shock absorber rods
Bill Dotten
the steel rods in auto shock absorbers.
I got a couple of discards from the local garage. car and truck)
Stamped into the steel are the words
"WARNING-GAS FILLED DO NOT OPEN -DO NOT PUNCTURE -DO NOT HEAT"
Those rods look great. I really want them. Does anybody know how
to safely pop those babies out of there ???
Thanks in advance.
"turning trees into attractive kindling"
Bill
Steven D. Russell
I was the originator of the recent thread on using automotive shock
absorber rods to make turning tools. I have successfully removed the
rods from gas/oil charged shocks however, there is a much easier and
safer way to accomplish the same thing...
Use a muffler cut-off tool (usually uses a 3" disk), to cut the rod off
just as it exits the body of the shock. These tools use abrasive cutting
wheels that make short work of the rods. You will loose a small amount
of the rod using this method, but it's a much easier and safer way
harvest the rods. Remember, there are literally thousands of additional
rods available, so we can afford to waste a tiny bit. :-)
If you do not have air tools, or a cut-off tool, you might try a power
saw with an abrasive wheel (circular saw or mitre saw). I have even used
a Dremel tool with it's small cut-off wheel to cut the rods before I got
my cut-off tool. I think you will be surprised to find how tough this
steel is. It appears to be a high nickel grade of steel, that produces
very few sparks when you grind it.
I have several of these (shock rod) tools now, all ground to various
configurations. They all share one thing in common... They hold an edge
*very* well! They are so well polished, they seem to float across they
toolrest as you use the tool. If I can ever hook up with a metal buddy,
I want to grind a flute in the larger rods to see how they act as a
bowl/spindle gouge.
I have been contacted by a couple of turners who have been lucky enough
to get flutes ground in some of their harvested rods. They have both
said that the "shock" gouges perform exceptionally well... I can't wait!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Take
care and all the best to you and yours!
--
Letting the chips fly...
Steven D. Russell
Eurowood Werks Woodturning Studio
The Woodlands, Texas
Website coming soon!
Robert
wood...@webtv.net says...
> A recent post extolled the virtues of making turning tools out of
> the steel rods in auto shock absorbers.
> I got a couple of discards from the local garage. car and truck)
> Stamped into the steel are the words
> "WARNING-GAS FILLED DO NOT OPEN -DO NOT PUNCTURE -DO NOT HEAT"
> Those rods look great. I really want them. Does anybody know how
> to safely pop those babies out of there ???
> Thanks in advance.
>
> "turning trees into attractive kindling"
> Bill
>
>
I wouldn't bother opening up the back end of the shock. I just cut off
the rod where it exits the body of the shock. I cut mine off with an
angle grinder. It takes much less time than when I tried it with a
hacksaw!
My web page should be online soon. When it is, I will have pictures.
Bob
Andrew Barss
If it's the rod itself, I'd avoid cutting it altogether.
(Actually, I would avoid using parts from anything with
s atamped-in warning like that, but I'm a scairdy cat).
-- Andy Barss
Robert <robe...@Mindspring.NOSPAMcom> wrote:
: In article <23468-3A...@storefull-145.iap.bryant.webtv.net>,
Don
Apparently you don't tinker with car repairs but those of us who do or have in
past recognize what's said here because we are familiar with the physical
makeup of a standard shock.
Picture a round metal cylinder about 2" in diameter and maybe 8" long, then a
solid metal shaft protruding from one end of that. What they are saying is to
cut off only the solid metal shaft (pull it out of the cylinder as far as you
can first) and NOT puncture the round cylinder. It's that cylinder that has the
gas or oil in it. The solid shaft protruding is sealed with rubber rings and
gaskets etc to keep the cylinder from leaking. They do eventually leak from
wear and that is when they are discarded at the garage. As you can see, there
isn't a lot of danger with cutting just the shaft itself. Not all shocks are
physically constructed this way but the one's in discussion here are.
Chances are that all the pressure is leaked down on it if it is being junked
but I still would not cut into the cylinder, there's plenty of exposed shaft to
make a tool without going for the portion inside the cylinder.
Hope this helps with your concerns.
Don
Michael Jackson
I just love scavenging and making tools from scrap materials, so as soon as
I saw Steven's post on shock absorbers I went looking and liberated a
couple. There was no warning on them, I attacked them with an angle grinder
and cut the end of the tube where the rod exits. It was very tough steel but
there was no surprises when I cut through, no pressure or anything. I guess
that the reason they fail and need replacing is because the gas leaks. My
problem is that the steel is as Steven says very hard and it took me a long
time to grind anything resembling a scraper shape. What I did was to refit
one of the old grey wheels that came with my cheap bench grinder so as not
to use up my white ones. As an aside, I have used the white wheels for a
couple of years and I had forgotten how easily the grey ones clog!
Regards
Michael
Andrew Barss
: Andy:
: Hope this helps with your concerns.
: Don
It certainly does! Thanks -- I was misunderstanding the
task at hand. Unfortunately I missed the tinker-with-car part
of teenhood (which I really regret now).
Which way to the scrap yard?
-- Andy
John Wiley
the shape you want. Then finish it with the bench grinder. Treat the metal
as you would wood. Real agressive tools to do the roughing out then follow
up with the finer tools.
John
Allan Matthews
Dotten) wrote:
> A recent post extolled the virtues of making turning tools out of
>the steel rods in auto shock absorbers.
> I got a couple of discards from the local garage. car and truck)
> Stamped into the steel are the words
>"WARNING-GAS FILLED DO NOT OPEN -DO NOT PUNCTURE -DO NOT HEAT"
> Those rods look great. I really want them. Does anybody know how
>to safely pop those babies out of there ???
> Thanks in advance.
>
>"turning trees into attractive kindling"
> Bill
I drilled a small hole in the cylinder and drained out the fluid...it
stinks!!! Then I cut the cylinder apart and dismantled it. The rods
are made of O1 Steel. Good Stuff. I think I my next one I will use
an abrasive wheel and sacrifice a small part of the rod. BTW some of
these rods are an inch in diameter.
Michael Jackson
Thanks for tip, I will have go with the grinder and save my wheels. Do you
have any favoured shapes which would work well with a home-made tool from
these rods?
Regards
Michael
Jack & Jean Hock
I have been using shock absorber steel for several years now and the
best thing I have found for initial shaping is one of those "Handi
Disks" that the guy demos at the wood working shows. The faster you can
spin them the better they work, I mounted one on an arbor attached to my
shopsmith and grind against the side of it. They really remove the metal
and don't degrade as far as I can tell. They do wear down when used
against their edge as in cutting. I wear one or two down and take them
to the guy at the woodworking show each year its in town and he replaces
them no problem. I think they like to do this as it is kind of an
example for the crowd.
Jack
Michael Jackson
Thanks for the tip. It is a heck of a coincidence but I just bought two of
those disks which come with a lifetime guarantee so I will certainly try
them. All the best for Christmas
Regards
Michael