/Metallurgy/ - Casting, Forging, Metallurgy, Metals, and Machining #8:Phase Diagram Edition

[Anonymous No.2477759]

Last Thread: >>2420799

Question: Can we theory-craft a sustainable affordable method for smelting of high temperature metals without excessive energy consumption?

Also post some of the wackiest phase diagrams you've seen.

[Anonymous No.2477769]

>>2477759
Damn, perfect timing
Extreme /diy/ newfag here, please excuse my technical illiteracy. Or rip me a new one, whatever’s more helpful
My problem: I’ve got an inherited platinum ring my wife wants to cannibalize for the diamonds (as it’s in pretty awful shape), and with me being the fiscally and emotionally stingy individual I am, I’m looking to re-cast the resultant scrap into a band for myself. Issue is, it looks like it was “repaired” some years ago—someone gold-soldered it in two or three places. As a result, the jeweler I brought it to essentially told me it’s unsalvageable. Obviously gold solder has various other impurities, but I’m skeptical of his assessment; surely there’s got to be a way to alloy these and maintain structural viability. Anybody have any ideas as for going about this? And if so, should I go to somebody other than a jeweler for this?

[Anonymous No.2477821]

>>2477769
I would get a pair of hardened wire strippers and cut out the part that has Au in it. Use wirestrippers to break the diamonds out of the ring and make sure you dont loose the pieces.

You will need an induction furnace and a crucible, check what you can use (zirconia, alumina, and graphite are common). Heat the metal in the crucible then pour it into a thin wire. Work the wire into the shape you want then heat to melt accordingly.

[None !!9o3qM2cPDWV No.2477881]

checkin in. pardon the trip but I think it'll be useful. I had a good evening the other day with my king-of-random blast furnace. I melted aluminum over lump charcoal with a hairdryer in a silicon-graphite crucible. I made 2 ingots one run, and two more the next. I attempted a carbothermal reduction of ferrous oxide in a cermaic crucible I bought for $1 at goodwill, and another attempt in a glass crucible from goodwill. The ceramic crucible cracked, and the glass crucible melted, but didn't crack, but I didn't get a reduction. I cooked some pork chops and I beat on a railroad spike for a while until I ran out of charcoal. It was all really retarded and a lot of fun. I did it for like 6 hours. It was really hard work, really, and then I went to my job and swept the floor for 10 hours for $400 the next day. (it was overtime)


I have some cool questions which seem to be right there perfect with op concerning induction furnaces but I don't have the energy to work through them so I guess I'm probably actually like just like counter-productively identifying this trip with being a novice hobbyist but also this thread was missing for like a few days so I'm also just trying to log it into my history

so induction furnaces: some things I don't really get, or do I? in a traditional furnace the fire is pretty hot, 1600 degrees. your crucible can take some dam heat, 2800 degrees. so you melt aluminum, your crucible accepts the heat and transfers it to the metal inside.

So I can't imagine melting steel at all in anything yet. I don't understand what you're supposed to melt steel in inside of an electrically-charged-----

well, see, I thought I did understand it a minute ago inside of an induction furnace. it's like a different principle. since the electrical current flows through the material inside, the material and the crucibkle are heated equally. the material inside might practically heat the crucible. cool. nonetheless. [[maxxxx]]

[None !!9o3qM2cPDWV No.2477882]

so is the answer just graphite? I don't understand. maybe I'm silly thinking that the pros don't use graphite. It's more of a specialty material for the advanced hobbyist. also, considering it's not ferromagnetic, I don't understand the principles of induction to cooperate with it properly, but maybe I'm wrong. Ultimately, from my simple blast furnace mind, and also including blast furnaces, I'm just wondering how people melt stell. I've read wikipedia many times and I still don't get it. It's thickness? that's probably the answer. Just a dam thick crucible of steel to melt steel in. induction furnace or blast furnace. just a very thick crucible?

if you're capable of understanding my question, please help, thanks.

[Anonymous No.2478010]

>>2477882
Induction doesn't require material to be magnetic, just conductive. Energy transfer is more efficient when magnetic, but steel will become non-magnetic when sufficiently heated. If anything you would prefer a non-magnetic, non conductive crucible such that the metal is directly heated rather than indirectly through walls of crucible. Big challenge in getting up to temperature is all of the heat losses due to radiation and convection. For cast iron / cast steel graphite-based crucibles are most commonly used. Not straight graphite but don't know the exact formulation.

[None !!9o3qM2cPDWV No.2478411]

>>2478010
cool. well, I guess if I ever wanted to fuck around trying to make an induction furnace out of my silicon-graphite crucible, I'd probably have to hit up /ohm/ more than this thread

[Anonymous No.2478814]

>>2477882

Oh, it's you. You need to learn thermodynamics. The steel furnaces are lined with ceramic liners (usually some cementatious clay). This + the steel's ability to be cooled by air is enough to avoid melting.

Whe the clay liner fails you get all the molten metal shooting out the hole in the now-melted steel.

The lid and liner are very thick relqtovely speaking; this insulates the melt inside.

[Anonymous No.2479139]

>>2477821
Got it. This’ll be my last resort, I think. I did consider the crucible route, but I had hoped to maintain as much mass of the “original” as possible, primarily for sentimental value
So far, I’ve read a number of academic-adjacent articles about 10/90 gold-platinum being one of the most functionally durable metals can ever made, outperforming most tool steels—I guess I just like the idea of this on my finger. How much do you think the trace minerals will affect it (considering I have no way of knowing the exact composition of the solder used)?
I guess I’m pretty set on just throwing the whole ring in a crucible, if I can

[Anonymous No.2479243]

>>2479139
>Most durable, more than tool steel
>Computer simulation

Ah, a theoretical perfect arrangement of atoms under perfect tribological conditions. Just like copper nanowhiskers and carbon fiber; the moment it is made in real life it shifts to a lower energy state and loses all organization and performance.

Melt that bitch whole and slap it in a mail-order platinum band mold.

[Anonymous No.2480539]

>>2477759
Whacky? Nah. Lead-Tin 4 lyfe.

[Anonymous No.2480778]

>>2477881


>silicon-graphite crucible

Do you mean Silicon Carbide? If so, that's fine to use with Induction furnaces. any ferrous can eat the Silicon carbide over time and you won't have great composition control in a "small batch" furnace, but it might not matter. they use them for cast iron charges in some batch shops.

"controlled" Small batch ferrous that I've seen - research environment - was usually done in a Zirconia crucible. they're very high temp, very inert, and pretty affordable in the ~100 mL range

>>2477882

Defintely avoid using graphite. Steel eats graphite like mad. you can get away with graphite for some cast iron grades, but not for long. and whatever you pour out will not be what you put in.

[Anonymous No.2480781]

Hey guys, just started a job as a foundry operator a week ago and would like to know if you got any resources for learning metallurgy. Also recently learned about John Campbell's Bifilm theory through my company and wanted to know if it was bulllshit or not.

[Anonymous No.2481223]

>>2480781
>wanted to know if it was bulllshit or not.
i think there is something to it but limited to aluminium

[Anonymous No.2481712]

>>2480781
His observations and models are good but explanations lack experimental proof. I have EDX'd plenty of voids that were shrinkage or gas without any real oxides.

[Anonymous No.2482062]

Bought a used Bridgeport today, along with a lathe, bandsaw, and surface grinder and bunch of other shit. No idea how I'm going to fit it all in my garage and gotta find a rigga but feels good man.
>spent less than $3000

[Anonymous No.2482122]

>>2482062
Just strap it into your '86 F150!

[Anonymous No.2482434]

I’m looking into buying a propane forge for blacksmithing, and I need some rec’s. Any ideas?

[Anonymous No.2482496]

>>2482434
mr volcano is the cheapest one people recommend, but I haven't tried it

[Anonymous No.2482720]

>>2482434
Just make your own. It is pretty darn easy and cheap.

[Anonymous No.2483417]

Anyone ever used a surface grinder for metallographic sample preparation? Wondering if you could use it to skip all the sandpaper steps and go straight to polishing.
>unashamedly uses the lathe or mill when I facet my pucks too much

[Anonymous No.2483597]

>>2477759
I bought one of those metal hoses for my back yard.
Don't buy it they are a scam rubber is still superior.
So I couldn't unscrew the thing from the spigot at the end of the season.
I tried crl thinking, hoping, that it was buildup.
crl did not help after multiple treatments.
I've cranked on it to the point that I'm worried about the copper pipes.
How do I get this off?
I assume it is galvanic.
Will the spigot be damaged from the reaction?
Should I bother cutting it off?
Thanks.

[Anonymous No.2483606]

>>2483597
Post a picture. Usually two wrenches/grip wrench works.

[Anonymous No.2483716]

>>2483417
As long as you don't overheat the surface and feed real slow the last few passes. Subsurface deformation and heating is a thing.
>>2483597
CLR... why not, y'know, penetrating oil? Try water displacing oil like WD40.

[Anonymous No.2484274]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask, but:

the bottom edge of a cooking pan/skillet I bought has a rough burr on it that scratched my glass stovetop. It's basically invisible to the naked eye, but you can feel it with your finger and you can catch it in photos, see pic

I figure I can abrase it away with steel whool, but I'm scratching the pan edge by doing so, and I don't want to leave more rough edges that can cause further scratches.

What can I do to smooth out the places I sand/steel whool down? I don't do any sort of mechanical or engineering or automotive shit so I don't have tools beyond normal household shit, so it needs to be something i'd already have or can buy on amazon cheaply (like, less then what a pan would be,, or would be returnable if it's more then that)

[Anonymous No.2484282]

>>2480781
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpAsQT2QnKo

[Anonymous No.2484283]

>>2484274
Why are they designed like this with the poking through holes?

[Anonymous No.2484294]

>>2484274
the methods to achieve that are endless.
as a /ck/ fag, do you have a sharpening stone?
steel wool aint cut it, but any abrasive or hardened blade will

[Anonymous No.2484504]

>>2484274
Back flat edge of a good kitchen knife. Careful not to cut yourself but use that blunt edge to firmly fold the burr over.

>>2484283
Induction heaters + electric heater compatibility.

[Anonymous No.2484528]

>>2484294
>do you have a sharpening stone?

Nope.

>Back flat edge of a good kitchen knife. Careful not to cut yourself but use that blunt edge to firmly fold the burr over.

I don't think that'd be sufficient: I'm a 5'5" manlet and have poor arm strength, when I cook and flip things in the pan I actively drag and push the pan on the stovetop surface as opposed to doing it with the whole pan elevated.

Even if the bur is folded over, it'd still probably scratch the stovetop in that context. I need the entire edge sanded or otherwise eroded down and then smoothed to remove rougness.

[Anonymous No.2484530]

>>2484528
forgot to reply to >>2484504 here

[Anonymous No.2484838]

>>2484528
either buy a file and file a fillet, or glue a piece of coarse sandpaper to a board and use that as a file.
Or visit a friend that has a rudimentary tool collection.
Those are the cheapest Poorfag options you have

[Anonymous No.2484859]

How safe is it to handle backyard castings with unknown lead content etc?

[Anonymous No.2484948]

>>2484859
How many tons are you smelting and how many hours a day are you huffing the fumes?

[Anonymous No.2486226]

>>2477759
Bump with best metal.

[Anonymous No.2486331]

>>2486226
Oh gosh not an another best metal thread.

[Anonymous No.2487341]

>>2486331
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_EdGQyHTxU

Second post for Bromine refining gold.

[Anonymous No.2487387]

>>2486331
Diamond is always best metal

[Anonymous No.2488749]

>>2487387
Diamond isn't a metal.

[Anonymous No.2488760]

>>2488749
I nominate Vitreloy 105, I like my metals amorphous.
(pic is probably Vitreloy 1, but fuck it)

[Anonymous No.2488793]

Can someone here elaborate more on iridium? It sounds really interesting how it got to be on earth and be such a rare item. I thought meteors are copper and iron but nope, this one is a rare metal meteor. Could maybe the rare metal is from ancient aliens anti meteor system? Still doesn't explain where they got it but it would explain the meteor breaking up. I guess getting hit by smaller meteors is better than one big one, right?

[Anonymous No.2488804]

>>2488749
Know thy memes, The other is "hardest metal"

[Anonymous No.2488813]

>>2488793
Most of the iridium on Earth (probably) ended up bonded to iron and is still molten beneath the crust, which is the reason there is so little accessible to us.
We do mine it, it does occur naturally, it's just rare stuff.
There's more of it in meteorites than in the layers of Earth we have access to, that's not unusual, that's true of numerous elements.
This makes it useful as one of the indicators of large meteorite impacts, one of many valid and observed indicators.
That's about it. It's useful stuff, been produced and used commercially for just shy of 200 years now.
It's just uncommon in the top layers of the Earth's crust where we can access it.

In the scale of the universe, it's an element with a fairly high atomic number (77), so it's going to be relatively uncommon compared to "most" elements with lower atomic numbers. This isn't a perfect rule, but it's a decent rule of thumb.
The reasons why are complex, you'd be wanting to read up on cosmic nucleosynthesis to get an idea of how various elements were formed by the Big Bang, exploding stars, merging stars, cosmic rays, all kinds of neat stuff. Isotopes and stability play a big role in this, certain elements don't have known stable isotopes, and are so "unlikely" to exist in nature they may well not exist anywhere in the universe they aren't actively being produced by an intelligence with the intention of producing them, like we do.

[Anonymous No.2490205]

>>2488813

Can plate tecktonics ever push up more of the iron core or is all the lava just surface minerals?

[Anonymous No.2490999]

Is 3cm wide enough for an aluminium foundry?

[Anonymous No.2491034]

>>2490205

The most viable iridium deposits on Earth are massive, fuck-off huge ancient impact craters from around the time the crust was forming an stabilizing. those are actually a big part of the reason Africa has so much mineral wealth in general. Outside of that, you find a some in old volcanic complexes that have eroded away.

You can pull "native" iridium from copper and platinum refining in minuscule amounts, or in very rare igneous deposits as microscopic bare nuggets alloyed with other metals. There's a couple iron-iridium minerals and one copper-iridium mineral that forms naturally as inclusions in deposits of other platinum and iron-group minerals, but they're vanishingly small - 5 - 10 micron in diameter, and very very sparse.

Basically, the tiny amount that we currently produce is all produced "accidentally" as a byproduct of refining other rare metals. most of the viable sources occur as a "side product" of mining gold conglomerates in Africa and gold sands in North America.

it's a damn shame, as iridium complexes might end up being some of the most compelling phosphors and catalysts ever discovered, but no one in their right mind is ever going to suggest large scale industrialization of an iridium-based chemistry. Even metallurgical uses are basically all luxury items at this point, with some very low volume extreme-condition industrial uses.

[Anonymous No.2491658]

>>2490999
Huh?

>>2491034
Same for Nickel, mostly meteorite impacts.

Can I buy Iridium metal and corner the market?

[Anonymous No.2492415]

>>2491658
Maybe.

[Anonymous No.2493526]

https://www.nature.com/articles/nnano.2010.4

We need to apply this technology to self-healing gold nanomachines.

[Anonymous No.2494900]

>>2493526
Nah, neutron beams are much more interesting.

https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/te_1457_web.pdf

[Anonymous No.2494950]

if this isnt the right thread to ask about mineral metal benificiation, which one is? im trying to get rid of the pyrite from ultramarine.
supposedly pouring hot water or lye water on the powder makes it magnetic, but haven't had success.
im not sure if sulfur fumes from roasting the pyrite is good for my health

[Anonymous No.2495075]

>>2494950
That is some rather interesting stuff... If it is anything like refining other pyrite rich ore you should consider roasting. Also adding caustic lye to pyrite should convert it to hydroxide and water soluable compounds which can be washed away. Give it a try!

[Anonymous No.2495099]

>>2495075
i don't have good ventilation, so i'm hesitating on roasting it at high heat.
the water turns brown when washing lightly roasted powder so maybe the pyrite breaks down into fine particles.
i don't know if lye like sodium hydroxide turns the pyrite into water solubles. the old method of separating it from ultramarine involves making a bar of wax and resins with the powder and working it in lye. the ultramarine tends to release sooner than the impurities. no conclusive reasoning as to why yet.
industrially, refining ores are done by "froth flotation" in aerated water vat that has chemicals added in order to selectively float certain minerals that attach to air molecules. had some success by shaking damp powder, streaming water, and then pouring.

[Anonymous No.2496206]

>>2495099
Just open a window and use a box fan.

[Anonymous No.2496248]

hey. so I tried my best to turn a railroad spike into a knife. I was using my king-of-diy bucket forge, a bag of lump charcoal, and since I don't have any equipment, a section of railroad track as an anvil, some tongs and an adjustable pliers. I'd soak the rairoad spike for a minute, take it out with the tongs, grasp it with the adjustable pliers, beat on it for about ten seconds, then put it back. I also got a little distracted for a second and melted my spike down to runny and sort of ruined any chance of a neat looking blade. I was so bad at it that although I've seen some youtube videos on smithing---they run as ads on my facebook---I'm convinced I want to binge watch an entire series so I can understand everything better. It'd also be cool to get some direct advice from y'all on tips on actually doing things too. Advice on what youtube channel to watch is appreciated. I'll post my shitty knife. maybe not today, maybe today, idk, but I will

yeah I'm >>2477881
So what do we think about the viability of making an induction furnace since I have a few graphite crucibles sitting around? how do we feel about that as a. an attempt to wrap our heads around the mechanics involved, or otherwise, I figure it would be a more effective means by which to melt iron. How are those things, I saw them for $80 bucks at a pawn shop, I think they're called metal melters? I'm not very electrically minded but I'd like to be moreso. The idea of intentionally trying to make a circuit of nasty without short circuiting it seems a little daunting, but, eh, that's how you learn, right? worst I can do is trip the breaker. or burn the house down.

[Anonymous No.2496452]

>>2496248
Wrap an extension cord a dozen times around an iron bar and connect the ends with a potentiometer. Cheal induction heater.

[Anonymous No.2496976]

>>2496248
i have not seen a diy induction furnace on the web over 3kW
seems the circuitry doesnt scale that linear

a brake rotor is a way better coal forge than whatever bucket foundry you got

[Anonymous No.2497791]

>>2496976
The power requirements are MASSIVE. Always used for small batch metallurgy or low melting temp metals that need VERY carefully controlled temperature profiles. Large batch Induction heaters are almost always used as reheaters or preheaters these days. Arc heating or gas fired is still preferred.

Induction smelters are great for fine control and quick batching but are more expensive than any other heat source.

[Anonymous No.2498018]

>>2497791
I have a 15kW induction furnace I got for $1000 off the interwebs. Good for blacksmithing on a week night since much less time for heatup/cooldown and great for brazing. But doesn't work well for casting/bigger parts (I've tried!).

[Anonymous No.2498559]

I want to start gunsmithing in my garage. What equipment do I put in to convince the local PD (Yurop) that I'm serious and deserve a loicense? Already have a deent toolbox, torque wrench, hollow ground bitset and a bullet casting setup, could add my reloading gear and 3D-printer in the same room. Definitely need a lathe, probably a drill press and maybe a mill. Anybody here have experience with a combination machine, such as an Emco Multimat? Anything else I should consider?

[Anonymous No.2498615]

>>2498559
A EURO gun maintanence/repair ("smithing") business license? I dunno, maybe read the law and hire a business consultant?

A MANUFACTURE license? Fuck, maybe some bribe money?

[Anonymous No.2499296]

I made a new firing pin to replace a broken one in an old shotgun. I don't know how I should heat treat it though so it will last more than a couple shots. I made it out of O1. should I temper it to straw or purple? when I quench it do I need to put one end into the oil first?

[Anonymous No.2499304]

>>2498559
Maybe a mill? No. You need a mill.

[Anonymous No.2499326]

>>2499296
Heat red hot. Oil quench with pliers no swishing (firing tip down). Heat at AT LEAST 500°F (more like 600 if you can) until it shows a good darkening yellow color.

That should give you a proper hardened profile with enough tempering to not explode.

Google search (O1 tool steel tempering graph) and aim for 50-55HRC if you want more info.

[Anonymous No.2499853]

>>2499326
I was trying to go for a dark yellow but by the time the tip was yellow the rest of the thing was purple, and then it turned blue by the time I quenched it again. I guess it's ok though since I put it in the gun and it seems to be denting the hammer instead of mushrooming so if anything it's too hard.

[Anonymous No.2499871]

>>2499853
Looks good. Probably a good hardness profile. Well done!

[Anonymous No.2499872]

>>2499853
from my limited experience with knives there's a big difference between straw and blue temper, if you get the edge of a blade that colour it's probably fucked and you have to do it over.
But if it works it works, check on it after a decent bit of use and if there's no deformation it won't be a problem.

[None !!kUX1+EghSy7 No.2500437]

hewlo. I forgot that trip I was using

so this, distinctly, isn't metalworking, but I'd like to build a house for my coal forge bucket to help retain the heat so I can work with ceramics and glass. that is, a kiln, wherein I could remove my source of heat, the bucket, and inversely, retain the heat of my forge, like glass.

wat make kiln out of? will regular clay fall apart? also, I don't really understand what regular clay means. I understand clay to have a diverse and complex chemical composition, really

[Anonymous No.2501124]

>>2482062
It finally happened bros, my single car garage is now an absolute flustercuck but should have time to get everything squared away and wired up over Thanksgiving break.

[Anonymous No.2501126]

>>2501124
Grinduh too

[Anonymous No.2501130]

>>2501124
Damn, already got a machine shop. Gonna use it to make better, even larger machinery?

[Anonymous No.2501206]

>>2501130
No shortage of planned projects, but a few I've always wanted to do are making a steam engine, making a semi-automatic crossbow, and making a piston-actuated blaster that uses 22LR for breaking rocks.
The subdiscipline of metallurgy I work in professionally is new and esoteric enough that I think I could make some meaningful advances on the hardware side of things working out of my garage.

[Anonymous No.2501258]

Anyone knows the exact ration of oil to oil sand casting? I'm fucking tired of checking the moisture with the normal sand casting.

I have seen the use of used motor oil instead water in a lot sand casting videos from middle east where the moisture is a pain in the ass due the local weather(dry):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WflUuR7q7jI

[Anonymous No.2501261]

>>2486331
>Nickel silver
So you just ruined silver, right?

[Anonymous No.2501268]

>>2501258
If you like cancer. Otherwise you add juuuuuuust enough and not a drop more.

>>2501261
Nickel silver is just Nickel with some copper and zinc.

[Anonymous No.2501346]

>>2487387
too heavy, 50 gram gram 888836362662626262FUCK

[Anonymous No.2501631]

>>2477759
Can you guys recommend any resource for someone who wants to build a tiny forge and get into sand casting? I want to try my hand at casting small trinkets like figurines and rings out of bronze

[Anonymous No.2501651]

>>2501631
The internet has a shitload of backyard and jewelry casting resources. Spend several hours reading to begin, then more time to refine what will suit what you want to build. Jewelry forums are nice for small stuff and you are likely best off doing lost wax. Nowadays people are 3D printing wax cores which is slick.

[Anonymous No.2501654]

How many of you faggots work in the metal casting industry?

[Anonymous No.2501676]

>>2501631
>I want to try my hand at casting small trinkets like figurines and rings out of bronze
If you use normal sand casting to make little figures you will lose A LOT details.
If you still wanting do tiny shit using sand casting technique then use Petrobond sand, but lost wax casting is what you really need.
You will need:
>silicone for the molds
>wax
>suspenda slurry

For any kind of forge just digg a flower pot in the ground, connect a tube to the base and put a vacun cleaner to blow a shit ton of air. You can use wood or charcoal as combustible(im able to melt aluminum using only wood). Set on fire that shit, put in that pit the piece of metal you want forge, turn on the vacun cleaner(don't forget cover the pit so you will prevent lose of heat. Use a plate of metal or something like that) and wait a few minutes until your metal piece is 100% Incandescence(here is where you beat it with your hammer. You will need an anvil or the head of a big iron mallet to use as base for your hammering). Don't forget wear safety equipement for you skin, eyes and ears.

>>2501268
>Nickel silver is just Nickel with some copper and zinc.
Just like 'wow i can't believe is not butter'?

[Anonymous No.2501693]

>>2501676
Just like """German""" Silver. Yup.

>>2501654
I sorta do, but I am the C O L L E G E graduate in the lab and process offices.

>>2501631
Unironically use Youtube videos. Youtube is great for "practical" metallurgy. Just don't use it for advanced topics.

[None !!kUX1+EghSy7 No.2502318]

>>2501631
hello. I am tripfag n00b. I have been in this thread a lot and will probably continue to be. I started from the king of random's bucket forge technique. I probably don't have any advice, but I'm interested in learning everything from the ground up. I'm here with you so if you have any questions let me know and I will probably tell you I do not have any advice. I think I'm mostly just following the basics here.

I've done it like three times. I've been melting aluminum, that's mostly it, and blacksmithing a knife. My next project is probably making a kiln and refining clay to make my own crucibles. Or other things.

My intended goal is total and entire mastery of all material. I feel pretty lame using a store-bought hair-dryer and an extension cord hooked up to a braker hooked up to a power pole hooked up to a power plant burning coal to enable me to get the charcoal I purchased from the store for $15 to burn hot enough to melt aluminum cans in a silicon-graphite crucible I purchased off of amazon

rehashing that: maybe I can get a billows? idk when the system goes down, what should my blowing power be anyways? a good billows sounds cool.
I'd like a pyrolysis chamber to turn wood into charcoal. it's energy inefficient but that's what energy is. as long as it's metal time, you break out the charcoal.
I want to make a kiln. bonus points if this can be done in conjunction with the bucket furnace.
I saw a video also from king of random for refining clay. cool. I'd ratehr have like porcelain though.

I did attempt a sand casting. it does suck. maybe follow me---if I manage to make a kiln, I'll probably make clay molds. in the mean time, I might go ahead and just bake some clay molds in the oven for my next attempts. king of random also has a video on making sand castings of bronze

[None !!kUX1+EghSy7 No.2502326]

>>2502318
so anyways, I ran out of characters. let me talk about what 'mastery of all materials' means

I understand the chemical formula of concrete to be something like 3m silica, 3m alkali, as a basic framework, and this is a pretty flexible formula up to like twelve molecules of combinations that include carbon (clay), aluminum, iron, and water is ommited from the equasion, so looking at any earth, we look beneath the topsoil and see a wealth of, probably, at least stuff that can be turned into concrete, and with care, metals may be extracted from it

isn't it legal to blow that stuff up as long as the explosives are produced and used on site?

[Anonymous No.2502631]

Is building a foundry and melting aluminum, copper, what other metal down into bars a good idea?
I'd like to make my own cast iron skillets eventually.
What do you think?
https://youtu.be/1pavhCwqUnc

[Anonymous No.2502659]

>>2502631
aluminium is a totally different beast than copper alloys and cast iron tops that a level too.
aluminium you can melt in a wood pit with a shut welded steel pipe. cast iron requires a properly designed furnace, gallons of fuel and proper handling tools, as the ir radiation it emmits at pouring temp is plenty for a sunburn.
Anyway, ingot casting is a youtube meme. Casting does not work out every time. You dont want to tripple your reject rate by starting from oxidised garbage

[None !!kUX1+EghSy7 No.2502855]

>>2502659
love this post. I feel like I'm learning so much more than before. I always have this imagination block when it comes to--what do we build this furnace out of, since in my imagination anythng used to contain that heat should melt, but I figure the answer's thickness. thickness and steel. I guess that's why I'm challenging myself to make better and more durable equipment.

oh and >>2501654 as of like a half hour ago I just landed a job as the lab tech at an aluminum plant. I'm pretty psyched. I didn't ask for it, either, I just put in an application and they took me to the back and said "you're the lab tech"

I get two dollars less than everyone else, a spectrometer, and I'm the only lab tech

[Anonymous No.2502875]

>>2502326
Schizo poster is back!

>>2502855
Many ceramics (Ker-amos, burnt earth) melt at higher temperatures than steel, you dingus. Go look up a melting temp chart.

Also you will learn the horrors of spark-oes testing 8000 pucks a day every day forever. Should be in an AC room, though. Not bad.

[Anonymous No.2504320]

Bump for friction welding.

[Anonymous No.2504323]

>>2504320
friction welding sucks ass

[Anonymous No.2504761]

>>2504323
No better way to get a stainless stub on a carbon shaft.

[Anonymous No.2504786]

>>2504320
is friction welding the lewdest way to fuse metals?

[Anonymous No.2504822]

>>2504786
No, vacuum room-temperature flat surface diffusion is lewder. You just put the parts together and the atoms naturally diffuse into eachother if it is flat enough and has no oxides.

[Anonymous No.2504853]

I was cutting apart a microwave transformer the other day, and the electrical steel of the core dulled out my bimetal hacksaw blade almost instantly. Even with a carbide wire it was still pretty tough. This electrical steel is ferrosilicon alloy, right? I'm wondering how well it would work as a blade material, since it seems to have excellent hardness for a common alloy. Also would I be able to work it over a forge like normal, or is there something I'm missing with this metal?

[Anonymous No.2505327]

>>2504853
Too brittle AND soft. Ferrosilicon electrical steel is like glass marbles in playdough. The hard ferrosilicon bits just explode into a fine abraisive (like your hacksaw experienced) and the soft part just galls and smears.

[Anonymous No.2505485]

>>2504822
symmetrical docking welding

[Anonymous No.2506805]

Bumping for autoignition metallurgy.

[Anonymous No.2508422]

Going to start doing some research on Wootz steel and plans for how to go about reproducing, will post summary of findings here when I finish. Realistically I probably won't really be able to truly start in earnest for several months, but want to start planning it all out.
Items to address:
Furnace & crucible capable of melting the Wootz ingot
Ability to cool at sufficiently low rates as to not dissolve the carbides
Alloy chemistry (current plan is mild steel + cast iron to get right carbon % with some chunks of tool steel for vanadium)
Forging at low temperatures necessary to avoid dissolving carbides without cracking (or killing arm)
And just because it needs to be mentioned every time DUHMASCUS STEEL is brought up, fuck nanotoobs and fuck graphmeme.

[Anonymous No.2508427]

>>2508422
*cool slow enough to form large carbides

[Anonymous No.2508922]

>>2508422
Easy recipe: take some generic 1020 or 4140 or something (a proper quenchable tool steel if you are brave) and cut it into small chunks (or buy some steel shot if lazy). Take some cast iron powder. Pack the chunks VERY WELL and tightly into a crucible and seal it or at least borax the shit out of the top. Bring to half way between the melting temperature of the cast iron and of the steel.

The cast iron melts and diffuses into the steel. Eventually the chemistry of the steel and castiron average out until it is a mass of solid chunks and intermingled semi-solid mushy not-quite-cast iron. Consistency of a concrete that is a little too dry. You need to only heat it long enough to get this diffusion about half way - if it becomes 100% solid you went too long. Allow this to slowly cool so that everything diffuses well together but maintains a distinct pattern.

The steel you used is mostly the original steel (now higher carbon) but is all bound with a web of very carbidic pearlite, carbides, and other high-Si intermetallics.

[Anonymous No.2508970]

>>2508922
While perhaps that's one way to do it, all accounts I read several years ago claimed the characteristic pattern is due to formation of coarse dendrites during solidification (hence the need for a slow cooling rate) rather than incomplete diffusion of constituents.

[Anonymous No.2508974]

>Get welding degree
>Get certifications
>Past certification bend test on job application
>Company can't afford to train you.

I am about to join a welding union.

[Anonymous No.2508993]

>>2508970
The first dendrites to solidify are usually purer iron. The interstitial space is then high in impurities. It may get you the same visual pattern but is not a good knife material. Unless you just want artistic blades...

>>2508974
Damn welders! Stop making banite in your welds. I only ever see bainite in welds and I HATE IT! IT'S AN ABOMINATION!

[Anonymous No.2509041]

>>2508993
While Wootz steel gets hyped more than it should as many things do these days, it made for some high quality blades. I dug up one of the sources.

[Anonymous No.2509067]

>>2509041
Hopefully legible this time

[Anonymous No.2509069]

>>2509067

[Anonymous No.2509431]

should I buy picrel for $65? I need something to finish blades

[Anonymous No.2509434]

>>2509431

[Anonymous No.2509564]

>>2509431
Yeah, good price and looks relatively unused.

[Anonymous No.2509608]

So after watching umpteen episodes of Forged in Fire I've finally decided to stop procrastinating & start blacksmithing. Luckily, there's a workshop in town with a small forge. My first project is a good ol' railroad spike knife. Here is my current progress after my first solo smithing session. It was kinda fun; I think this could turn into a serious hobby.
Happy Thanksgiving.

[Anonymous No.2509894]

feeds and speeds

[Anonymous No.2510059]

>>2509894
Sneed's Feed and Speeds, formerly Chuck's?

[Anonymous No.2510688]

I have a bit of NiAl bronze round bar (UNS C63200 I'm pretty sure) that I want to work into a vaguely bronze age-styled knife or dagger.
Cold working from the current shape would be impractical if not impossible without a press or power hammer because of the inherent hardness and toughness of the metal and its work hardening characteristics, so I figure I'll need to either cast to near finished shape or forge it hot, more like a steel. C63200 is a wrought alloy, but the composition is nearly identical to C95800, which is considered a cast alloy. Is there any reason that C63200 would pour any worse than C95800? 95800 doesn't seem to cast particularly well to begin with, judging by the parts I've machined, but those have been fairly large and complex. I don't have the means to do any casting at the moment, but it wouldn't be out of the question for me to rig something together.
Would a charcoal fired forge be suitable for working with this stuff? I watched a video featuring the forging of a similar alloy, but a gas fired forge was used.

[Anonymous No.2510703]

>>2510059
Did you really find that worn out shit amusing you nupid stucking figger?

[Anonymous No.2510817]

>>2510688
Any meltable metal will cast simple dimensions "well". Think open-face bar molds. Casting grades are needed to increase flowability to flow into mold space or to reduce issues with differential cooling rates. Some casting grades are also sold similarly as any other grade or only have slight modification.

Copper and its alloy family were man's first metals so it should be easy enough.

>>2510703
Yes...

[Anonymous No.2511129]

has anyone used pic rel. how shit is it and is worth 50 clams

[Anonymous No.2511152]

>>2511129
What are you trying to cut?

[Anonymous No.2511195]

I want to make a sword based on the Moonlight Greatsword, in the shape of an Albion Principe/Oakeshott type XVIIIc sword.

My main question is about bluing the blade. I'm not sure what the best method would be, especially for an item this large.

[Anonymous No.2511201]

>>2511195
I know blued/gilded sabres were popular in the past, so it should be feasible.
I'm also looking for information on "russeting". So far, this is the only source I can find: http://www.armourarchive.org/essays/russeting.shtml

[Anonymous No.2511223]

>>2511129
For cutting aluminum sheet, maybe.

>>2511195
For that size and that fantasy sword?... airbrushing.

>>2511201
Gun bluing applies to swords. If you want an oranger bluing (red oxides in excess of black oxides) You can just do 1 or 2 bluing steps instead of 4 or 5.

[Anonymous No.2511299]

>>2511152
no more than 16ga sheet

[Anonymous No.2511305]

>>2511299
Sawing, especially with a coarse pitch blade as pictured, isn't great. If it can use an abrasive disc it might be alright.
Dealing with sheet is almost always a pain unless you have either a shear or a laser/waterjet/etc. rig.
The best handheld or portable tool for dealing with sheet is probably a nibbler. There are some priced at around $50, but it looks like most of them aren't rated for thicker gauge material.

[Anonymous No.2511433]

I'm new at casting metal, I just made a furnace with some trash I had around, melted some beer cans by using charcoal and a blower I salvaged from a vaccuum cleaner. I used an instant coffee can as a crucible and pic related is my result.
I have some questions:

Is there such thing as "too powerful a blower"? The furnace lifted many sparks while I was melting, and it became very uncomfortable to handle.
May a stainless steel crucible improve my experience?
Which materials and shape should I make the lid of? I just used some steel sheet as a lid as a makeshift solution.

[Anonymous No.2511469]

>>2511433
Yes.

Maybe.

Ceramic.

[Anonymous No.2511497]

>>2511305
ive been using an angle grinder but I would like something I can use with a straight edge

[Anonymous No.2511498]

bullets fly

[Anonymous No.2512212]

How exactly was this knife made?
Apparently it's an integral design, made from half inch 6AL4V titanium, with a press-fit Stellite blade. The handle is mastodon ivory with carbon fiber.

[Anonymous No.2512247]

Can you do hot bluing and tempering at the same time?

[Anonymous No.2512344]

I have this bent part that I'm trying to repair but I don't know the best way to unbend it. the part is a stamping with a dog leg at one end bent at 90 degrees. the one I'm trying to fix was bent again during use to around 45 degrees. it is only around 1/4" square cross section where the bend is. I'm afraid it will crack if I try to bend it cold, but if I heat it I'm worried it will anneal it too much and just bend back when I try to use it again. I have no idea what kind of steel it is or what the original heat treat was.

>>2512247
salt blueing is usually done at around 290 degrees. if it gets above that things will turn weird colors. there are other kinds of blueing like the one colt used that are at higher temps but they require more complicated equipment.

[Anonymous No.2512467]

>>2498018
Do you have a link to where you have purchased it

[Anonymous No.2512489]

>>2512212
That sounds absolutely retarded and expensive.

>>2512247
You'd either get (lower temps: a good blue and a hard temper) or (higher temps: a really ugly blue and a soft temper)

>>2512344
If it is a stamping you know it's some simple carbon steel. Just heat and beat above, about, 500°C (recrystallization activation).

[Anonymous No.2512956]

>>2512489
do I need to quench it in something or do I just let it air cool?

[Anonymous No.2513066]

I really like the pale blue color you get when tempering steel to spring steel temps. However, I'm not too keen on the appearance you get when using differential tempering. Plus, it's more difficult than an even temper.
Are there alloys that retain good hardness after tempering at these temperatures?

[Anonymous No.2513398]

>>2512956
That's hot enough to restore flexibility and close internal cracks. It will lose hardness if it IS a tempered steel but will be the hardest it can be outside of requenching and tempering.

>>2513066
Anything that is carbide forming (tool steels, bearing steels) resists carbon diffusion through martensite (huge Ni/Cr atoms + small Mn/V atoms fug up the diffusion) so you can develop a decorative oxide layer but maintain strength and hardness.

Look for "impact grade" tool steels if you're making a sword.

[Anonymous No.2513726]

what does it mean if my metal is sparking when I heat it? I was using acetylene with a somewhat carburizing flame because I was afraid of burning the carbon out.

[Anonymous No.2513741]

>>2511469
I followed your suggestion and did the following:
>Followed the /diy/ route and made a Triac AC dimmer circuit to control the blower's power
>Procured some more high temp cement and gutted a couple of flower pots to make a lid (which will be usable by Sunday I think)
>Procured some stainless steel to make a decent crucible

Now my question is, can I make good aluminum casts with pic related?

[Anonymous No.2513798]

>>2512212
Is the whole blade stellite or is it just the puzzle-piece looking bit on the edge? If it's a discrete insert and not just a surface treatment, my guess would be wire EDM. Cut the blade at some stage of processing and the stellite to match up with a slight draft, press it in, and continue processing it as a single piece.

[Anonymous No.2514186]

>>2513741
Maybe. Might take a few experiments eith ratios, sand doping, overheats, etc.

>>2513726
Any iron compound or oxygen-low iron oxide which is freed will explode into chunks and sparkle. Even tiny amounts. Probably just surface sulphides blowing out.

[Anonymous No.2514296]

Can you purchase amorphous metal/metal glass?

[Anonymous No.2514455]

>>2514296
Look up Vitreloy. It's expensive, but you can buy it.

[Anonymous No.2514963]

Where is a good place to start learning to anodize aluminum for fun? I've had lots of scrap aluminum build up from projects over the years. Haven't used it. So I thought it would be fun to learn how to anozide it. How expensive is it? And can I designs and stuff? I've seen some incredible anodizing and I'm curious how they do that as well. Thanks metal chads.

[Anonymous No.2515474]

>>2514963
Youtube. Cheap Chink ac-dc power supply. Bucket of water. Sink chemicals.

All you need, really, unless you wanna do penetration and sealing.

[Anonymous No.2515700]

I got hooked on reading about Ultra high carbon steel(1.2-2% Carbon). I don't even have a foundry.

[Anonymous No.2515719]

>>2515700
lmaoing @ this foundryless nerd

[Anonymous No.2516112]

So the whole acid etching thing...what exactly is that? Can I get something close enough to it at the hardware store?

[Anonymous No.2516250]

>>2515719
n-no, it's not like that. I am going to make a foundry bigger and better than any of yours. I swear.

[Anonymous No.2516367]

not having luck with borax soldering brass pieces using a torch for some reason. will pine rosin work better?
what about pine rosin dissolved in borax solution?

[Anonymous No.2516368]

>>2516112
yes, you can make ferric chloride by dissolving iron in hydrochloric acid.

[Anonymous No.2516418]

What would be the easiest way to synchronize a spinning cutting tool with the spindle?
https://youtu.be/SffBNPlxHjo

[Anonymous No.2516793]

>>2516418
Easiest? PID electric control.

Or just buy an endmill.

[Anonymous No.2517033]

>>2516112
Acid reacts with and rapidly corrodes the surface of metal. Can be used in combination with a resist to make some sort of pattern or just applied generally to expose virgin metal, as for weld testing.
You can get both sulfuric and hydrochloric acid from a well stocked hardware store. Sulfuric is sold as drain cleaner, and HCL is sold for cleaning concrete and masonry labeled as muriatic acid. Even the acetic acid in cleaning vinegar will work, albeit more slowly. Copper sulfate, which is sold for horticulture and aquaculture can also be used for etching, but I'm not sure of the specifics of the process.
Don't hurt yourself

[Anonymous No.2517069]

>>2490205
Plates? We don't need no stinkin' plates.
S.W. Carey, "A Question of Expansion" (1982): 25min.
https://youtu.be/Othb0xsvZb4

[Anonymous No.2517768]

>>2517069
Too smart for flat Earth, too contrarian for plates, just shitposter enough for expansion.

[Anonymous No.2518598]

>>2514186
Excellent. I just made a mold using a 3D print as the negative, and I guess I'm going to try and using it tomorrow.
I've read that PLA can burn leaving no ashes so I'm going to try my luck there.

>>2516112
I've etched some PCBs with ferric chloride, a virgin copper-plated board and a marker. Clean it from the fat of your fingers, make the traces with a marker and submerge it on acid between 1 and 2 hours to have the traces made.

[Anonymous No.2518957]

>>2518598
With PLA I've had the best luck turning the mold upside down and melting at 400C. Then turn up to 450C which will cause anything left to burn out. The kitchen oven won't quiet do it, so I made my own out of a stovetop heating element, inswool, PID, and a washing machine drum. I found a 3D printing filament "Mold-Lay" that is low temp enough to be melted out in the kitchen oven, but still makes a smoky mess and more expensive than PLA. I usually use 50% sand 50% plaster. The 45 minute plaster works better than the 15 minute plaster (and is cheaper too). Use a paint brush to paint the mixture on the surface before fully submerging to make sure it fills all the nooks and crannies. Using 356 aluminum rather than potluck aluminum will give much better results (found someone on Ebay selling for $3/lb).

[Anonymous No.2519114]

>>2518957
The only way to meaningfully improve the quality past this is investment casting of SLA resin, so you've probably achieved model-casting completion unless you want to go full retard. Pretty Good.

[Anonymous No.2519888]

>>2519114
Thanks. I haven't been casting as much lately I've been so busy setting up the machine shop in the garage, but just made a few molds today and may have some more pictures next weekend.
I've been thinking about getting an SLA printer but moreso because of the limitations of FDM rather than the limitations of the casting process. I'll be seeing some friends over Christmas who are into tabletop gaming so I'll try gauging whether there is interest in metal versus plastic figurines.

[Anonymous No.2521221]

Bamp.

[Anonymous No.2521382]

>>2519114
>The only way to meaningfully improve the quality past this is investment casting of SLA resin
Not the casting anon, but do you have details on this process? I'm looking into getting a resin printer, and I want to make cast models with it. Is pewter the best option?

[Anonymous No.2521615]

>>2521382
Instead of just putting a model in plaster and burning it out you make a multi-layered shell of porous ceramic glaze and essentially sand. You then can preheat the entire mold after burnout and fill with metal then let slow cool in the furnace.

The finer the model (wax is historically used for ease of burn out, modern SLA works great but takes longer to burn) the better the end product.

[Anonymous No.2521884]

I built a shed this past year to house all my combustibles and gas powered equipment so I don't have to worry about blowing up my garage. But anyways apparently that means there is zero pressure in my full propane tanks and can barely get a trickle out with the regulator all the way open. Letting them warm up in the garage now and will be casting later tonight.
It's funny I recall several Christmases ago my father and I were grilling a tenderloin and it was frigid cold outside. It was taking forever so to pass the time we started drinking and later had a flock of hens angry at us that the food wasn't ready and even angrier we had been drinking. All the pieces coming together now, it must have been the propane flow.

[Anonymous No.2521993]

>>2521884
Waiting for parts to cool and feet to thaw. Need to get all my casting in before winter next year.

[Anonymous No.2522061]

Riser on Hagia Sophia was a bit undersized, but didn't make a huge difference in quality.
Beyond using larger risers next time I'm going to either cast or machine a chill plate.

[Anonymous No.2522066]

>>2522061

[Anonymous No.2522100]

>>2522066
I think some of the defects I am getting are related to formation of steel during melting out the PLA either due to excessive water or incomplete curing. Molds will often show cracks and the solution is wrap them in duck tape so they don't fall apart due to incidental contact, though I've never had a cracked one break. Perhaps I would be well served by a low temperature curing step. I'll also try using less water next time and mixing water in as needed. (1 plaster : 1 sand : 1 water was too much so I mixed more plaster and sand in; next time I'll start with 1 plaster : 1 sand : 0.5 water). Though maybe something a little richer in water for the first coat on the casting only to make sure it sticks well.

[Anonymous No.2523125]

>>2521993
Comfy winter forging.

>>2522066
Getting quite ambitious.

>>2522100
Keep a results journal. Record keeping will give you the best chance of determining results over memory and intuition.

[Anonymous No.2524105]

Peace was never an option.
Boss insisted we need some potato chips ground flat.

[Anonymous No.2524109]

>>2524105
Also the same guy who sold me the grinder had a bunch of EM chucks and he gave me a really good deal on one, they're amazingly cool.

[Anonymous No.2524823]

>>2477759
Picked up a little tote oxy-acetylene torch to learn the somewhat lost craft of welding with it.
>inb4 don't weld with it
Don't care, doing it anyway, might as well help me do it right.
Hard to find proper info on using it and it's seemingly pretty easy to kill yourself with it, Had a couple concerns when using it for the first time.
>1
When I lit the fuel and had it roaring (no oxygen at this point, torch valve open 3/4 of the way) I saw a fair bit of blue at the tip. Is that normal or do I have like a leak or some shit? All videos I see I haven't seen blue flame until you add oxygen.
>2
The fuel tank regulator output needle bounces up and down a little, but the oxygen one doesn't. Is that something I should be concerned with?
Any other tips anons have for oxy fuel welding would be based and redpilled.

[Anonymous No.2524871]

>>2524105
Please explain the double vice jig...?

>>2524823
Sorry, know more about generally theory and application than hardware maintainance. Blue flame will form in an atmosphere-burning flame but will have so much excess C/CO that it makes soot and a huge yellow flame.

[Anonymous No.2525079]

>>2524871
Had a bunch of hardened steel plates my boss wanted ground flat. Warped to shit from heat treatment so I used the vices (with a lengthy persuader) to bend them closer to flat before surface grinding

[Anonymous No.2525105]

>>2525079
Nice. That's my kind of solution.

[Anonymous No.2525666]

>>2524823
Not sure if it's any use but I have a bit of experience. You shouldn't be seeing blue with just the fuel on, you also don't have to make a huge acetylene flame before lighting the oxy, I'd say once the flame has volume and is putting out thick black smoke then you're good for the oxy. When you're tuning the flame people talk about a neutral flame but it's kinda hard for a beginner to grasp what that means, basically you watch the little flame needle (or needles depending on your nozzle) sticking out the hole (or holes) in the nozzle tip, you want that needle to be as long as possible without the flame flickering or changing color, the base of the flame should be blue with the yellow and orange further out, if you try to make the needles too long the flame will become a bright white and jet out of the nozzle in a sort of thin beam so that's a good way to tell you that you went too far. Sometimes gauges are weird so I can't really help you there, used to have a gauge at the shop that would correctly read the oxygen psi at the pressures we needed but the needle would never drop below 20 psi even when we turned it off. Make sure you have a welding/brazing tip and use good filler, keep the filler shielded by the outer flame not the the inner needle and don't dip that needle into the puddle, that's pretty much it for mild steel, it's kinda like tig when you start going.

[Anonymous No.2527285]

>>2525666
Why not just use a pencil lead attached to the wall outlet?

[Anonymous No.2528507]

>>2524105
I really like that trick.

[Anonymous No.2528515]

>>2524823
>>inb4 don't weld with it

Whoever told you that was a moron. The little torches are great for sheet metal and light work. OA was the only way to weld aircraft parts before TIG was invented in WWII.

Get a copy of the Oxwelders Handbook, no later than 1939 which was peak OA welding era. They're about ten bucks online.

This forum is one of the last with quality OA welding and related equipment posts. It's noob friendly. https://weldingweb.com/vbb/forums/2-MIG-TIG-Stick-And-Oxy-Fuel-Welding/

Blacksmithanons will also enjoy this place: https://weldingweb.com/vbb/forums/121-Sticky-Forum

A shade 5 face shield is most comfy. Goggles are shit. Your local welding supply has them. Sunglasses also work well but I wear glasses and prefer shields which protect the face.

Determine what make/model torch you have. I buy tips via Ebay and only use US-made torches. Torches are typically cheap and I've got several from the 1930s I pressure tested (with clean compressed air) that sealed perfectly. Ivory soap is fine leak detector and recommended in old factory literature.

Don't sweat the gauge so long as you don't run too high a psi which for OA welding there is no need anyway.

PSI info and some background:
https://forum.millerwelds.com/forum/welding-discussions/7731-pressure-regulator-setting-for-o-a-cutting-and-welding

[Anonymous No.2528517]

>>2527285
Kill yourself you idiot piece of retarded garbage why did you shit up the thread with your drooling gasworthy dog felching ignorance? When you do not know, shut the fuck up.

[Anonymous No.2528758]

>>2525666
>>2528515
Thank you Satan acetylene welders! Good advice for all.

[Anonymous No.2528759]

>>2518957
how long do you keep the mold on at 400c and 450c? Ive just recently been fooling around with investment casting using and have had some issues with getting the temps right with my burnout oven.

[Anonymous No.2528761]

>>2518957
how long do you keep your flask at 400c and at 450c? do you slowly ramp the temp up over time or just heat to 400 and leave it?

[Anonymous No.2529651]

>>2528759
It should be pretty quick but if you can watch the smoke extractor once it is done smoking you're good. Also get a nice thermocouple module and a few dozen feet of K-type in the fiberglass wrap. A secondary measurement with a sensor that isn't embedded in the ceramic shell helps a lot.

[Anonymous No.2530920]

Bumping for ejaculating CNC products.

[Anonymous No.2531805]

>>2528759
I've typically done 3 hrs at 400C and 1 hr at 450C. This works for my biggest molds which are about 10 inch diameter - smaller should need less time and bigger more. By no means optimized. With smoke it always puts out a title even after all the PLA is gone - the plaster goes through some type of chemical change. Though certainly far less smoke than when you are melting or burning. On vacation now so no pictures.

[Anonymous No.2532709]

>>2531805
Makes me wonder what bulk burning SLA resin smells like...

[Anonymous No.2532780]

>>2477769
Why not use Aqua Regia? I think that Gold will dissolve in it at around room temperature, while Platinum takes a lot longer.

[Anonymous No.2533936]

>>2532780
I wonder if carefully leached platinum x metal alloys could make a platinum sponge like de-zinced brass... Might make some nice catalyst anodes.

[Turbro !g.qjHXwBp. No.2534749]

>>2477759
Hobbing with a tap
https://youtu.be/J0o3W4_LRBw

>>2530920
>Crap-n-Crud
>>/diy/EMT

[Turbro !g.qjHXwBp. No.2534753]

>>2477759
>Can we theory-craft a sustainable affordable method for smelting of high temperature metals without excessive energy consumption?
Gas turbines

[Anonymous No.2534755]

>>2532780
This, Pt takes several days at room temp or hours at 90C.

[Anonymous No.2534759]

>>2534753
zased.

[Anonymous No.2535123]

>>2534753
Solar-2-Metal

Blast a sub surface graphite bowl with reflected light then add metal to smelt.

[Anonymous No.2535202]

I probably won't be doing much more casting until the weather warms up. In the meantime since I finally have the capabilities I need I'm going to make one of those repeating crossbows, but from aluminum and steel.
I pretty much randomly chose locations for the lever pivots, so that'll probably be subject to optimization.

[Anonymous No.2535338]

>>2535202
Oh and also my despotic shithole state raising electricity prices to $0.48/kwh makes running the electric oven burnout oven expensive too.

[Anonymous No.2535344]

How long does a nozzle on an oxy-fuel torch last, on average?

[Anonymous No.2535691]

I need to be able to cut 3/8" aluminum thats about 3" long. Nothing crazy or precise. Is there a cheap lathe or alternative I can get for this.
I put a piece in a drill and took a file to it the first time. A few friends asked if I could make it for them but I cant really justify the time and effort I put into the drill method, and I dont have the space or money for a large sturdy lathe. There are these mini lathes I see that would fit the bill but I also feel like I would lose an eye using them

[Anonymous No.2535821]

>>2535691
How much you willing to spend? How about a mini-bandsaw? And what is instead of using a file with the drill you used a hacksaw? Or of course you could just cut it with the hacksaw though good luck getting a straight cut like that.

[Anonymous No.2535852]

noob here, i want to learn a bit about smithing, hopefully enough to make some woodworking tools down the line. i have a cabin in the mountains where i could set up a forge, but there is no electricity. will i get by with a simple firebrick (or can I just use stones and fireproof mortar?) + coal setup and a fireplace bellow? or do i need to build a fuigo box?

[Anonymous No.2535897]

>>2535691
Post a fucking sketch or description. 3/8" aluminum round bar? In what manner?

[Anonymous No.2536477]

>>2535852
Proportional size. Small brick holes + hand torch + hammer + chunk of steel to beat on = Nails, small knives, jewelery, chisels

For axes and shit you really need at least a large propane combustion chamber with multiple burners.

>>2535691
Sherline Lathe.

[Anonymous No.2536522]

>>2536477
thanks. i mostly want to make chisels, largest would be a slick. so a paint bucket with one of them blowtorches used for roofing would probably be enough then

[Anonymous No.2537282]

Crossbow update
I broke my only 1/8 end mill which has halted progress. Fortunately I saw this coming and ordered more a few days ago, hopefully only down a few days.
Magazine is fabricated. Currently only accepts 3 bolts but plans to make a bigger one after proof of concept.
Anyways only clamped together in the picture to confirm the magazine moves in the rails as it should.

[Anonymous No.2537662]

>>2537282
After this you're doing rifles next?

[Anonymous No.2537694]

>>2537662

[Anonymous No.2537902]

Made some design changes so I could use a 1/4 slots rather than 1/8 since I'd probably break the new end mills when they get here anyways. Also going to shift the bow back to the second slot I put in in case the first one was too far forward (which it is). Can switch from 1/8" to 1/4" steel for the bow now if I don't have enough power. Done for tonight though

[Anonymous No.2538452]

>>2537694
Fully legal! You just have to hide the extra bits in a tube somewhere.

>>2537902
Custom bolts as well or standard mass produced?

[Anonymous No.2538733]

Redesign finished and modifications made so not a lot of forward progress. But hopefully this week I'll have time to make the lever handle then start trying out different positions (that's why all the "speed holes" on the stock)
>>2538452
Bolts will have to be custom - need to fit within a 3/8" slot and stack on top of each other. Not sure how I'll fletch them, for proof of concept just unfletched bolts. But never going to be a highly accurate bow anyways, meant to be hip-fired.

[Anonymous No.2539572]

Bumping for martensite transformation.

[Anonymous No.2539763]

Anyone here able to do perfect Oxy-Acetylene welds of 0.8-3mm steel? What's the secret? Only practice?

[Anonymous No.2540917]

How corrosion resistant is silicon bronze. I hear it withstands acids pretty well, which would make it useful for a future project, but I want to hear personal experience with it

[Anonymous No.2541202]

>>2539763
Practice, familiarity with the alloy, and familiarity with your torch

>>2540917
It Depends™

Some are better than others. Avoid really high Si and Al varieties. Basically, the more just Cu and promary alloying agent the better. You want to avoid excessive eutectics. Those create internal galvanic potentials but also add to strength.

[Anonymous No.2541227]

I can't find any info on this. If I want to cast a big part with only a small furnace, can I pour it in two batches or will turn out badly?

[Anonymous No.2541265]

>>2541227
I haven't tried it, but I remember a couple threads ago someone posted some pictures of trying to do so and it wasn't pretty.
Is it possible to modify the design such that the pieces can be joined with fasteners?

[Anonymous No.2541338]

>>2541265
>fasteners
Yeah, that's probably the right way to go and I'm just trying to weasel out of it. The parts would be some of the rails and a surface for a CNC table and I don't actually know how to source that much bar stock

[Anonymous No.2541437]

I figure this is the best thread for this. I have a regular domestic fireplace but I burn cheap antracite coal, it absolutely destroys any cast iron grates I use within a couple of weeks or so. Realistically, what thing could I use as a grate that would ideally last "forever". The main use of the grate is to get a bit of oxygen in to start the fire good.
The only metal I think could withstand it is tungsten, so not really an option.
I've thought of building one from fireproof cement stuff (just sort of make a crude casting).
There has to be some kind of firebrick moudling that is popular for use in home steel forges.
Any Ideas please?

[Anonymous No.2541470]

>>2477759
this graf is simple but fuck names like perlite austenite like wtf . Just show the crystal shape and describe properties of each .

[Anonymous No.2541607]

>>2541437
you burn coal in your fireplace?
are you a character from a charles dickens novel?

[Anonymous No.2541613]

>>2541227
You need to pour at MASSIVE over heat or only a handful/few minutes after part 1 while stil almost molten.

>>2541437
High Nickel (i.e. GOOD) Stainless steel or you need firebrick liners. And firecement lining will spall off rather quick. Stainless doesn't absorb carbon as redily and the nickel resists the chemical/thermal potential of carbon monoxide.

>>2541470
Pearlite is lamellar alpha iron and iron carbide. Austenite is beta iron. Ferrite is alpha iron. Or the other way, I forget.

[Anonymous No.2541616]

>>2541613
You know now that you mention this I recall that's how they made tool steel faceplate anvils (albeit tool steel face plates were wrought to begin with, but heated before casting)

[Anonymous No.2541666]

>>2541470
>Just show the crystal shape
Austenite is iron in a face centered cubic crystal form. Pearlite is a mix of different crystals and materials. Alloys often form complex structures that are not accurately described with a simple "crystal shape" description.

[Anonymous No.2541879]

>>2541613
Google says anthracite can burn to temps of 3500F, I don't have a good feeling about any kind of stainless steel surviving that. I do have some 304 but I would have to come up with a way to bend it so it connects together without nuts/welds.

>And firecement lining will spall off rather quick.
I thought spalling only happened if there was moisture in it, although i suppose during the summer that will happen if it's not being lit for months at a time.

>>2541607
Pretty normal here, it was built for coal and wood just isint as good.

[Anonymous No.2541921]

Hi there.
totally new to this, so please no bully.
I'm just wondering if theres something like a 3d printer, but from home use?
obviously, not really like a 3d printer, but something that can take a block of metal, and shape it the way I want ?

[Anonymous No.2541927]

>>2541921
yes

[Anonymous No.2541928]

>>2541927
do you have a brand/model that you can recommend so I can start looking it up ?

[Anonymous No.2541967]

>>2541921
Miniature CNC - Benchmann, Tormach, etc.
Or use a standard PLA 3D printer to make patterns for casting.

[Anonymous No.2541969]

>>2541967

[Anonymous No.2541981]

>>2541921
Milling machine
Lathe
CNC Router

[Anonymous No.2542000]

>>2541879
At the air/fuel combustion (2CO + O2 -> 2CO2) interface which occurs somewhere higher in the air column. An updraft fire base grille will never get that hot. Unless you are doing forging heats in your fireplace!?

>>2541921
Besides what everybody suggested (CNC mills) you could always drop $$$ and get a 3D metal dust printer or a very unique metal filament for a normal 3D printer and sinter it in a furnace. Problem is, controlled sintering is HARD to model.

[Anonymous No.2542086]

>>2541921
Ghost Gunner.
Or a rather heavy duty router like this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLtdXvL7cpI

[sage No.2542143]

>>2541969
That thing works with a computer? Looks like straight out of the 90s or 80's.

[Anonymous No.2542164]

Crossbow update. Finished lever (and lever rework). Before lever was causing premature firing, but fixed it now. Also I snapped my bowstring. New this was coming so I have a second one on hand and will be filing any suspect edges round. Might consider using steel cable for a bowstring if problems persist. Hoping to get some test firing in tomorrow.
>>2542143
It does, probably 20 years old or so. Had a chance to buy it for $1500 but I've simply run out of space for any new equipment.

[Anonymous No.2542231]

Where the fuck do I buy coal for my forge? I can't believe retards on etsy try to charge like 4 dollars a pound.

[Crossbro No.2542254]

The day is almost here! Too dark to test now but ready to go first thing after liturgy tomorrow.

[Anonymous No.2542417]

>>2542231
talk to heating companies, people still have coal stoves sometimes, depending on where you are you can it cheap in bulk
otherwise tractor supply in bags

[Anonymous No.2542435]

>>2542000
>Unless you are doing forging heats in your fireplace!?
Ok that's fair enough. To sate my curiosity, what could I use to determine the temperature without spending a bomb? My understanding is that even reaching half the melting point temp of a metal is still going to cause severe distortion

[Anonymous No.2542686]

A lot of design optimization left to go but successful testing today. I think my bolts (just 3/8" dowel carved with a knife/belt sanded) are what holds performance back most now. I'll post relevant parts here but might start moving over into /k/.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0Ghmfe2TyEA

[Anonymous No.2542794]

>>2542686
Bless you, please kill a trash bait thread on /k/ in the name of hand made weaponry!

[Anonymous No.2544300]

>>2542435
A proper ceramic-enclosed Nickel-based thermocouple. J-Type, I believe? A reader and probe are actually cheap and pretty accurate.

[Anonymous No.2544351]

Have to do some casting for work related stuff. I hate doing casting in the winter because mixing up plaster in the garage is so messy.
Had a bunch of mold failures like I'd never experienced before due to my garage being cold slowing down the cure time of my plaster molds.
Anyways I've been trying a lot of different things - first 4 molds failed, but the last one out of the burnout oven looks good and I am confident about 2 out of the next 3. Either way I'll post my findings when done, though I won't be able to post pictures of the parts themselves.
I should note I'm a cheapass and have been making my own investment plaster blends from stuff from Home Despot rather than buying the stuff specifically made for it which is probably biting me in the ass. But trying to figure out how to get reimbursed for materials is a pain in the ass.

[Anonymous No.2544352]

>>2544351
Also I should add the need for parts yesterday rather than being able to take my time and do molds one weekend casting another weekend and not wanting to leave my oven on when I'm away from the house made it a challenge to cure.

[Crossbro No.2544376]

>>2544352
Uh oh bros another one cracked. But this time hoping safety wire and joint compound will do the trick.

[Anonymous No.2544379]

>>2544376
On a previous one that cracked I tried putting in a bucket of sand, ended up getting these funky shapes where it worked through the sand.

[Anonymous No.2544380]

Hopefully good enough. But I'll probably put in a sand bucket to be safe.

[Turbro !g.qjHXwBp. No.2544431]

https://www.amazon.com/Weldcote-Metals-Hexavalent-Chromium-Electrodes/dp/B082MJWTYF/
>made in Israel

[Anonymous No.2544438]

>>2544380
Ended up worked out well. I'm starting to think I should go ahead and secure all my molds with a few strands of safety wire before putting in the oven if worried about cracking.

[Anonymous No.2545039]

>>2544438
New mixture shows a lot of promise:
1 gallon sand
1 gallon diamond veneer plaster (slow setting, the cheapest stuff)
0.25lb borax
1.5 quarts water (add 1 quart first, stir, then add in the remainder 1/2 quart as necessary - if the sand is wet can change how much water you need)

Mixed it up 24 hours ago, set it on top of my pellet stove over night, through it in my kitchen oven at 150F for about an hour before throwing it in the burnout oven at 400C for 4 hours, didn't crack. Which is surprising because it was still kind of damp when I put it in the burnout oven. The borax seems to be the magic pixie dust. Drop dead deadline for this casting shit is tomorrow so probably be a while before I revisit this again (tired of everything I own being covered in sand and plaster), but at some point I plan to actually investigate these mixes and burnout times in a more systematic fashion.

[Anonymous No.2545094]

>>2545039
Do you pre wash your sand? Borax is pretty amazing dirt, yeah.

[Anonymous No.2546646]

Bump for Pb/Sn eutectic.

[Anonymous No.2547108]

>>2545094
I don't sand is just wet from the bags I buy them in.
At some point I'll buy it in bulk and fill up a 55 gallon drum or two if I can find a place to put them - I don't want my yard to look like I'm white trash.

[Anonymous No.2547426]

>>2547108
There's actually a trick to running an industrial scrap-yard in your backyard without pissing off the neighbors: colorfully painted wood area markers.

If you need to store 4 barrels then make a rectangle of nicely painted (reduced cost mistinted paint) 2x4's and then put it on the ground. If you feel adventerous then elevate the square 1' with corner posts pounded in the ground.

I keep my scrap metal junk in massive plastic containers that belong in a junkyard but I made a 2x4 frame painted a golden yellow. Neighbor thought it was a compost bin for my garden.

[Anonymous No.2548294]

I'm a dipshit learning on a cheap mini lathe from YouTube. My depth of cut gets shallower over the cut. Like the cross slide slips back as I move along very very slightly. Do I need to tighten the gibs, or something else, or is there some type of lock I'm failing to find?

[Anonymous No.2548434]

How to get metal splinters out of your skin?

[Anonymous No.2548467]

>>2548434
A pair of calipers makes for a good pair of tweezers. Otherwise time to break out the knife or scribe and do some digging.

[Anonymous No.2548483]

>>2548467
What could you do with a big magnet?

[Anonymous No.2548493]

>>2548294
Your rails might have misalignment relative to the head and tail. Get a micrometer and arm stand.

>>2548434
Fresh Xacto blade for digging. Fine tweezers or a good nail clipper as grabber.

[Anonymous No.2549471]

I'm trying to join two pieces of steel together but I don't know a good way to do it. one piece is basically a rectangular block and the other is a flat plate. they're both about 1/4" thick. they were originally joined with 2 lap welds at the ends of the rectangle, but I had to break them apart to modify one part and now I have to put them back together. I suck at welding so I thought I could use some 4% silver braze, but apparently I suck at soldering too and they broke apart as soon as I tried to put the assembly back in service. the parts are too thin to bolt together. my idea now is to drill 2 holes through both parts and then press 2 pins through. then I can attempt to do a shitty weld on the ends of the pins to basically turn them into rivets.

is there a better way to do this?

[Anonymous No.2549490]

>>2483597
Stainless hose and brass spigot is a recipe for galvanic corrosion. That's why you can't get it off.

[Anonymous No.2549776]

>>2549471
Did you clean the surfaces and use a (lot of) Zinc Chloride style flux? Soldering on steel requires very good flux and quick heat before oxygen can get back in the joint.

[Anonymous No.2550011]

>>2549776
I tinned one surface and then squirt a bunch of acid flux on both parts and torched them until the flux started bubbling out of the joint. looking at the parts after they broke apart I could see there was zero adhesion on one side and they were only stuck together where I tried to feed some in from the edges. I think it would have worked better if I tinned both sides.

I went ahead with my plan and my welds look like reheated shit but I think it will hold up

[Anonymous No.2550427]

>>2477759
I made a fork for turning my compost

[Anonymous No.2550498]

Why is anthracite so hard to light?

[Anonymous No.2551334]

>>2550498
It absorbs heat so quickly that it is self-quenching. Light smaller pieces or use a long-burning starter.

[Anonymous No.2551375]

Which of these three minilathes would be nicest for some small turning on soft metals (brass, aluminium) and plastics?
>https://www.emcounimat.nl/draaibanken-lathe-s-1
The white Unimat 3 looks like the sturdiest (for whatever that's worth) and it's the newest model, but I really like the old-timey looks of the green SL's - it's not as if they would be much worse, right? The most expensive one comes without tooling, but with a VFD, for not that much more.
I don't want to buy new chinkshit, there's enough junk in the world already. These are almost (almost) old and industrial looking you could put one in your living room.

[Anonymous No.2551377]

>>2551375
Also, to add something to the topic: pic related are some lost-PLA casting I made at the local bronze casting place (with some help from the people there). Next week I'll go back to clean them up. They're not functional parts, just trying out the process so I can replicate it at work with some small parts and aluminium.

[Anonymous No.2551604]

>>2551375
Ironically I had one of these, I inherited from my Grandfather while I was growing up, I'd put them solidly in the category of a novelty.

Turning small things (<1") can be difficult because tool height and edge geometry issues are amplified. The handwheels are very small, the leadscrew is in a poor position to avoid gunk, and I was never able to find a satisfactory position where things were tight enough to have rigidity but loose enough to move smoothly. The threading capability is also subpar, the attachment can be hard to find in the first place and it just copies threads from a master rather than using a gearbox, so you have a very limited length to work with and you need a master for every pitch you intend to cut.

What's worse is they still go for prices that are a hop skip and a jump away from a proper small lathe.

For a home shop I wouldn't recommend anything much smaller than a 10x24, buy an older used machine, it's easiest to learn on parts in the 1-3" diameter range. Some key things to look for are a quick change gearbox and independently driven power feeds, stay away from half nut only machines as the leadscrews are usually badly worn. It's also good to know the availability of critical components like spindle bearings, I've been bit before by a lathe that needed a special internally preloaded bearings that are no longer available.

[Anonymous No.2551672]

I broke two TIG nozzles today

[Anonymous No.2551837]

>>2551604
The thing is I need to turn small things with a diameter of just under an inch. Maybe parting, maybe just a skim pass to turn down the OD, that's all. No threading needed, and it'll all be soft stuff like brass and mostly plastics.

I already have access to several proper lathes at work, including a DMG CNC if need be, I just need a small nifty tool for odds and ends at home that doesn't require a big budget, a crane to get in or 400V power. This seems to fit the bill, do you have other recommendations?

[Anonymous No.2551847]

>>2551377
those look pretty nice.
Is the process pretty much just to normally print a low infill PLA part then ram some oilsand and pour in the bronze?
Do you have any tips or tricks to share?

[Anonymous No.2551850]

>>2551847
Low infill tends to float more, which is annoying.
You print them, then stick them into a box full of gypsum (with some coarser stuff in it for bronze, because of the higher temperature), which then sets. You put it into a kiln for a set amount of time to melt all the PLA (or wax, for wax models), roughly 5 hours at 100-200 degrees C (slowly ramping up) for a 10cm (4 inch) object. Then you put the kiln on high, up to about 500-600 degrees for about the same amount of time to burn all the remaining stuff. After that you're left with a gypsum (+stuff) casting mold that's nearly a perfect impression of the original printed part, you fill it up with the metal you want (I've tried bronze and zinc, gonna try aluminium next), let that cool, then break away the gypsum and you have a near perfect part.

Critical tips:
>Make sure the gypsum is dry before putting it in the kiln. Any water will evaporate, turn to steam and destroy your mold.
>Slowly ramp up kiln temperature. Professional kilns have loads of settings for this. I'd rather take twice as long and do it right, than to destroy the mold or leave some PLA/wax remains
>Use clear PLA with as little additives as possible. PLA/PHA mixes are supposedly even better
>Make sure there's a path for the air to escape. Don't clog said path with metal during your pour (duh).
>For fat parts: make sure there's a fat runner to draw material from during cooldown, because material shrinks during cooling.

[Anonymous No.2552298]

>>2550427
Very nice anon, hope it serves you well.

[Anonymous No.2552427]

/k/ wasn't very interested so I'll keep posting updates here.
Finished extending the magazine, I'll probably be just shy of 15 bolts. Bow is starting to get pretty heavy so maybe next time I'll use plastic (heresy I know). Though eventually I plan to make a bipod or tripod mount.
Been experimenting with crossbow bolt design. Planning to just buy field trips because I don't want to spend the rest of my life turning cones on my lathe. Best luck I've had so far is drilling an undersized hole and threading field trips into the wood shaft (tips have 8-32).
Planning to install a second 1/8 piece of spring steel in the next couple of weeks which should double the power.

[Anonymous No.2552463]

>>2552427
*field tips
forgive me for phonefagging, didn't feel like emailing the picture to myself to post form the desktop
>captcha: MS0YS2

[Anonymous No.2553014]

>>2552427
Are the springs better bonded or left somewhat loose to slide against eachother? I'm not actually sure.

Also you should have just claimed the crossbow was a "Donetsk Pigger Killer ))))))) yummmm" and you would have gotten 50 you's.

[Anonymous No.2553179]

>>2553014
Haven't installed the second spring yet. Plan is to drill holes and connect with bolts - that'll be mod 2 along with some other changes.
Hoping to test out the mod 1 before work tomorrow since it's supposed to be really cold later this week. Can fit 14 bolts though only had enough tips for 11. Threw together a quick bipod.

[Anonymous No.2553182]

What exactly is the difference between plaster of Paris and proper investment powder? I'm practicing making rings and other objects before making my wedding rings.

Also is there a good electric furnace for melting gold and silver?

[Anonymous No.2553252]

>>2553182
The expense of the silica compound and how it cures. Fired vs. self curing.

Also just make your own from kits.

[Anonymous No.2553819]

>>2553179
Test firing this morning went alright but not great. Going with the field tips and front weighting the bolts unsurprising helped with the power. However problems with the magazine consistently feeding with just gravity alone - need something to apply force to the bolts from the top of the magazine. Currently considerig springs, rubber bands, or just a heavy piece of steel on a pivot.

[Anonymous No.2554515]

is acetylene too hot for 60/40 solder?

[Anonymous No.2554516]

>>2554515
It's about skill. It's 100% doable with acetylene, but you might have better luck with a more conventional option if you aren't good with your hands and you have no experience

A lot of times, the idea is to heat the workpiece rather than heating the solder anyway, so as long as you have good control you could do it with any adequately hot source of heat

[Anonymous No.2554553]

>>2554515
For valves and other critical components I personally think it's better, you can apply heat exactly where you need it and finish the joint before it can heat soak any sensitive parts like seals.

Obviously it's not as idiot proof, if you just sit with the torch in one area you could burn through the pipe, you want to keep things moving.

[Anonymous No.2554566]

>>2554516
I'm a retard but I need to do a repair and it's the only torch in the shop. do I just hold the flame away from the work? it's thin wall tube.

[Anonymous No.2554579]

>>2554566
yeah basically. Use a soft/broad flame tip and don't overheat the tube too bad.
Just go slow with the heat, watch for it to start changing color a little bit and/or occasionally touch the solder to the tube to see if it's hot enough to melt.

Watch a couple quick youtube videos about soldering with a torch if you've never done it before.
The main things are to make sure the surfaces are cleaned and prepped, use plenty of flux, and don't overheat the work too much

[Anonymous No.2554599]

>>2554579
should I use acid flux or rosin?

[Anonymous No.2554752]

I don't know it's the right thread but i'll try.

I'm learning jewelery and basically i would like to do everything by myself, as i'm not so full of money i also want to do it as mush as diy is i can.

my question : i've made some basic jewels out of brass and i want to electroplate them with gold to prevent corrosion and to be able to call them gold platted.

I know i need a power supply with an anode and a cathode through a bath of chemicals and that's pretty much it. Chemicals seems cheap enough pour what about the power supply ? Should a basic 12v from ebay do the trick ? Is there some things i need to know ? Is it safe ? I'm definitely not and electrical engineer but i'm really passionate about doing my own rings and shit.

I live in Europe btw.

[Anonymous No.2555054]

>>2477759
Are induction furnaces a meme?
I want to get a decent one for melting copper and precious metals.

[Anonymous No.2555139]

>>2554752
Yes, a small 20V DC 5amp power supply is more than enough. You could even use a 5V usb suppy if patient. Benign Copper-Nickel-Gold/Silver plating is easy to do with mild acids or even no acids at all if certain salts are used.

>>2555054
They work and offer amazingly precise control but they eat power. In some places this is worth the cost or even cheaper. For small crucible work that can't use propane and where a normal electric furnace cannot reach the required heat or offer precise control a small induction unit is suitable.

[Anonymous No.2555168]

>>2555139
>>>2555054 (You)
>They work and offer amazingly precise control but they eat power. In some places this is worth the cost or even cheaper. For small crucible work that can't use propane and where a normal electric furnace cannot reach the required heat or offer precise control a small induction unit is suitable.
so if I don't give two fucks about energy cost and purely want convince, it's king?

[Anonymous No.2555178]

>>2477759
Can someone here warm up a piece of one inch mild structural steel rod up to 900°C and try to bend it?

Just for science obviously.

[Anonymous No.2555231]

>>2555178
Yes, it will bend easier. Not as easy as if you added a few hundred C but still easy.

>>2555168
Yes, but... It will be BIG and is costly to maintain compared to resistive electric so be prepared for the pros and cons.

[Anonymous No.2555455]

I have a small induction furnace (about 8kw). A small induction furnace is most similar to a coal or charcoal forge (with much more control). It's a nice furnace (can use it inside the garage in the winter without opening the garage door), though it does have limitations.
The problem is you lose a ton of heat to radiation which is proportional to surface area. A smaller workpiece is going to have a larger ratio of surface area to volume, meaning you'll struggle with heating anything substantial. Because you don't have a lot of real estate inside the induction coil it's hard to effectively insulate. Increasing insulation thickness means more distance between the piece and the coil and therefore less heat going into the piece. But when you start to get into 100 kW+ induction furnaces and the surface area to volume ratio starts to go down, it starts making more and more sense.
I've tried melting with my induction furnace and have had difficulties doing so. Perhaps I could figure out how to make it work by optimizing the crucible/insulation, but at $0.50/kwh I think I'm better off sticking with propane. If you are only doing small quantities a resistance furnace may be a better bet.

[Anonymous No.2555800]

>>2555455
The near-liquid metal rapidly changes in conductivity and susceptible frequencies. "Proper" induction smelters have unique transitions which vary the coil frequency/power and can have multiple coils with phase lag to induce certain flows.

Consumer shop induction coils can be smelters but need a LOT of power or a robust insulation system to get over the hump.

[Anonymous No.2555903]

i want to differentially harden chisel blades so that the tops are soft. should i quench it half submerged, that is, the belly surface with the cutting edge dropped on a shallow pool of my temper? or will that produce problems?
the other way i'm thinking of is to keep it half submerged on a shallow pool of water and then gently heat the back side after it has been hardened. or sort of like a hamon, but with the clay coating the entire belly and cutting edge of the chisel or heat it when the top portion is coated with clay.

[Anonymous No.2555921]

>>2555903
You may get a banana bend if you try half quench (much like a katana!). Do the water-submerged temper with a torch instad.

[Anonymous No.2555937]

>>2555921
thanks. it seems to be the easiest and less awkward way to do. i'm just worried that the heat might draw farther down than expected since only half of the thickness is above the water while laying flat.
i'm trying to replicate the old laminated chisels and plane blades where there is less of the hard steel to hone.

[Anonymous No.2555985]

>>2551672
You big doodoo

[Anonymous No.2556577]

Laser sight installed
Spring-loaded magazine assist installed (plans to further improve but need longer springs)
Spring doubler added

Moment of silence for the many drill bits which perished drilling through hardened spring steel (1075).

[Anonymous No.2557050]

>>2556577
With all your lessons learned, what's V2 gonna look like?

[Anonymous No.2557130]

Is this thread friendly to welders? My chinko piece of shit is dying and I'm looking to get this.

https://crossfirewelders.com/products/ecowave-200-ac-dc

Are these any good?

[Anonymous No.2557229]

>>2557050
Now that I better understand design space limitation I want to do some research, design, and calculations for optimizing the force the bow delivers. Surprisingly the above configuration delivered much less force even with the doubler - I assumed the longer bow would mean more force but definitely not the case. And at some point making detachable magazines.
That said once I get this one where I want it to be I might take a break from crossbows for a while - making a steam engine from stock has been on my bucket list for a while. I also want to make a pneumatically actuated thingy I can use to blast boulders apart with using 22LR (feathering wedges are satisfying when they work but a real pain in the ass if the granite has schist mixed in with it).

[Anonymous No.2557285]

i have some annealed 1095 flat stock. except the edges are hardened i believe from when it as cut with a plasma. can i take off the hardness on the edges just a stove fire instead of using a torch and furnace set up?

[Anonymous No.2557659]

I asked in qtdt before I remembered that the metals experts are in this thread.

I want to try bluing on an old pair of cast iron scissors, but the normal gun bluing stuff isn’t available here. I saw some people on YouTube do it with Ferric Chloride which I can get, but there are hardly any hits on Google on how to do it except for those few YouTube videos.
Can it be done or is it a stupid idea? It’s just to prevent corrosion from touching it.

[Anonymous No.2557869]

>>2557130
Frindly, yes. Knowledgable of the best budget welders? Probably not. I recommend you check out Youtube vids showing then off (not sponsored).

>>2557285
Yup.

>>2557659
Go with a hot oil dip like cast iron skillets. Or use solvent-based Japanning. Or even a wax coating. Otherwise an oxide conversion coating can be done with suitable common chemicals, acidic or oxidizing.

[Anonymous No.2557952]

Can I also use 17-4 PH wire as filler metal when arc welding 17-4 PH maraging steel?

[Anonymous No.2558083]

>>2557659
I think that's for rust blueing. you put the chemical on to get it to rust evenly and then boil it to turn into blueing.

[Anonymous No.2558442]

>>2557952
Yes, but be aware that using a lower melting point filler with a chemically active flux has advantages over a same-melting-point filler from an ease-of-use point of view.

>>2558083
Ferric Chloride you just dunk it in after a good cleaning and polish. It leaves a chalky black porous layer that takes oil well but isn't as mechanically adherent as a "proper" hot blue. I find that its usefulness as corrosion resistence is really limited to it holding that residual oil.

[Anonymous No.2558494]

>>2558442
well you can try making your own rust blueing solution but it involves fuming nitric acid so have the right safety equipment if you don't want to kill yourself.

[Anonymous No.2558537]

Can somebody redpill me on plating?
Been making custom piercings from 316L and recently was asked by somebody who claims to be intolerant to it whether I could do gold or titanium one instead. Obviously I cant make solid part out of those but maybe plating is the way?

Is it possible to plate directly over it without the plating eventually rubbing through (when its in the mouth for example)?

Is there some other body safe plating alternative?

[Anonymous No.2558909]

Hello. Can I make raney nickel?

That's like, idk, half nickel and half aluminum. Its characteristically heterogeneous, so like, I dont know if that will be a factor for you to considrr.

If I melt aluminum and put my nickel bar into it will the molten aluminum magically dissolve the nickel even if we are nowhere near the melting point of nickel?

Wikipedia states graphite is soluble in molten nickel. I have some small, ceramic crucible I guess I'll be doing this in, but I always have trouble keeping them from cracking.

Finally, it is said that some compositions of raney nickel are pyrophoric. Any one know anything about that? Am I in over my head?

[Anonymous No.2558914]

>>2558494
Honestly to be cost effective you really ought to devote a portion of your yard to like having a big pee and poo pit

[Anonymous No.2559042]

>>2558914
The (can't name it on the 4channel) fears the peepeepoopoo diy leather tanner and gunpowder maker

[Anonymous No.2559106]

>>2558537
Usually you go from chemically reactive (Copper) to least reactive (Gold). So something like Copper-Silver-Gold.

Note that most plating, unless done VERY WELL, is somewhat porous and MAY leach the base allergen metal compound over time.

>>2558909
Yes, but it has to be a chemically-preferential mixing reaction (V shaped trough). Based on this phase diagram...Beyond 4% Ni, no. You'll just make an AlNi intermetallic sludge if at all.

Graphite is soluable in a lot of alloys but usually takes a long time at temp to really affect composition.

A lot of metals are pyrophoric but usually require fine dispersion. They just tarnish quickly and become inert in most other forms.

[Anonymous No.2559147]

how the fuck can you be allergic to stainless steel? do you have to use actual silverware?

[Anonymous No.2559222]

i wonder. with most diy can forge, the hole in the center is circular. since most of what are heat treated are in a flat form, wouln't it be more heat efficient if the hole is also more oblong or rectangular? less open space

[Anonymous No.2559225]

>>2559147
some people seem to develop sensitivity to it (I think it's because of the nickel content?)
It's very different to use a stainless steel fork compared to a tongue or clit piercing where it's going to be in contact with a wet part of your body all the time.
Its not that uncommon to find people who get allergic blistered spots on their belly where their belt buckle touches the skin.

[Anonymous No.2559237]

>>2559225
I guess you could call that a metallergy

[Anonymous No.2559443]

>>2484859
Use a fumes grade respirator?

[Anonymous No.2559722]

>>2555455
>>2555800
>$0.50/kwh
JFC, it's only $0.12/kwh for me.
I mainly want to stick to aluminum, copper and bronze and 5lb upper limit, maybe an induction furnace is overkill.

[Anonymous No.2559751]

>>2559147
The free Nickel leaches out and converts to various salta and shit. That can irritate the immune system.

[Anonymous No.2560044]

>>2557659
>>2557869
>>2558083
>>2558442
Thanks for the advice, decided to just try it. For those interested, left it for 1 minute in 10% FeCl solution, then left out in air for an hour, cleaned up any residue, then left it in a closed box overnight with a wet cloth to provide moisture. The result is okay (not great) but it wasn’t polished in the first place.
Comes off easily with sandpaper but doesn’t leave anything on my hands.
Took pic after oiling

[Anonymous No.2560193]

I had an interesting conversation with an AI about the composition of Solar Flux. Is it pulling my leg or is this legit information?

[Anonymous No.2560610]

I'm trying to make a novelty business card that's a big flat spring. I have some .015 1095 that I cut into a card shape. the problem that I've run into though is that I only have a torch for heat and trying to harden it like that warps the shit out of it. will clamping it between 2 1/4" plates and then heat treating the entire mass work?

[Anonymous No.2560823]

>>2560610
If you just have a torch, heating up that much metal could be difficult.
With just a torch you'll have a hard time uniformly heating the steel, which would cause problems during quenching.
Not sure how you are quenching, but using oil may help. Or maybe even just air if it is that thin would be sufficient. Piece should be vertical, not flat, in either case to ensure more uniform cooling.
If you could get the whole assembly up to uniform temperature, maybe the clamping plates would help, but in truth not sure. If you get any residual stresses though it'll just bend when you take it out.
And of course you could just try to bend the distortion out, though that's a challenging game. (see >>2524105)

[Anonymous No.2561313]

>>2560823
I attempted it but it didn't work very well. I only had a small tip for my torch so I could barely get it to a dull red glow and not even on the entire part. also my quench oil caught on fire. the clamping plates seemed to work though. I'm just going to polish it up and niter blue it and give up on making it springy.

[Anonymous No.2561385]

actually now that I think about it even with a small tip it should still be hot enough to melt the metal completely for welding so I guess I had the gas set up wrong. the acetylene regulator is busted so I'm afraid of turning it up.

[Anonymous No.2561393]

>>2561385
Could you just buy the steel pre-hardened? https://www.mcmaster.com/spring-steel/wear-resistant-1095-spring-steel-sheets-and-strips/