Forging Truck Axels

[JoeLee]

I found this kind of interesting but have to wonder why their billet stock is curved or elbow shaped. Seems it would be easier to handle if it were straight. Also have to wonder how long their dies hold out to all that pounding.

https://youtu.be/EyhdEVnG4R0

JL...........

[old mart]

I wonder if the steel is cut from anchor chain?

[JoeLee]

I thought about that but that would be pretty big chain. At least four inches in diameter maybe bigger.

JL.....

[Willy]

I wonder if the steel is cut from anchor chain?

Saw this about 6 weeks ago and this is what I thought too.
All flame cut and so likely salvage material.
Makes you appreciate some of the "bad" jobs we've had in the past.

[Willy]

[JoeLee]

It takes an awful lot of either age or abuse to warrant scraping a chain like that. You would think there is used market for it that pays better than scrap price.

JL..............

[Willy]

It takes an awful lot of either age or abuse to warrant scraping a chain like that. You would think there is used market for it that pays better than scrap price.

JL..............

You would thinks so wouldn't you?
I'm not certain by any means if those nuggets being turned into truck axles are in fact cut up ship anchor chain but they sure look like they could be? Why else the elbow?
This plus the fact that I would suspect ship anchor chain is likely a good quality steel .
Also keep in mind that India is home to some of the largest ship break up and scrap yards. I believe they purchase and break up about 400-450 ships annually, that's a lot of material to process and sell.

Saw a program just lately about the ship salvage industry in Turkey, you should have seen the large number of beautiful cruise ships being broken up due to that industry going down the toilette due to Covid-19. Unbelievable at first glance but the cruise ship industry has to try and cut their losses, lot's of money involved to keep one of those vessels afloat month after month without any revenue being generated. Lots of the big cruise lines scrapped some very beautiful and lavish ships with 10-15 years of life left in them yet before requiring major re-fitment or replacement.

[boslab]

Looks like anchor chain to me, strong guys too btw, I’ve slung a 80mm red hot bar about a few times out of the pouring tube on the casters when they froze up, it’s bloody heavy and burns your leg, hard on the back and shoulder, I’ve seen even bigger chain in the scrap, had a bar through the links to stop it knotting
mark

[rickyb]

Obviously using scrap. Entire process is outdated by about 40 years. I’ve seen a lot of heavy truck axle shafts forged. Not one of them this primitive.

[Dan Dubeau]

Yeah, looks like anchor chain to me too. Tough way to make a living. Sure makes one appreciate what you have watching videos like that.

[Baz]

Probably another video somewhere of a forge making chain out of old back axles.
How/where it used to be done. about 150 years ago.

[wierdscience]

Another forge making hammer heads-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw8thlyGgho

[JoeLee]

You would thinks so wouldn't you?
I'm not certain by any means if those nuggets being turned into truck axles are in fact cut up ship anchor chain but they sure look like they could be? Why else the elbow?
This plus the fact that I would suspect ship anchor chain is likely a good quality steel .
Also keep in mind that India is home to some of the largest ship break up and scrap yards. I believe they purchase and break up about 400-450 ships annually, that's a lot of material to process and sell.

Saw a program just lately about the ship salvage industry in Turkey, you should have seen the large number of beautiful cruise ships being broken up due to that industry going down the toilette due to Covid-19. Unbelievable at first glance but the cruise ship industry has to try and cut their losses, lot's of money involved to keep one of those vessels afloat month after month without any revenue being generated. Lots of the big cruise lines scrapped some very beautiful and lavish ships with 10-15 years of life left in them yet before requiring major re-fitment or replacement.

Well, that sure looks like links that have been quartered after seeing your picture next to the can. I'm going to guess that stuff is about 5" in dia. and each piece is about 18" long then that would weigh in at about 100Lbs. It looks like what he's slinging with those tongs isn't light.

I don't think cruise ships use anchor chain that big, more likely those huge container ships like the one that got stuck in the canal or an aircraft carrier.

It looks like it was clean cut too, like band saw cut.

JL...........

[Willy]

I'm certainly no expert on ship chain sizes by any means, and cruise ships just like any other ship come in all manner of shapes and sizes too as I'm sure you are more than aware of.
Saw a show a while back about the new mega size container ships and was amazed at the size of their anchor chain, each link at over 500 lbs! so the link I pictured above is not all that large in the grand scheme of things.
However salvaged ships chain is likely more often to come from a commercial ship than from a cruise ship just because they vastly out number them.

The links in your video though are definitely flame cut, this is clearly evident in the first 15 seconds of the video you linked to. Not only by the rough salvage yard cuts but also by the slag found on some of the pieces.
The photo below is from that video at about the .09 second mark.

[JoeLee]

I'm certainly no expert on ship chain sizes by any means, and cruise ships just like any other ship come in all manner of shapes and sizes too as I'm sure you are more than aware of.
Saw a show a while back about the new mega size container ships and was amazed at the size of their anchor chain, each link at over 500 lbs! so the link I pictured above is not all that large in the grand scheme of things.
However salvaged ships chain is likely more often to come from a commercial ship than from a cruise ship just because they vastly out number them.

The links in your video though are definitely flame cut, this is clearly evident in the first 15 seconds of the video you linked to. Not only by the rough salvage yard cuts but also by the slag found on some of the pieces.
The photo below is from that video at about the .09 second mark.

Yes, I see that now.

JL............