This and that

[Martin Botting 2Participant @martinbotting2]

Evening posters and wise ones, I have a few questions I would like some help with.

I have been given some 1" round stock and was told it was phossy bronze, it's not brass coloured as i have owned before it's more orange/ red its pedigree is unknown so does anyone have any hints and tips how to find out what it is. before I start machining it up for some boiler fittings and find in a few years its powdered away.

Next question on a similar vein I have been given some silver solder its in flat strips about ⅜th wide and about 1/16th thick it takes a fair bit of heat from the torch before it starts to melt and flow are there ways of classifying it.

Last one I promise…. I need a new hacksaw frame as the old one that was my dad's has got to the stage of no matter how much I crank the screw up the blade is not drawn up and the cut wanders, so any recommendation for a replacement that can get the blades done up like bow strings.

Many thanks in advance.

Martin

[Martin Botting 2Participant @martinbotting2]

what does the panel think

[Martin 100Participant @martin100]

The Eclipse 20T is one of the few general purpose hacksaw frames I have, been in use for approaching 40 years and still in production today. I also have another Eclipse, model unknown with a wood handle dating from the 1960's that fits in the hand like a glove. All get a decent amount of tension in the blade. Blades are a mix of Sandvik, Bahco, Eclipse and Starrett, migrating mainly to bimetal Sandvik as I got gifted dozens of them a while ago.

[“Bill Hancox”Participant @billhancox]

I have been using this for about 8 years. It is absolutely fantastic; by far the best I have ever owned. **LINK**

Something similar that appears to be the same but under a different brand name. **LINK**

[Mark Simpson 1Participant @marksimpson1]

When my Eclipse 20T surrendered ,after about 30 years, I bought a Bahco 325 ERGO after some web browsing, mostly on the basis that the better end Bahco (ex Sandvik) stuff is generally made of better stuff… time will tell but great so far:

• Blade can be tight as you like
• Hand Grip is comfortable,
• There's no big wingnut and thread sitting out at the front which is useful in tight spaces

all over the web,here's a cheaper end one
**link**

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

I've still got my Eclipse 20T that I bought when I started my apprenticeship in 1979. I recently bought a Bahco, can't recall the model but is probably the 325 Ergo, it fits my hand better than the Eclipse and is more comfortable to use for longer periods. Only time will tell of it is as well made as the Eclipse.

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

A washer or two under the wing nut to give it a bit more life maybe?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

After years of hacksaw misery I bought a Bahco and it is good.

Back to your PB if it has a dull red-brown colour it can really only be copper or old phosphor bronze. Younger PB tends to be a brassier colour but tends to have black twist-marks from being pulled through the die.

If it machines OK it isn't copper!

Neil

[Michael ToppingParticipant @michaeltopping17870]

It sounds like your piece of bar could be phosphor bronze, the colouration certainly sounds correct. But I would be cautious about using it for boiler fittings if you are not certain of the grade, I would use it for bearings etc. Same applies to the silver solder, if you are not sure of the grade use it for general work and get known grade silver for your boiler fittings.

I've been using an eclipse hacksaw for years, but it now in a similar state for yours, looked for a peplacement at the London exhibition, but didn't see anything I liked the look of.

Michael

[Stewart HartParticipant @stewarthart90345]

He'rs an old hacksaw story:-

My Dad was the charge hand in a small maintenance workshop that looked after the day to day needs of a larger production shop, and he was for ever losing hack saws they just walked away, so he made is own from bits of steam tube it was heavy and crude but it did the job 20 years later it was still in daily use in that shop:- no one wanted to pinch it

Stew

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

Try machining the unknown rod on the lathe using a HSS tool ground with top rake for steel,not much faster than steel,the swarf will be in long curly pieces same as steel and they will be tough and hard to break and reddish bronze in colour.Tough phosphor bronze is only suitable for bearings if well lubricated and the shaft for the bearing is hardened.

[Martin Botting 2Participant @martinbotting2]

I had a private message from a fellow subscriber making the offer of having it checked out in his company's labs over in New Zealand which enforces my feelings that thanks to the WWW we have grown into a global model engineering club. Many thanks to that subscriber.

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