Dumbel cast iron quality

[chucketn]

I picked up 4 cast iron dumbels while responding to a local Freecycle post. These are old, have Hex shaped ends, and cast in handle.
I have seen many forum posts proclaiming that these weights are either good cast iron or junk. Has anyone used these type dumbels for projects? Was the metal good quality or junk?

Chuck

 

[bazmak]

Bought a new one and it turned lovely to make a chuck adaptor plate,see biary of an advance lathe.Bought another a few weeks later and it was like glass
could not even drill a hole with carbide.Answers yours question.Dont know till you try.Cast iron can age harden but will anneal if you have the equipment
Regards barry

 

[kiwi2]

I bought some to use as a flywheel. I ended up ruining a couple of carbide inserts so it was a pretty expensive lesson. I think they are generally made locally so the quality can be variable.

 

[slotdrill]

I have used these and other types on a number of occasions. So far I have found no problems machining the stuff in fact it has machined very well and left a good finish. I have also used the weights from old weighing scales again with great success.

I have a collection of old cast iron sash weights but they can be variable. Out of the 16 or so I have found that only three are machinable the rest being chilled. These chilled ones will be going in the fire pit on November 5th - Guy Fawkes night, we'll see if that will soften them up a bit.

Rik

 

[gus]

May be a good idea to buy dumbell weights brand new since they age harden. Or perhaps doing a hardness test with a file to confirm same is machineable. Did have problem machining flywheel for C.I. Disc cut from CI bars bought from a stockist. Came across some very hard spots. Fortunately deeper cuts helped.

 

[goldstar31]

Like Slotdrill, I found that sash weights were of 'variable quality'. I spent more time getting rid of sand, filth and whatever that far outweighed the initial price. Again, I bought 'bed angle iron' which I found out to be the last steel to be dropped from the crucible. Again, it is worth noting that carbide inserts can 'appear' and these will wreck almost anything. Whilst on my City and Guilds course in Motor Vehicle Restoration after my retirement we were lectured on not using wire coat hooks as filler road during gas welding.

The upshot is really to save money and time by not buying someone else's junk or something not fit for purpose.

Tucked away I have a rather useful remains of a cast iron marking off table which is pure Meehanite and cost £3 and I have a whole surface plate- that isn't worth scraping but delightful to machine with ordinary hss tools. My only concession is that I have to use a 6 x 4 bandsaw.

Reminiscing a bit, the late Martin Cleeve, author of Screwcutting in the Lathe would not have cast iron anywhere near his precious lathe. Having said that, his lathe was bought as half a lathe- but you should get the message.

regards

Norman

 

[slotdrill]

Just an update on the November 5th sash weight treatment. It didn't work! Phooey!

Rik

 

[Wizard69]

Just an update on the November 5th sash weight treatment. It didn't work! Phooey!

Rik

How hot did you get them? I'm no expert but I would imagine you would need to get them pretty hot to anneal.

The other problem here is that there is likely zero control on carbon content. Since carbon impact the characteristics of iron significantly this could be where the variability in machinability comes from.

 

[goldstar31]

How hot did you get them? I'm no expert but I would imagine you would need to get them pretty hot to anneal.

The other problem here is that there is likely zero control on carbon content. Since carbon impact the characteristics of iron significantly this could be where the variability in machinability comes from.

No, not really. Cast iron is melted from pig iron plus a heap of crap steel and iron. I recall a couple of dead bodies going in to the melt:hDe:
My family lived in or around Consett Iron Company and my father and two uncles did their time as apprentices in Bradley Shops. I lived -for a time- in Workington in then West Cumberland now Cumbria. There was Workington Iron and Steel Company and High Duty Alloys. The local store was Workington Beehive Co-operative. Beehive is not those busy bee things but Beehive ovens!

Sorry but I'll stick with what I said. or add a bit. If you Google something like the Sword Makers of Shotley Bridge which is on the banks of the 'other' River Derwent that flows into the Tyne, you will get a brief taste of engineering as it was. The cast iron was processed and processed to get rid of almost all the carbon and impurities and then carbon/charcoal was added to the white hot metal and folded and folded a bit like making a Swiss Roll. The metal was so good that swords were made which could be wound round and stored in a gentleman's top hat.

I sort of grew up in the blacksmith's shop in the years before the war- and one never forgets the sky lighting up the clouds as the molten slag was dropped.

 

[tornitore45]

I picked up two dumbbell and under the plastic cover it was concrete.:redface2:

 

[goldstar31]

I picked up two dumbbell and under the plastic cover it was concrete.:redface2:

Obviously you don't have a magnet for concrete:hDe: