On Mar 18, 9:58*pm, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
OK, from what Ed & Tim said, I do want something harder than mild steel,
so that it won't "yield" as soon as mild steel would.

As to heat treating facilities, well, minimal - maximum heat capability
is propane forge. *Obviously no automatic temp control.

As to what I'm making: it's for taking down tin ceilings. *The ceilings
* will be salvaged, so the specifics of the tool are needed to minimize
damage. *The bar needs to be about 16" long, to reach over the back of a
24" tile. *It needs to have a long taper, coming to a thin edge, to work
under the nails without distorting the tin. *One edge needs to be 3/4"
wide to fit into a nailing space. *One end will be straight & the other
have a 90 degree leg. *It will be pulling out 1" long 16 ga nails, so it
won't have to be very strong - I'm thinking 1/16" thick (from trials
with a 1/16" thick putty knife).

If it wasn't for the length, I would re-shape the putty knife. *Which
suggests brazing or silver soldering the knife on a longer handle - is
that doable? *How about a 90 bend in it - I assume that would require
heating to bend, quenching, and tempering?

Thanks,
Bob

Maybe you could modify a shingle ripper into a pry bar, since the
prying force will be pretty low.

Seems like getting the pry bar in there, then getting a fulcrum in
near it might get the nails out with a straighter pull?

Bar in, pull bar down a little, insert fulcrum (on a longish handle),
then push bar up towards the ceiling.


Dave