Lewis's Life

This is the new job that I have at the shop. I quoted a high enough price, but apparently I was not slow enough and I got the job. It is a 24" diameter gear from the water company that is part of an assembly that opens a three foot water main. All of the teeth rusted during the last 60 years underground and when they went to close the valve all of the rust busted off and they discovered that there were not actually any teeth left.

It got busted when they were taking it of the shaft. More fun for me.

I will heat the whole thing up to about 600 degrees farenheit and put a lot of weld metal down where the teeth should be. Then I will grind the teeth approximately to shape. I was able to heat and weld the small pinion gear today in the gas forge and weld it up. I reheated it again afterwards and it is cooling in the gas forge even as I type.