is high on my priority list. I dabble in bodybuilding, powerlifting, and strongman, well I want to dabble in strongman. This rack is cheap enough from a friend because they are upgrading to a more useful rack. I don’t have a garage (yet?), but I have a large enough backyard that I can do a lot of stuff. I may get some sort of covered roof, awning, or gazebo contraption to cover the rack, so it wont really just exist in the rain day in and day out for long and I’ll cover it as well. If I wanted to support a local metal maniac and have them fabricate a rack with such and such specifications would they use a quality grade of stainless steel if it was going to exist outside 24/7? Eventually I’ll get rid of this initial rack for something I really want and need, and it would be cool to support someone and get a custom monstrosity.
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Dec 20, 2023 22:20
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I gotta wonder if covering it with a tarp will be worse than just letting it get rained on? The ground will be wet so your tarp tent will be a 100% humidity greenhouse. This just might be my innate laziness speaking, but I wouldn't even cover it. Stainless is really expensive, both in material and in labor. TIG welded stainless vs MIG welded carbon steel will see the price go up by multiples. I think a metal fabricator is more likely to offer powder coating or maybe plating. Powder coating is cheap and tough and looks decent. Scratches will show rust, so touch it up with paint. Hot dip galvanizing would cost more, but have 50+ year durability sitting outside.
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Dec 22, 2023 08:01
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Look at the construction on those outdoor urban gym things that pop up around beaches and boardwalks. They're just plain carbon steel, three times the wall thickness you'd see in any other gym equipment, with a really thick and tough powder coating. Works fine even in the seaside environment. Comedy option: plain steel, don't coat it with anything, and wire it up to a sacrificial anode driven into the ground. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 08:22 on Dec 22, 2023 |
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Dec 22, 2023 08:20
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Isn’t this what cor-ten is for?
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Dec 22, 2023 13:09
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