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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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#1
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What the Hell is it?
Guys, I picked up a rusty piece of steel and needing to turn it down I tried
cutting it in my band saw. Lo and behold, it would only cut about 3/16" deep. I tried to cut a section off with my acetylene torch and it wouldn't even get red!!!! Finally had to grind it in two. It looks like a 1 5/8" diameter rod with a half inch hole down the center. Further examination reveals that it is a piece of soft steel (1018?) surrounding a harder (obviously) tube. Specs follow: OD 1.630. Diameter of core piece 1.245. Diameter of hole is .535. The core is packed with with what looks like rusty swarf, or chips. But they are only mildly attracted to a magnet. The hard core piece machines nicely with carbide, and the chips are magnetic. The outer tube appears to be mild steel. On a polished end, there is apparently a very thin layer of copper or brass between the outer and inner pieces. But the most remarkable thing is that I held the flame of the cutting torch on the core piece for at least 5 minutes without it getting hot enough to cut. Oh, color of the grinding sparks is almost the same as the sparks from the outer tube, IOW low carbon steel sparks. For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the material is, what it is used for, or how it was made. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, James Johnson Bewildered in Texas |
#2
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Not sure from what it is made, but a fellow I used to work with that used to
be a prison guard once told me that the bars in jail cells had inner bars that rolled so that it would impede sawing with a hacksaw to hinder escape plans. I cant imagine what the material is that would not get hot with your torch. "JRJohnson" wrote in message ... Guys, I picked up a rusty piece of steel and needing to turn it down I tried cutting it in my band saw. Lo and behold, it would only cut about 3/16" deep. I tried to cut a section off with my acetylene torch and it wouldn't even get red!!!! Finally had to grind it in two. It looks like a 1 5/8" diameter rod with a half inch hole down the center. Further examination reveals that it is a piece of soft steel (1018?) surrounding a harder (obviously) tube. Specs follow: OD 1.630. Diameter of core piece 1.245. Diameter of hole is .535. The core is packed with with what looks like rusty swarf, or chips. But they are only mildly attracted to a magnet. The hard core piece machines nicely with carbide, and the chips are magnetic. The outer tube appears to be mild steel. On a polished end, there is apparently a very thin layer of copper or brass between the outer and inner pieces. But the most remarkable thing is that I held the flame of the cutting torch on the core piece for at least 5 minutes without it getting hot enough to cut. Oh, color of the grinding sparks is almost the same as the sparks from the outer tube, IOW low carbon steel sparks. For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the material is, what it is used for, or how it was made. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, James Johnson Bewildered in Texas |
#3
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Grady wrote:
Not sure from what it is made, but a fellow I used to work with that used to be a prison guard once told me that the bars in jail cells had inner bars that rolled so that it would impede sawing with a hacksaw to hinder escape plans. I cant imagine what the material is that would not get hot with your torch. Unobtanium |
#4
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Stop giving that man advice - He's trying to break out of jail! :-)
Grady wrote: Not sure from what it is made, but a fellow I used to work with that used to be a prison guard once told me that the bars in jail cells had inner bars that rolled so that it would impede sawing with a hacksaw to hinder escape plans. I cant imagine what the material is that would not get hot with your torch. "JRJohnson" wrote in message ... Guys, I picked up a rusty piece of steel and needing to turn it down I tried cutting it in my band saw. Lo and behold, it would only cut about 3/16" deep. I tried to cut a section off with my acetylene torch and it wouldn't even get red!!!! Finally had to grind it in two. It looks like a 1 5/8" diameter rod with a half inch hole down the center. Further examination reveals that it is a piece of soft steel (1018?) surrounding a harder (obviously) tube. Specs follow: OD 1.630. Diameter of core piece 1.245. Diameter of hole is .535. The core is packed with with what looks like rusty swarf, or chips. But they are only mildly attracted to a magnet. The hard core piece machines nicely with carbide, and the chips are magnetic. The outer tube appears to be mild steel. On a polished end, there is apparently a very thin layer of copper or brass between the outer and inner pieces. But the most remarkable thing is that I held the flame of the cutting torch on the core piece for at least 5 minutes without it getting hot enough to cut. Oh, color of the grinding sparks is almost the same as the sparks from the outer tube, IOW low carbon steel sparks. For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the material is, what it is used for, or how it was made. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, James Johnson Bewildered in Texas |
#5
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this could be a heat pipe - check out that technology and see if it makes
sense "MikeMandaville" wrote in message oups.com... Stop giving that man advice - He's trying to break out of jail! :-) Grady wrote: Not sure from what it is made, but a fellow I used to work with that used to be a prison guard once told me that the bars in jail cells had inner bars that rolled so that it would impede sawing with a hacksaw to hinder escape plans. I cant imagine what the material is that would not get hot with your torch. "JRJohnson" wrote in message ... Guys, I picked up a rusty piece of steel and needing to turn it down I tried cutting it in my band saw. Lo and behold, it would only cut about 3/16" deep. I tried to cut a section off with my acetylene torch and it wouldn't even get red!!!! Finally had to grind it in two. It looks like a 1 5/8" diameter rod with a half inch hole down the center. Further examination reveals that it is a piece of soft steel (1018?) surrounding a harder (obviously) tube. Specs follow: OD 1.630. Diameter of core piece 1.245. Diameter of hole is .535. The core is packed with with what looks like rusty swarf, or chips. But they are only mildly attracted to a magnet. The hard core piece machines nicely with carbide, and the chips are magnetic. The outer tube appears to be mild steel. On a polished end, there is apparently a very thin layer of copper or brass between the outer and inner pieces. But the most remarkable thing is that I held the flame of the cutting torch on the core piece for at least 5 minutes without it getting hot enough to cut. Oh, color of the grinding sparks is almost the same as the sparks from the outer tube, IOW low carbon steel sparks. For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the material is, what it is used for, or how it was made. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, James Johnson Bewildered in Texas |
#6
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I found an improvised tool-looking item at a flea market a couple years ago,
and stumbled across it a few days ago. I wanted it for the handle, which has a hollow steel section with a turned wooden handle, maybe part of an old electric soldering iron. It had an odd piece screwed into the end that almost looks like JB epoxy (but harder), with some weird quartz-looking particles in it. An old file just skidded across it. I touched it to a running AO grinding wheel, and zingo.. clean wheel. Unlike a single point dresser, this part seems to be steel (about 5/8" diameter) with a pocket filled with chunks of diamond. WB ........... "JRJohnson" wrote in message ... Guys, I picked up a rusty piece of steel and needing to turn it down I tried cutting it in my band saw. Lo and behold, it would only cut about 3/16" deep. I tried to cut a section off with my acetylene torch and it wouldn't even get red!!!! Finally had to grind it in two. It looks like a 1 5/8" diameter rod with a half inch hole down the center. Further examination reveals that it is a piece of soft steel (1018?) surrounding a harder (obviously) tube. Specs follow: OD 1.630. Diameter of core piece 1.245. Diameter of hole is .535. The core is packed with with what looks like rusty swarf, or chips. But they are only mildly attracted to a magnet. The hard core piece machines nicely with carbide, and the chips are magnetic. The outer tube appears to be mild steel. On a polished end, there is apparently a very thin layer of copper or brass between the outer and inner pieces. But the most remarkable thing is that I held the flame of the cutting torch on the core piece for at least 5 minutes without it getting hot enough to cut. Oh, color of the grinding sparks is almost the same as the sparks from the outer tube, IOW low carbon steel sparks. For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the material is, what it is used for, or how it was made. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, James Johnson Bewildered in Texas ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
#7
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"Wild Bill" wrote in
: I touched it to a running AO grinding wheel, and zingo.. clean wheel. Unlike a single point dresser, this part seems to be steel (about 5/8" diameter) with a pocket filled with chunks of diamond. What you have there sounds like a diamond grinding wheel dresser. -- Dan |
#8
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#9
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"JRJohnson" wrote in message
... | Guys, I picked up a rusty piece of steel and needing to turn it down I tried | cutting it in my band saw. Lo and behold, it would only cut about 3/16" | deep. I tried to cut a section off with my acetylene torch and it wouldn't | even get red!!!! Finally had to grind it in two. It looks like a 1 5/8" | diameter rod with a half inch hole down the center. Further examination | reveals that it is a piece of soft steel (1018?) surrounding a harder | (obviously) tube. Specs follow: | OD 1.630. Diameter of core piece 1.245. Diameter of hole is .535. The | core is packed with with what looks like rusty swarf, or chips. But they | are only mildly attracted to a magnet. The hard core piece machines nicely | with carbide, and the chips are magnetic. The outer tube appears to be mild | steel. On a polished end, there is apparently a very thin layer of copper | or brass between the outer and inner pieces. But the most remarkable thing | is that I held the flame of the cutting torch on the core piece for at least | 5 minutes without it getting hot enough to cut. Oh, color of the grinding | sparks is almost the same as the sparks from the outer tube, IOW low carbon | steel sparks. | | For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the material is, what it is | used for, or how it was made. Anyone have any ideas? | | Thanks, James Johnson | Bewildered in Texas I haven't checked my brain before engaging my mouth here, but doesn't steel alloyed with zirconium do something like this or am I all wet? |
#10
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JRJohnson wrote: Guys, I picked up a rusty piece of steel and needing to turn it down I tried cutting it in my band saw. Lo and behold, it would only cut about 3/16" deep. I tried to cut a section off with my acetylene torch and it wouldn't even get red!!!! Finally had to grind it in two. It looks like a 1 5/8" diameter rod with a half inch hole down the center. Further examination reveals that it is a piece of soft steel (1018?) surrounding a harder (obviously) tube. Specs follow: OD 1.630. Diameter of core piece 1.245. Diameter of hole is .535. The core is packed with with what looks like rusty swarf, or chips. But they are only mildly attracted to a magnet. The hard core piece machines nicely with carbide, and the chips are magnetic. The outer tube appears to be mild steel. On a polished end, there is apparently a very thin layer of copper or brass between the outer and inner pieces. But the most remarkable thing is that I held the flame of the cutting torch on the core piece for at least 5 minutes without it getting hot enough to cut. Oh, color of the grinding sparks is almost the same as the sparks from the outer tube, IOW low carbon steel sparks. For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the material is, what it is used for, or how it was made. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, James Johnson Bewildered in Texas Such properties would be handy for locking bars for a vault door, just another wild-ass guess. Most I've seen have been plated, though. As to how to make it, one way might be to stuff the various materials into a larger, hollow billet for the outside, heat it up and roll them all out together. Stan Stan |
#11
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JRJohnson wrote: Guys, I picked up a rusty piece of steel and needing to turn it down I tried cutting it in my band saw. Lo and behold, it would only cut about 3/16" deep. I tried to cut a section off with my acetylene torch and it wouldn't even get red!!!! Finally had to grind it in two. It looks like a 1 5/8" diameter rod with a half inch hole down the center. Further examination reveals that it is a piece of soft steel (1018?) surrounding a harder (obviously) tube. Specs follow: OD 1.630. Diameter of core piece 1.245. Diameter of hole is .535. The core is packed with with what looks like rusty swarf, or chips. But they are only mildly attracted to a magnet. The hard core piece machines nicely with carbide, and the chips are magnetic. The outer tube appears to be mild steel. On a polished end, there is apparently a very thin layer of copper or brass between the outer and inner pieces. But the most remarkable thing is that I held the flame of the cutting torch on the core piece for at least 5 minutes without it getting hot enough to cut. Oh, color of the grinding sparks is almost the same as the sparks from the outer tube, IOW low carbon steel sparks. For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the material is, what it is used for, or how it was made. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, James Johnson Bewildered in Texas Such properties would be handy for locking bars for a vault door, just another wild-ass guess. Most I've seen have been plated, though. As to how to make it, one way might be to stuff the various materials into a larger, hollow billet for the outside, heat it up and roll them all out together. Stan Stan |
#12
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JRJohnson wrote: For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the material is, what it is used for, or how it was made. Anyone have any ideas? Nuclear power plant fuel rod????? Ooops!!!! ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
#13
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"Tom" wrote in message ... JRJohnson wrote: For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the material is, what it is used for, or how it was made. Anyone have any ideas? Nuclear power plant fuel rod????? Ooops!!!! Believe it or not, that thought (fuel rod) occurred to me, but since I am still here and not glowing, I presume that it wasn't radioactive. Carls' suggestion about steel/zirconium might have some validity. Need to check on the melting temp of such a mix. Oh, the inner piece will not turn inside the outer sheath, so it is not a prison bar. Thanks to all. JRJ ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
#14
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"JRJohnson" wrote in message
... Nuclear power plant fuel rod????? Ooops!!!! Believe it or not, that thought (fuel rod) occurred to me, but since I am still here and not glowing, I presume that it wasn't radioactive. Well, I doubt the casing itself would have much residual radioactivity, despite the large neutron flux it handles in use. Zr isn't magnetic though, and likely throws bright white sparks just like titanium. I'm not aware of any iron alloys, seems to me it'd be brittle, but it might exist. (Nothing with 10% of each comes up on Matweb.) Tim -- "California is the breakfast state: fruits, nuts and flakes." Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms |
#15
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Tim Williams wrote: "JRJohnson" wrote in message ... Nuclear power plant fuel rod????? Ooops!!!! Believe it or not, that thought (fuel rod) occurred to me, but since I am still here and not glowing, I presume that it wasn't radioactive. It takes a hell of a dose of radiation to produce symptoms within hours of exposure. Also the effects are cumulative. If the fuel rod were used, lots of people including yourself would be in big trouble. If it were unsused, you are probably OK but some other people will still be in big trouble. Well, I doubt the casing itself would have much residual radioactivity, despite the large neutron flux it handles in use. Uh, 'much' is a relative term. As noted above, the effects of exposure are cumulative. Zr isn't magnetic though, and likely throws bright white sparks just like titanium. I'm not aware of any iron alloys, seems to me it'd be brittle, but it might exist. (Nothing with 10% of each comes up on Matweb.) The casing for most reactor fuel is called zircaloy, don't know the composition of that alloy. TRIGA's use some sort of stable hydride (though maybe inside a thin layer of something else). -- FF |
#16
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wrote in message ups.com... Tim Williams wrote: "JRJohnson" wrote in message ... Nuclear power plant fuel rod????? Ooops!!!! Believe it or not, that thought (fuel rod) occurred to me, but since I am still here and not glowing, I presume that it wasn't radioactive. It takes a hell of a dose of radiation to produce symptoms within hours of exposure. Also the effects are cumulative. If the fuel rod were used, lots of people including yourself would be in big trouble. If it were unsused, you are probably OK but some other people will still be in big trouble. Well, I doubt the casing itself would have much residual radioactivity, despite the large neutron flux it handles in use. Uh, 'much' is a relative term. As noted above, the effects of exposure are cumulative. Zr isn't magnetic though, and likely throws bright white sparks just like titanium. I'm not aware of any iron alloys, seems to me it'd be brittle, but it might exist. (Nothing with 10% of each comes up on Matweb.) The casing for most reactor fuel is called zircaloy, don't know the composition of that alloy. TRIGA's use some sort of stable hydride (though maybe inside a thin layer of something else). -- FF Do fuel rods have an outer sheath of mild steel? Don't think so, but this was obviously constructed to hold the 'swarf' (for lack of a better term) in the center hole. Still beats the hell out of me. Research into zirconium was productive only in that I learned that the melting temp was around 3350 degrees F. Still wondering, JRJ |
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