Above 1200 Sq/FT Cleaning Up My Shop

[drivesitfar]

Handy: well maybe they were KID'S TOYS/TOOLS as you say, but in those days toys were made better than most tools are today.

you've got great stories and you are going more directions than a compass with a few magnets nearby so guessing maybe besides your online friends you've got some good conversation with your friends and acquaintances.

BTW you mentioned this on my ORGANIZING THREAD (yep i'm still trying to GET ORGANIZED) that BOB WAS MY UNCLE.

since BOB IS YOUR BROTHER "ARE" you my DAD?

 

[oldironfarmer]

So, part of my reason to build on my shop was to get dedicated foundry space. I fulfilled a dream today, early. I cast a brass hammer.

Here it is just cast from all scrap metal.

I melted 40 ounces of scrap brass and almost came up short.

Here it is coming out of the sand.

Surprised me that it was silver color.

Desprued it shows almost no porosity in the runner but a fair amount on the hammer face. Got them cleaned and polished.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Handy: well maybe they were KID'S TOYS/TOOLS as you say, but in those days toys were made better than most tools are today.

you've got great stories and you are going more directions than a compass with a few magnets nearby so guessing maybe besides your online friends you've got some good conversation with your friends and acquaintances.

BTW you mentioned this on my ORGANIZING THREAD (yep i'm still trying to GET ORGANIZED) that BOB WAS MY UNCLE.

since BOB IS YOUR BROTHER "ARE" you my DAD?

Yep, nice boxes. I'd love to have some.

I can keep several projects moving at once, but not as many as I have. Hmmm.

It wasn't supposed you get out until you mom told you.

So sorry you had to learn it from a stranger.

 

[drivesitfar]

Handy: nice looking hammer. WELL DONE SIR!!

Mom is still married to the other guy for the last 63 years so I guess she was waiting til he passed before she told me about you.

cheers

 

[njhoudini]

I cleaned up a little for my Zumba teacher.

Yes, that is clean. See all that empty flat surface?

She is finally coming back to finish her chairs and I promised to make her a trivet. I've got to get on finishing trivets, I've got nine ready to cut apart right now, and seventeen hammers to finish.

Fortunately I still have enough to do I can wait to start new projects.

Thanks for stopping by. I love having visitors.

Holy trivets and hammers, Andy. When casting copper, do you use salvaged pipe or a whole bunch of Honest Abe's? Hope your heat shield performs well.

If at first you don't succeed, keep trying.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=391230

Sent from my LG-H918 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[1/2 Cup]

Made a liner to reduce the crucible my new shank will hold.

Bent some 3/16"x1"

While I had the forge hot I took a 5" OD split ring I found and spread it to 5-1'2" to fit the small crucible. Thenn turned four 3/8" colts to 1/4".

Tapped the plates then welded into an assembly.

The bolts hold it from coming up when you lower the shank.

Like thus

And the crucible fits.

Andy as per usual you don't let us down with your skills and willingness to share them

Great work on the cane as well.


The brass hammer is really stepping things up a notch or two.

PS I love the clean bench

 

[Grumblebum]

yay it's brass time

 

[realvc]

The cane filial for your church bro. is one of the coolest of many cool things you have made. It is a real classy topper for a folk art cane.

Thanks again for you thread. I check in almost every day and always enjoy the goings on in and around your shop.

 

[tym]

yay it's brass time

So you're a brass man?

 

[bolensboneyard]

Nice work Andy! Hammer looks like it cleaned up nicely. Love the crucible holder.

 

[jbmatth]

Andy, I'd be honored if you held onto #3 for me. You have been busy the past couple days, a cane, brass hammer, and crucible holder. Each would have taken me a week and still wouldn't have worked right.

JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

Handy: nice looking hammer. WELL DONE SIR!!

Mom is still married to the other guy for the last 63 years so I guess she was waiting til he passed before she told me about you.

cheers

She is a fine lady.

Holy trivets and hammers, Andy. When casting copper, do you use salvaged pipe or a whole bunch of Honest Abe's? Hope your heat shield performs well.

If at first you don't succeed, keep trying.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=391230

Sent from my LG-H918 using The Garage Journal mobile app

Holes in trivets, holes in hammers. I see where you're going there.

I have plenty of copper pipe, old wire, and other sources of aluminum, my penny collection is safe.

Andy as per usual you don't let us down with your skills and willingness to share them

Great work on the cane as well.


The brass hammer is really stepping things up a notch or two.

PS I love the clean bench

Thanks for the kind words!

The cane was quite fun, and it got done the same day he gave it to me, and returned that day. I have never ever had that kind of turnaround.

Brass is a challenge. But I'm learning. Slowly.

P.S. I liked the clean bench too, for a few minutes. Then is disappeared.

The cane filial for your church bro. is one of the coolest of many cool things you have made. It is a real classy topper for a folk art cane.

Thanks again for you thread. I check in almost every day and always enjoy the goings on in and around your shop.

Thank you so much for the compliment!

So you're a brass man?

My next project is to cast some spheres...

Nice work Andy! Hammer looks like it cleaned up nicely. Love the crucible holder.

Thanks, Bobby! I tried several things on the brass and a steel wire wheel worked the best. The crucible holder is working very well.

Andy, I'd be honored if you held onto #3 for me. You have been busy the past couple days, a cane, brass hammer, and crucible holder. Each would have taken me a week and still wouldn't have worked right.

JB

I'll save #3 for you and you don't even have to pretend I do more than you.

Thanks for the visits, guys!

 

[Guster]

Just like that - A great first brass cast!

The porosity appears to be only superficial and on one side. Could even just be the sand. Assumed you used the new pouring shank and graphite clay crucible too!

A hydraulic oil filter from a log splitter would be perfect. Alternative would be adapting remote oil filter mount kit or making one. The hardest part is turning the matching threaded boss that the filter screws onto. Pick a suitably common engine and large enough filter size so you have access to a lifetime supply. I can get a cheap power steering pump for $20 which looks like a very likely candidate compared to an oil transfer pump.

 

[oldironfarmer]

For the Hershey Fan Club, here is her front yard swimming pool. It's an old plastic stock tank, cut down, she loves it.

I didn't get a good picture of her as she was chasing me around the pool.

I got out early and poured another brass hammer today. I tried to do everything right and would up letting it cool too much while I was cleaning slag from the crucible. So I put it back in the furnace and warmed it up again. Obviously not enough because I had a short pour.

DANG!

At least the metal which was poured was pretty clean.

So I rammed up another mold, made another core, and tried again. Filled the mold and had metal left over.

Hammer looks good.

And polished up nicely.

Notice it is a different color than the first hammer. I think I added too much zinc.

I did get two trivets ready for paint. They'll be finished tomorrow.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Just like that - A great first brass cast!

The porosity appears to be only superficial and on one side. Could even just be the sand. Assumed you used the new pouring shank and graphite clay crucible too!

A hydraulic oil filter from a log splitter would be perfect. Alternative would be adapting remote oil filter mount kit or making one. The hardest part is turning the matching threaded boss that the filter screws onto. Pick a suitably common engine and large enough filter size so you have access to a lifetime supply. I can get a cheap power steering pump for $20 which looks like a very likely candidate compared to an oil transfer pump.

I'm learning you have to burn off zinc to melt brass to pouring temperature. You just can't hold it at temperature too long or you'll lose too much zinc. But a little smoke is OK. I wear a respirator and face shield to avoid zinc fumes contact and drink a glass of milk when I'm done.

Add on oil filters used to be cheap, I don't know if they're even made anymore, though. But I have the add-on from my show truck I might use. 1948 Chevy 216 had no factory oil filter.

I need to filter it before it goes into my pressure tank.

Some new power steering pumps are ridiculously cheap here. As are salvage yard pumps. With leaky seals.

 

[Craptain]

!



My next project is to cast some spheres...

There's a joke there but I better not go there.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy I can't get over the brass hammers they look great.

 

[njhoudini]

Andy I can't get over the brass hammers they look great.[emoji106]

I concur. The brass hammers are beauties.

Sent from my LG-H918 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: the brass hammers look great and glad that you don't get too upset if everyone doesn't turn out perfect.

now that you are showing Hershey's pool i'm thinking how nice it would be to have a running fountain with water running in it all the time to keep the water a bit fresher and give you and your bride the sound of a river or creek next to your house. OR NOT.

enjoy your Saturday and just had my morning cold mug of ice tea so i'll pass on the coke today.

cheers

 

[BUGTHUG]

Hey Andy, is it possible to make a script that can go on a car? I have a NATIONAL that needs to go back onto my Hearse. Cant seem to find one since the company is out of business. Thanks

 

[Toomanytools?]

I hate it when a thread shows up I haven't seen then I get interested only to find out I have 253 pages to read. Arrrgh…..

 

[Finallygotit]

Find a comfy chair, make a pot of coffee and enjoy what Andy has accomplished.

 

[dchance]

Andy you are doing good. The brass looks great.

Dwight

 

[sawduststeve]

Beautiful ^^^, Great (GREAT) work Andy.

Steve

 

[Guster]

And polished up nicely.

Notice it is a different color than the first hammer. I think I added too much zinc.

A pinch or a dash of zinc to flavour? Some would prefer the shinier variety.

I'm learning you have to burn off zinc to melt brass to pouring temperature. You just can't hold it at temperature too long or you'll lose too much zinc. But a little smoke is OK. I wear a respirator and face shield to avoid zinc fumes contact and drink a glass of milk when I'm done..

You do. But most would agree it is not very much as long as you heat fast and pour as soon as it is ready without overheating. Zinc is more reactive and likely to end up lost in dross too. It’s bioavailability definitely makes it a bit of a concern too. Something I’d prefer to do on a breezy day. The overheating really helps reduce chance of other casting issues too

Another alternative is to make an extractor hood and chimney above the foundry vent and let heat and convection serve you. But it is yet another thing that has to slide up or pivot aside to get access.

 

[BUGTHUG]

I went down to the hardware store that's closing. The owner had this speech the beging day of the sale on how the fixtures and cabinets and shelving would be sold. He said write down your info and what you are interested in, and the Saturday in 3 weeks they would sell all that stuff. Well about a hour into the sale I see a friend pull up with his friend and a enclosed trailer. Next thing they start hauling out half the metal boxes full of the SS nuts and bolts. So I ask the owner about not selling the boxes until the end, he said well I made a deal on all that hardware. So it was gone first day. The boxes I wanted that were metal and had brass fixtures for sinks and hoses etc, the guy says he had a offer of $200.00 for both boxes, and he would accept anything over that. So I offered $225. he said OK I'll take that and to come back the next morning and he would have all the brass out of them. So I go back and they were gone, he said oh another guy offered $250.00 and I sold them to him. I said you told me you sold them to me yesterday, he said well I got more money. I was mad and just left, before I got into trouble. He pretty much did oppsite of his big speech on the opening day,

 

[Zippercat]

Guess you discovered why he went out of business!

 

[bj383ss]

Andy I am really liking the brass hammers. My grandpa made those in his machine shop as well as the lead hammers for smacking the lathe locks and stops. I think my dad still has one of his brass hammers.

Bret

 

[bolensboneyard]

Guess you discovered why he went out of business!

Ditto!

 

[oldironfarmer]

There's a joke there but I better not go there.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

And we all thank you for your restraint.

Andy I can't get over the brass hammers they look great.

Thanks, Steve! Unlike aluminium, brass is somewhat hard to come by.

I concur. The brass hammers are beauties.

Sent from my LG-H918 using The Garage Journal mobile app

Thanks!!

Andy: the brass hammers look great and glad that you don't get too upset if everyone doesn't turn out perfect.

Thanks for the hammer comment!

I didn't turn out perfect, and really don't expect everyone else to be perfect either.

now that you are showing Hershey's pool i'm thinking how nice it would be to have a running fountain with water running in it all the time to keep the water a bit fresher and give you and your bride the sound of a river or creek next to your house. OR NOT.

We used to have a pond in the yard, and enjoyed it for years. I also installed a fountain next to the steps which we used several years but tired of it. I don't think there's a new water feature in our future.

enjoy your Saturday and just had my morning cold mug of ice tea so i'll pass on the coke today.

cheers

I've had some really good Saturdays, and those which keep e away from Garage Journal must be good. We've had company for several days and worked hard in the shop. But it has kept me from posting here and I see I was relegated to page three. Along with 1/2 Cup

But I'm back!! May take some time to respond to all the kind posts.

Hey Andy, is it possible to make a script that can go on a car? I have a NATIONAL that needs to go back onto my Hearse. Cant seem to find one since the company is out of business. Thanks

Making castings for cars is one of my goals. Do you have a sample we could copy? Or a good clear photograph?

 

[BBChevro]

Hey Andy, great work on the cane handle and crucible holder adaptor ring - the brass hammers turned out really well.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I hate it when a thread shows up I haven't seen then I get interested only to find out I have 253 pages to read. Arrrgh…..

I'm so sorry...

Photobucket tried to make it shorter, but they failed miserably.

Thanks for reading along!

Find a comfy chair, make a pot of coffee and enjoy what Andy has accomplished.

Thanks for the advice. I tried to do that, but I don't drink coffee (afraid it would hype me up) and I can't seem to stop and enjoy, got stuff to to...

Andy you are doing good. The brass looks great.

Dwight

Thank you very much Dwight!

Beautiful ^^^, Great (GREAT) work Andy.

Steve

Thanks, Steve!!

A pinch or a dash of zinc to flavour? Some would prefer the shinier variety.

I have studied them, which one is shinier?

You do. But most would agree it is not very much as long as you heat fast and pour as soon as it is ready without overheating. Zinc is more reactive and likely to end up lost in dross too. It’s bioavailability definitely makes it a bit of a concern too. Something I’d prefer to do on a breezy day. The overheating really helps reduce chance of other casting issues too

Another alternative is to make an extractor hood and chimney above the foundry vent and let heat and convection serve you. But it is yet another thing that has to slide up or pivot aside to get access.

I used a respirator and face shield, and drink lots of milk So far no ill effects.

I went down to the hardware store that's closing. The owner had this speech the beging day of the sale on how the fixtures and cabinets and shelving would be sold. He said write down your info and what you are interested in, and the Saturday in 3 weeks they would sell all that stuff. Well about a hour into the sale I see a friend pull up with his friend and a enclosed trailer. Next thing they start hauling out half the metal boxes full of the SS nuts and bolts. So I ask the owner about not selling the boxes until the end, he said well I made a deal on all that hardware. So it was gone first day. The boxes I wanted that were metal and had brass fixtures for sinks and hoses etc, the guy says he had a offer of $200.00 for both boxes, and he would accept anything over that. So I offered $225. he said OK I'll take that and to come back the next morning and he would have all the brass out of them. So I go back and they were gone, he said oh another guy offered $250.00 and I sold them to him. I said you told me you sold them to me yesterday, he said well I got more money. I was mad and just left, before I got into trouble. He pretty much did oppsite of his big speech on the opening day,

I agree with Zippercat, that was my first thought. People of low integrity sometimes have trouble being successful.

Guess you discovered why he went out of business!

Self inflicted wound.

Andy I am really liking the brass hammers. My grandpa made those in his machine shop as well as the lead hammers for smacking the lathe locks and stops. I think my dad still has one of his brass hammers.

Bret

Thanks Bret! Didn't know that about your grandpa.

Ditto!

X2

Hey Andy, great work on the cane handle and crucible holder adaptor ring - the brass hammers turned out really well.

Thank you very much!!

 

[oldironfarmer]

I tried cutting a wheel apart on the table saw. Worked surprisingly well!

However the pulley came off the saw arbor. I've had trouble keeping it tight for several years. Knew I had a spare pulley (and found it!) I was surprised it was a Made in USA pulley.

I had developed a stack of eight trivets to be cut apart. I got them all desprued and two finished. SKR is the lady coming to visit.

My wife's cousin, and good friend of mine, came to visit. They are early 1800's reenactors. Very knowledgeable of old crafts and procedures. We always have a great time together.

She has an 1893 clothes washing setup she demonstrates sometimes. She did not have the hose hooks used to hook a drain hose over the side of the tub when you're not draining the water. So we set about making three foam patterns to cast three (in case we scrap one, we need two)

Kids all like new toys.

My slag dipping spoon had burned off while cleaning out brass. Tim the tool man brought out my ASO and, using the foundry furnace for a forge, quickly forged out a new spoon.

He does good work. This was real time forging, I was feeding the furnace and was about ready to use the finished product to clean out the crucible.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Plenty of spoon pounded out for heavy use and eventually burning off

Hershey does not like the heat, so she has started coming inside during the day. SKR loves dogs and spent a lot of time with Hersh.

Here's the fruits of our labors.

Three hooks (hollow of course, with a hole through and a barb), HAM (Historical Arkansas Museum) logo letters, and a flower.

We took time to make a broom, which she was very excited about!

They had brought some aluminum with them so we melted a small engine block and other junk in the bulk melter. Smokin!

That's it, back to the grind tomorrow! (grinding trivets)

Thanks for stopping by.

 

[jimreed2160]

Andy--Thanks for the trip down memory lane. My childhood friend, Dennis, lived in a house beside his grandmother. She was old school with a henhouse out back, a fishing worm Catawpa tree in the side yard, and an old washer in her dirt floor basement. And yes, it had the old hose hooks.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Cool! I don't remember ever seeing any. But now if anyone needs more I know how to make them. Seems like the world is a more secure place...

 

[krcoomer]

I hate it when a thread shows up I haven't seen then I get interested only to find out I have 253 pages to read. Arrrgh…..

I have been busy with a few other endeavors and 'was' caught up on page 210. You will enjoy the ride.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I have been busy with a few other endeavors and 'was' caught up on page 210. You will enjoy the ride.

Thanks, Kenny!

 

[oldironfarmer]

Seems I've been too busy to update.

Let's see, where were we?

I've been spending lots of time preparing aluminum for melting. With soda cans it was no issue, you just drop them in the crucible one at a time. The bulk melter I made out of a 55 gallon drum melts big stuff but it takes a lot of time to separate the nuggets it makes from slag and charcoal. It is still the best for whole engines and transmissions, but I find it better to cut up anything I can, ultimately it saves time. I cut a little on the table saw, and ruined a good carbide blade. Other than gumming up the blade and breaking off most of the carbide, the table saw works very well to cut up aluminum. Cutting freehand I've not had it bind. So I bought a blade designed for aluminum.

And drug out Bill Woodson's old table saw to cut aluminum with. It's a Craftsman "100". His power cord is interesting. It has a male connector on each end and an outlet to plug it into on the saw.

Not sure that meets any code. I had it down at the church when we were building on, but I kept it plugged in. All is cool if you plug it in the saw first, then you don't have live prongs exposed. It is the way Bill fixed it, and he knew better. So I use it out of respect for him. He's been gone many years now.

The blade cuts great, I've sawn channel and beam which was too big for my crucible, and a couple of wheels. It takes a lot of cuts to make a 16" 12" wide wheel fit into a 4" crucible. You can roll the wheel into the saw blade and cut both beads off, then lay it flat to cut up more. I'm also still cutting some stuff with my portable band saw. The table saw requires a full jacket, apron, face shield and respirator with all the aluminum flying about.

When melting brass or copper I have a little soak time so I've been using an old lead ladle to melt zinc wheel weights. It needed a counterweight and vise grips make a nice handle to boot.

The zinc is used to adjust brass or create brass from copper. It is surprisingly hard to find and expensive. I haven't found a good source yet. Only a few of the wheel weights I have are zinc. It also boils at 1,665F so when the furnace is over 1,900F to melt copper you can easily boil zinc out (and the fumes are poisonous).

Finally got back on the pharmacy shelf. Shelves are finished

And the shelf is assembled at long last. It's not dead, I was just giving it a good shellacking.

The little brackets hold it very stable.

My expectation is to deliver it tomorrow.

 

[dchance]

Andy shelf looks good. They will be glad to receive it. Good to hear from you again.

Dwight