Â* The bolt that the front blade for my yard tractor pivots on was very
very worn , enough that when I tried to drag the dirt/gravel/whatever
instead of pushing it the lock bolt for angling the blade would
disengage and let the blade swivel freely . So I used up my last piece
of 1.25" 4140 to machine a new bolt . Some of the wear was in the
sleeved part that pivots . much more was in the top and bottom plates of
the mount . So the new bolt is bigger just under the head to tighten it
up on the top plate , and the bottom has a 1/2" steel plate with a
precision hole in it . The body was machined .040" over the nominal
"new" size of the original . I haven't tested it yet , but there's a lot
less vertical movement now - like 1/16" vs about 1/2" . And I expect
this new part to last at least as long as the piece of all-thread that
the original was made of - it lasted 38 years ...

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety - and armed .
Get outta my woods !

"Terry Coombs" wrote in message ...


....So I used up my last piece of 1.25" 4140 to machine a new bolt ...

======================================

Tractor Supply sells large Grade 5 bolts that can be turned down and
rethreaded into custom hardware.


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On Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 10:21:01 AM UTC-4, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Terry Coombs" wrote in message ...


...So I used up my last piece of 1.25" 4140 to machine a new bolt ...

======================================

Tractor Supply sells large Grade 5 bolts that can be turned down and
rethreaded into custom hardware.


We have several TSC stores, and a fairly new Rural King store. It is larger than any of the TSC stores, and it's always busy.

On 4/4/2020 9:20 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Terry Coombs"Â* wrote in message ...


...So I used up my last piece of 1.25" 4140 to machine a new bolt ...

======================================

Tractor Supply sells large Grade 5 bolts that can be turned down and
rethreaded into custom hardware.



But there's not a TS within a hundred miles ... and I've had that piece
of 4140 for at least a couple or 5 years . It turned out well and I'm
not sorry I used it .

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety - and armed .
Get outta my woods !

"Terry Coombs" wrote in message ...

On 4/4/2020 9:20 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Terry Coombs" wrote in message ...


...So I used up my last piece of 1.25" 4140 to machine a new bolt ...

======================================

Tractor Supply sells large Grade 5 bolts that can be turned down and
rethreaded into custom hardware.

But there's not a TS within a hundred miles ... and I've had that piece
of 4140 for at least a couple or 5 years . It turned out well and I'm
not sorry I used it .
Snag

=================================
For the next job, since that was your last piece.

Another possible source:
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...t-steel-73854/


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On 4/4/2020 4:58 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:


"Terry Coombs"Â* wrote in message ...

On 4/4/2020 9:20 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Terry Coombs"Â* wrote in message ...


...So I used up my last piece of 1.25" 4140 to machine a new bolt ...

======================================

Tractor Supply sells large Grade 5 bolts that can be turned down and
rethreaded into custom hardware.

But there's not a TS within a hundred miles ... and I've had that piece
of 4140 for at least a couple or 5 years . It turned out well and I'm
not sorry I used it .
Â*Snag

=================================
For the next job, since that was your last piece.

Another possible source:
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...ft-steel-73854

Â* Oh I still have lots of other stock , including an axle from a Jeep ,
one from my JD yard tractor , several feet of 2.375 -Â* 3" round stock
that is probably 4130/4140 (sparks and machines identically , and my
neighbor has made some into really nice knives ) plus a couple of OCS's
, assorted and sundry square tube , angle , some plate and lots of small
pieces . That piece just happened to be the right size .

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety - and armed .
Get outta my woods !

"Terry Coombs" wrote in message ...

On 4/4/2020 4:58 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:


"Terry Coombs" wrote in message ...

On 4/4/2020 9:20 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Terry Coombs" wrote in message ...


...So I used up my last piece of 1.25" 4140 to machine a new bolt ...

======================================

Tractor Supply sells large Grade 5 bolts that can be turned down and
rethreaded into custom hardware.

But there's not a TS within a hundred miles ... and I've had that piece
of 4140 for at least a couple or 5 years . It turned out well and I'm
not sorry I used it .
Snag

=================================
For the next job, since that was your last piece.

Another possible source:
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...ft-steel-73854

Oh I still have lots of other stock , including an axle from a Jeep ,
one from my JD yard tractor , several feet of 2.375 - 3" round stock
that is probably 4130/4140 (sparks and machines identically , and my
neighbor has made some into really nice knives ) plus a couple of OCS's
, assorted and sundry square tube , angle , some plate and lots of small
pieces . That piece just happened to be the right size .
Snag
==================
I've read that thin sections of 4130 can be hardened by simply heating them
red with a torch and letting them cool. Have you ever tried that?
I have some rusty (no markings) flat stock that behaves that way.


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On Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 2:10:31 PM UTC-4, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 4/4/2020 9:20 AM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"Terry Coombs"Â* wrote in message ....


...So I used up my last piece of 1.25" 4140 to machine a new bolt ...

======================================

Tractor Supply sells large Grade 5 bolts that can be turned down and
rethreaded into custom hardware.



But there's not a TS within a hundred miles ... and I've had that piece
of 4140 for at least a couple or 5 years . It turned out well and I'm
not sorry I used it .

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety - and armed .
Get outta my woods !

The nearest TSC to me is almost a hundred miles. It was like that for a long time with Harbor Freight - I'd read about people going there and the closest I could get was the web site. Now there are three almost equally local HF stores (nearest is maybe 5 miles). I'm hoping the same will happen with TSC.

"rangerssuck" wrote in message
...

The nearest TSC to me is almost a hundred miles. It was like that for a long
time with Harbor Freight - I'd read about people going there and the closest
I could get was the web site. Now there are three almost equally local HF
stores (nearest is maybe 5 miles). I'm hoping the same will happen with TSC.
==================================================

My best sources for closeouts, second hand tooling and hobby-grade
imitations of industrial gear aren't the big chains, but single
locally-owned stores typically in low-rent old buildings on the edge of
town, who don't advertise and have to be found by word of mouth. I only use
TSC and Northern for stuff I can't find elsewhere for less.


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On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 7:15:32 AM UTC-4, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"rangerssuck" wrote in message
...

The nearest TSC to me is almost a hundred miles. It was like that for a long
time with Harbor Freight - I'd read about people going there and the closest
I could get was the web site. Now there are three almost equally local HF
stores (nearest is maybe 5 miles). I'm hoping the same will happen with TSC.
==================================================

My best sources for closeouts, second hand tooling and hobby-grade
imitations of industrial gear aren't the big chains, but single
locally-owned stores typically in low-rent old buildings on the edge of
town, who don't advertise and have to be found by word of mouth. I only use
TSC and Northern for stuff I can't find elsewhere for less.


Agreed - I used to have Dave Sobel just about five miles up the road, but he's gone and I haven't found a replacement. Those single-owner places are great, but finding out about them is a whole other story.

In my work doing industrial control retrofits (working on two large (100 cubic foot) blenders for a pharmaceutical plant now), and it would be nice to have a local supplier of "stuff" rather than having to buy from the likes of Automation Direct, Grainger and Amazon.

"rangerssuck" wrote in message
...

On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 7:15:32 AM UTC-4, Jim Wilkins wrote:
...

Agreed - I used to have Dave Sobel just about five miles up the road, but
he's gone and I haven't found a replacement. Those single-owner places are
great, but finding out about them is a whole other story.

In my work doing industrial control retrofits (working on two large (100
cubic foot) blenders for a pharmaceutical plant now), and it would be nice
to have a local supplier of "stuff" rather than having to buy from the likes
of Automation Direct, Grainger and Amazon.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
Have you had quality issues with the wannabe-industrial controls from
Amazon? I don't want my solar installation to catch fire, but their prices
are lower now than Square D was back in the 1970's, and I won't be washing
them down or hitting them with a forklift.


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On Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 7:58:52 PM UTC-4, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"rangerssuck" wrote in message
...

On Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 7:15:32 AM UTC-4, Jim Wilkins wrote:
...

Agreed - I used to have Dave Sobel just about five miles up the road, but
he's gone and I haven't found a replacement. Those single-owner places are
great, but finding out about them is a whole other story.

In my work doing industrial control retrofits (working on two large (100
cubic foot) blenders for a pharmaceutical plant now), and it would be nice
to have a local supplier of "stuff" rather than having to buy from the likes
of Automation Direct, Grainger and Amazon.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
Have you had quality issues with the wannabe-industrial controls from
Amazon? I don't want my solar installation to catch fire, but their prices
are lower now than Square D was back in the 1970's, and I won't be washing
them down or hitting them with a forklift.


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I haven't, but mostly I don't buy controllers, per se, but rather components to build my own. but I do use things like little dc-dc converter modules. I also buy things like solenoid air valves, pressure switches, regulators, prox switches & such. No major problems so far.