Heating parts?
#1
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Heating parts?
I've got a 301 that has a slightly bent and or twisted take up lever. Would heating the part on the stove burner help the odds of it not snapping when I try to bend it back into shape?
#2
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Location: Springfield Oregon
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I should know more about metallurgy than I do, considering my trade. But I think you would need to get it hot enough to turn color in order to anneal it. (thinking red hot) I may be wrong. That would involve something like a propane torch, at least. SteveH?
#4
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Location: San Lorenzo, CA
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sorry for the "sorta" reply here but...
It depends on a bunch of options. most likely it would not be of assistance. If you DO decide to use heat to remove stress in the metal, use the oven not the burner.
Cast metal? Cut/milled metal? Plated? Amount of bend to be fixed? Tool(s) used to unbend?
I default to.... pics?
It depends on a bunch of options. most likely it would not be of assistance. If you DO decide to use heat to remove stress in the metal, use the oven not the burner.
Cast metal? Cut/milled metal? Plated? Amount of bend to be fixed? Tool(s) used to unbend?
I default to.... pics?
#6
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Centralia, WA, USA
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If it's made of stamped steel you won't have any problem except the possibility of the plating coming off. Pot metal will most likely break. Usually that stuff will only bend once.
See if a magnet sticks to it.
Rodney
See if a magnet sticks to it.
Rodney
#7
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
I have replaced the broken TU lever on a 66 and have the remains of one that came off our FW. Both of them show what looks like crystallized metal at the point of breakage. I would say from that, the take up levers are made from a very hard borderline brittle steel.
They'll bend once, but break when you try to straighten them.
I'd make sure to have a replacement handy just in case, then I'd heat it cherry red at the bend to soften it before I straightened it.
Even then, with my luck it would probably break on me.
Joe
They'll bend once, but break when you try to straighten them.
I'd make sure to have a replacement handy just in case, then I'd heat it cherry red at the bend to soften it before I straightened it.
Even then, with my luck it would probably break on me.
Joe
#8
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Join Date: Jan 2010
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I have replaced the broken TU lever on a 66 and have the remains of one that came off our FW. Both of them show what looks like crystallized metal at the point of breakage. I would say from that, the take up levers are made from a very hard borderline brittle steel.
They'll bend once, but break when you try to straighten them.
I'd make sure to have a replacement handy just in case, then I'd heat it cherry red at the bend to soften it before I straightened it.
Even then, with my luck it would probably break on me.
Joe
They'll bend once, but break when you try to straighten them.
I'd make sure to have a replacement handy just in case, then I'd heat it cherry red at the bend to soften it before I straightened it.
Even then, with my luck it would probably break on me.
Joe
#9
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
Posts: 5,361
What "I" do is to lay the metal on a piece of thick leather, and using a rawhide hammer apply gentle strikes in the appropriate direction. (Mostly I use the weight of the hammer falling, and do not actually swing the hammer in these cases) and yes, be mentally prepared for it to snap.
Or you can mail it to me and I'll fix it for you.
Or you can mail it to me and I'll fix it for you.
#10
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I do appreciate the offer, Steve! But, I think the only way to get it "right" would be to have another 301 handy to compare to. It's really the way I was able to pin point what the exact problem was. It's quite easy to compare both machines and see the slight bend, but it would be very hard to get it to the correct angle without something to use as a guide.
I've had luck bending other parts back into shape, but I don't have a good feeling about this one.
I've had luck bending other parts back into shape, but I don't have a good feeling about this one.
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