2016 POTD Thread Archive

cleaned up an old spearhead gasket cutter that I just got..i think they used it as a hammer...

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ground the edges ect with a dynafile then sandblasted to make all the damage disappear...

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then into a dishwasher soap bath for a nice finish

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then into a dishwasher soap bath for a nice finish

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Please elucidate or provide a link where the process is well described. Nothing useful found via Google using "dishwasher soap bath".
Please specify what material (steel, aluminum, pot metal, ???) did you bathe in dishwasher soap?
Please specify what brand and type (powder, liquid, ???) of dishwasher soap.
Please specify what quantity of soap to water. Units of measure preferred over "pinch", "hand full" or "bucket".
Please specify time in bath. Units of time preferred over "a while".
Please describe the "finish" that results from the process.

Home shop chemistry is not my strong suit and can be very useful.
 
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one of these in stainless pot with water to cover your parts...boil for about 10 minutes..some aluminum alloys take a little longer than others...

some will brown some will grey...pull out without touching and let dry/oxidize

nothing to critical to it...you can also just stick parts in a dishwasher...

add ritz die for colors
 
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I finally got tired of having to use shims to set my tool at the right height so I picked up one of these the other day. Got a good deal too. The compound mounting plate was the wrong size for my lathe so I decided to make a new one rather than modify the one that came with it or the one that is currently on the compound.
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So I cut a piece of 1/2" scrap steel with the plasma cutter and started making the new one.
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From left to right, here is a pic of 1) the mounting plate that came with the new QCTP, 2) the start of the new plate and 3) the current plate.

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And here is my project of the last many days. A blanket chest for my wife made from birch trees harvested from our property. Just finished today. That's why I didn't finish the compound plate.

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I know it didn't involve any machining but I'm posting it anyways. :wink:
 
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one of these in stainless pot with water to cover your parts...boil for about 10 minutes..some aluminum alloys take a little longer than others...

some will brown some will grey...pull out without touching and let dry/oxidize

nothing to critical to it...you can also just stick parts in a dishwasher...

add ritz die for colors

Thanks for the info.
I guess I'll have to buy some Cascade, try the process on something and see what results.
 
If you're ever in Salt Lake City and you have a way to carry home significant weight, make sure you stop by NPS (www.npsstore.com) for incredible deals. They have an industrial side and a retail side (food, clothing, kitchenware, etc.). Much of their stuff is refused freight, store returns, etc. I buy fasteners of all sorts on the industrial side for 50 cents per pound. Huge, pleated, high quality furnace filters for a shop air cleaner or spray booth I hope to make some day for $1 each. Lead acid batteries for 70 cents per pound. This is a huge warehouse (Costco size plus) in an industrial neighborhood, with a couple dozen bays in the loading dock. You could spend a week there and still feel like you hadn't seen everything yet.

They have raw materials as well. That's why I went today. There's no telling what the selection will be before I go (and it's about 35 minutes each way), but it's usually worth it. If the labeling can be believed this huge chunk of steel (5"? 6"? round) is 15 pounds of A2.
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I wanted to buy it but I had told my wife (who was with me) that I would only spend $20 on materials and I had higher priorities. And I don't have any way of cutting that except the lathe at this point. I actually only bought a fraction of what would have been worth it to buy, but I know there will be more next time.

I should have taken a picture of the whole department. Roughly 3/8" thick, 12"x18" plates of apparently pure copper for $90 each. Dozens of 8' lengths of 316 SS 3" round stock for $40 each (and everything in the department at least 8' long is currently on sale 40% off). One chunk of stainless I could not have lifted if my life depended on it for $150.

Anyway, it's a very cool store. They have a good eBay store as well, but the prices are usually better in person (because the only stuff that goes online is 100% identifiable, retail or commercial).

Here's what I bought today, plus the 12" Nicholson files (one single, one double cut half round mill, and there's a matching flat bastard around here somewhere) I got last time for $2 each. (They have pallets of those files, btw, and any files 10" and shorter are only $1. All Nicholsons, Stanley's, and Stihl at this point.
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According to my spark tests, comparing known samples, the large round stock is a medium carbon steel (1040-ish), the short, bright round stock is chromoly (4140?), the other round stock and all the square stock is high carbon, and that big, BEAUTIFUL blade on the bottom is unquestionably tool steel. I knew that much just by the form, but it was fun to see the sparks and show my wife why I was so excited about it. I'm going to send that with my brother to his work (Silencerco, for those who are familiar) to test it so I know exactly what it is.
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Did I mention that all non-stainless is $0.50/pound? Everything in that group shot except the two long files was $20.xx with tax. I didn't spend any time this evening in the shop (except the spark tests), but it was still a very productive day for my little shop. :)

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I got to practice my TIG welding skills today. I need more practice. I pick up a TIG torch for a few minutes every six months or so, I don't get a lot of practice.

The plates are 6 inches square and the spools are about 3.5 on the base, 316 SS, no filler rod.
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And a closeup

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finished my static rotor balancer last night after a ton of futzing around and it works! It always stops with one part of the flywheel down and will even reverse direction to rotate to that point if it goes past it. Didn't have time to do an drilling and testing last night, that's on the list for tonight. Really excited about getting this balanced better and having a nice smooth motor on the lathe.

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