Subject: Re: Stainless steel forging

From: chris Hubbard <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 1996 12:51:47 -0600

I am rather new at the forge so I thought you "experts" out there might be
able to answer a question.  Is it possible to forge stainless steel and if
so where can you get it?  We have all seen the "forged" stainless steel
flatware in the houseware catalogues.  Is this stuff real (i.e. forged) and
if so how tough would it be for me to do the same thing?  Chris Hubbard

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From: Tom Vincent <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 1996 21:03:51 -0600 (CST)

Good question. There is much to know about forging stainless and we 
should all be brought up to speed. I bet Bill will be able to help with 
metallurgical aspects. 1) Get a magnet. 300 series is not heat treatable, 
400 is. Heat your piece, cool it and see if its magnetic. If its not, you 
can bend it, but it won't do much. You'll need a special welding flux to 
weld it-H-7 works well. Be careful, it'll go to bright orange/yellow a 
couple of times and then vanish into the fire. Its murder to draw out, it 
likes to split unless you're very careful. To harden the 400, bring it to 
about 1700? Salmon red and quench. I was unknowingly working some at a 
demo, and quenched a piece at that temp for a customer. He allowed as how 
it was just a hair too long and could I trim it? I said sure, put it in 
the vise and tore every tooth off a brand-new hacksaw blade. If you want 
to do the silverware, go to Goodwill and get you some 10 cent implements 
and work away. They come out great for no work at all. I tell all my 
customers that and they usually let me make them something nice instead.

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From: "Szucs" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 10:38:22 -0500

On Jan 28,  9:03pm, Tom Vincent wrote:

> 1) Get a magnet. 300 series is not heat treatable,
> 400 is.

	This is not quite so.  Those 400 series alloys that are
	martensitic are heat treatable whereas the ferritic alloys
	are not.  The ferritic 400s include 405, 429, 430, 430F,
	430F(Se), 434, 442, and 446.  They *can* be hardened by
	cold working as can the austenitic steels (300 series) but
	not by heat treating by any means known.

	-Andy V.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 15:06:04 -0500

If you are going thru the work to build a coal forge you might as well
do it right. Get a firepot from Centaur Forge (or others). I have the
Centaur Vulcan for $130.00. Centaur also has a variable speed 115 volt
blower for $52.00. The blower is not the greatest but it will work. Make a
forge table out of 1/4" plate and angle iron. Drop in the pot, hook up the
blower and you are off to the races.
     I have been a strong believer in coal forges (rather than coke). I
still am, but I have to admit I have barely used mine since I made a gas
forge. It is so easy, so clean, and so cheap. It takes no tending. Light it
up and you can move around the shop getting your tools and material ready.
Gas is also a good choice if your shop is in a populated area, no smoke.
     Coal can also be somewhat hard to find. I just bought half a ton from
Skei Coal and Wood in Ames, Iowa for $16.00 per hundred pre bagged.
                                                        Have Fun!
                                                        Bob Schade

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From: Tom Vincent <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 19:07:06 -0600 (CST)

Do they ship, and do you have an address and phone number for them? Tom

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From: Tom Vincent <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 17 Mar 1996 09:53:07 -0600 (CST)

My father in law has picked up a Whitney Hand Punch #2 at an auction for 
$20. I have no idea what to do with such a thing. I see Centaur charges a 
bunch for them and suggests that one call the company for more info. 
Before I run up the long distance phone bill for something I don't 
understand can anyone tell me what this thing might be good for, does it 
punch diffenrt size holes with adapters, how thick, how fast, 
blah,blah,blah? Tom

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From: "Dr. Mark E. Williams" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 07:21:31 -0500

Centaur Forge is listed on the suppliers page within the ABANA page.

Centaur Forge Ltd.
414-763-9175
117 N. Spring Street
P.O.Box 340
Burlington, WI 53105

Cheers!

-- 
Dr. Mark E. Williams

Bldg N-159, Rm E-215
NASA/GSFC/WFF/EG&G
Wallops Island, VA 23337
804-824-1744

[email-masked]

Self-confidence is walking barefoot through a cowpasture at midnight on a moonless night.

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From: "Szucs" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 10:53:55 -0500

On Mar 17,  9:53am, Tom Vincent wrote:
>-- End of excerpt from Tom Vincent

	They're for punching holes in sheet metal.  They come with a set
	of standard sizes (there should be at least 6 or 8 punch/die
	pairs in a complete set.

	As to how thick a piece they can punch through, this depends on
	what size contraption you have.  I have two in my basement but
	I don't know what the maximum guage is though I suspect it would be
	about 14 to 12 ga. which is already getting pretty heavy when talking
	about sheetmetal work.

	And yes, they are indeed fairly expensive, but very useful when that
	kind of tool is needed.

	Hope this helps.

	-Andy V.

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From: David Wilson <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 00:37:51 -0600

Daryl said,
>How long does it take for the catalog to arrive? I ordered one about 2
>months ago and it is still not here. Would the fact I live in Canada be
>a factor? All seemed to be a go when I ordered.

I've had to call Rio three times to get a catalog. If they weren't out of
catalogs, they forgot my address and so on. Same with Triple S  Steel.
Persistence pays off tho', the catalogs are great to have around.

--
David
http://www.flash.net/~dwwilson/
[email-masked]

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From: Tom Vincent <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 23:17:59 -0500 (CDT)

And if one were unintiated, such as myself, in the wonders of a Rio 
Grande Catalog, how might one go about contacting them in order to remedy 
this lack? Tom

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From: "Mark E. Williams" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 07:23:54 -0400

Tom etal,

I have two addresses in the suppliers list but common phone numbers.

Rio Grande Albuquerque
6901 Washington N.E.
Albuquerque, NM 87109
800 545-6566

Rio Grande Tools
4516 Anaheim Avenue NE
Albuquerque NM 87113 1668
800 545 6566
505 821 7620
505 821 5529

Have fun.

Mark

Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, lest ye deceive yourselves.
James 1:22