Box full of little 5160 plugs... What to do with it?

BRad704

BRad704

Well-Known Member
I got these today at the spring shop cause I thought I could line them up, forge weld, and have some sorta light pattern. After some reading, it looks like 5160 is the worst possible material I could have found for that.

So... what COULD I do with all these? I was thinking about practicing leaves or something.

I am still a bit bummed about 5160 not welding very well, and I may try it one day, just not gonna make a special trip this weekend over it.

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Brad, PM sent! Looks like forge welding these together may be a little redundant! :) LOL I have a idea.. Check you in box!
Randy
 
PM replied...


"In my mind" the way I saw it working out was that it would end up with a light scalloped pattern, but I'm not sure which direction I'd have to even hit it from. Back to stock-removal I go...
 
I found out the hard way that 9260 doesn't weld up too well either. From what I've read, 5160 will weld to other steels. If you cut small squares of steel to put between the plugs you could get them to weld up. Then you just grind the billets even and draw them out into a blade. Check with others who have done technique, but you might be able to weld them together if you "tin can weld" them with simple steel powder or smaller pieces.

Doug
 
I talked to Randy about some can-damascus and I'm gonna send him and Jr. a box of these plugs. Who knows what awesomeness they can come up with! :D

And if it just doesn't wanna work, I'm only out $5.50 for shipping and 8 minutes of time driving to the spring shop.
 
A post so nice, it must be said twice... :D

perhaps not wind chimes... but I was thinking about drilling a 3/16" hole in the center and peening in a brass plug, then drilling a smaller hole and eventually turning them down into a few beads. ???
 
I agree with above, i think a can would be the way to go. I could see you getting some really cool designs with those! Good Luck and keep us posted on how it turns out!

God Bless
Mike
 
Well guys, Looks like some of these will be heading to my shop!!! :)

Were gona mess around and see what we can come up with.. Im thinking some sort of mosaic can welded billets!!

If that dont work, Sling shot slugs may be the next best thing! :) lololol
 
Wouldn't layering the plugs with 15N20 between every plug work? After reading Jim Hrisoulas's books (a couple of a dozen times) he advises to experiment, especially with steel you can get for free! Between Randy and Jr., I think we will see some pretty sweet stuff out of this, can't wait to see what they come up with....now to find me a spring shop......

With the price of scrap steel as high as it is now, I bet most of them, around here, won't even let me on the property! Steel, in general, has sky rocketed since China started another building boom, I checked on some last week at Lowes for some benches I'm building, a 4 ' piece (which was too short), was 14.89(ish), I waited until I could get to the scrap yard and picked up a 100 pounds of angle iron for 35.00, that was .24 cents a pound + a cutting charge, I had to fit it in the car! That ended up being 12 6' pieces of 1"x1" angle iron and 12 pieces of the same size, 4" long AND a nice plate, 1/4" thick and about 18"x18" square, it needs to trimmed some, buit it should make a nice base for a vertical quench tank I'm planning on.

GREAT find, even if they aren't interested in talking to me, I'm still going to try, the word
"NO" hasn't hurt me yet, and being 45 years old, I'm starting to get used to it!
Thanks for sharing, NICE find, Rex
 
I just walked in one day and asked... Turns out the shop foreman (owner's grown son) was really into what I was trying to do, and had made a few really massive barbaric swords in his day. Now every time i go over there, we spend about 30 minutes just talking before more steel ever gets mentioned.

I just make sure not to be a glutton about it. I never take more than i can carry in one handful, usually 6-7 16" bars, which is NOTHING compared to what else he is throwing out.

Next on my summer agenda is to make HIM a knife as thanks for all the steel.

BT
 
Hello Guys, I finally got a chance to play around with the plugs..
As it turn out.. this 5160 steel done play well with other steels! sort of a problem child so to speak..

I made a can adding the slugs.. (which I cleaned and tumbled then cleaned again so they had the best shot of welding.. ) Anyways.. I built a repeating diamond patterns from O1 and 15n20 threw in a little pure nickle.. and alternated from 1095 powder to 2800 powder. Wicked cool looking!!

After welding it 3 times.. I removed the can from the billet by surface ground into it.. as I did.. I started to see areas that were not welded.. (right around the 5160 slugs) I went deeper with the surface grinder. and as I thought I got past one area of bad weld, I found 3 more.. then as I passed them.. you see where Im going..
So, after basically surface grinding 1/3 of the billet away. I threw my hands in the air and was done.. Then I told Brad it was not going to work.. etc.

Well, I just cant go down like that.. Ohhh Nooo not this Dog!!!
So after thinking about it for a day, I decided to weld on a handle and put the billet back in the forge.. It soaked at welding temp for some time.. Then I hit it really good with the press. Then I repeated the process 2 more times for good measure! :)
I think it may be WELDED!! yep.. it looks and acts welded. I plan on profiling this one out and grinding some bevels then heat treating it! At that point I can test it and will have a much better idea if the welds are good! :) also as I grind if there are any delams where the 5160 didnt weld

So here are a few pics.. first 2 are of the billet after coming out of the can, second 2 are after re forging it a bit!

Thanks Brad for sending these our way.. Its been a fun and challenging experience.. You know when I figure out the formula to weld these plugs, Ill send you a bar of steel to play with! :)

God Bless
Randy
 

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Randy, you are a trooper! :D Im curious to see what the pattern does as you grind into the next layer on a bevel...

Looks great man, and I got your pm also, but I'm doing this from my phone and it's not acting right...
 
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