Drillers Bit, Old Fans, and Cast Statues

billjustbill

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Driller's Bit, Old Fans, and Cast Statues

This is a collection of the past three weekends.... Your input on what you think of them is appreciated.

Driller's Bit looks to be chromed and about 5-1/2" in diameter. Paid $10

There are 3 Emerson Fans, two run, and 2 General Electric, both run. One GE has a motor speed control sliding switch in its base. Paid $57 for all

The pair of Statues are cast, but no markings. Paid $20 for the pair.
 

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diggummup

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That chromed tricone was a good find for $10 as long as that's not a crack I see in pic. #1. The statues appear to be spelter or white metal, that's about all I can offer on that. Once you put a mojjax coat of paint on those fans, they should resell really well, I would think. Nice finds.
 

tamrock

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That bit looks like it was chromed for a trade show or counter display. It has carbide buttons and would be a more expensive bit. I do see at least one button is busted. Nice find and I would think you could find a buyer for it. Good Stuff!
 

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frankendime

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Yes those bits make nice displays in that size and smaller. Snatched up around here. I worked 11 yrs in West Texas oilfield years ago and saw bits like that go to the scrapyard by the truckload. People would beat out the carbide buttons. By the way. Whats Carbide going for these days?

Good Finds!
 

tamrock

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Last I looked, it was around 10 a pound, but I would think it would be more today as that was a few years ago. The scrapers haul tons of DTH bits with lots of carbide in them from the gold mines in Nevada. I sold down hole bits for Sandvik, Atlas Copco and Rockmore Intl', never got involved selling tricone rotary bits. Meet a few fellows who did with all the Water Well, Blasting & Mining shows I went to. I was told if you heat the bit up very hot and then drop it in a 55gal drum full of cold water the carbide buttons will pop out. I got some small worn out top hammer rock drill bits in the garage, I should test that and see if it works. Each carbide button is very dence and heavy for the size, so I guess it wouldn't take to much to get a pound of the stuff. I've seen how they braze busted & crushed carbide buttons to bucket lip replacment wear plates on loaders and those cost a bunch. That tungsten carbide will bust like glass when you knock button to button. Shipping would pack sometimes the bits face to face and the carbide would hit each other in transit and shatter the buttons, "goof balls". I should maybe pick these old bits up? I ended up with the ones I have because the driller says it wore out to fast and wanted warranty. I'd just send a pic to the quality control dept. and they'd send a note to the customer and say the product was made under all the mfg. guild lines and see nothing wrong. Can't blame the old driller for trying. Those things realy add up in cost.
 

mojjax

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Hi Bill , does that GE with the handle have brass blades ?
They are all beauties .
 

frankendime

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Last I looked, it was around 10 a pound, but I would think it would be more today as that was a few years ago. The scrapers haul tons of DTH bits with lots of carbide in them from the gold mines in Nevada. I sold down hole bits for Sandvik, Atlas Copco and Rockmore Intl', never got involved selling tricone rotary bits. Meet a few fellows who did with all the Water Well, Blasting & Mining shows I went to. I was told if you heat the bit up very hot and then drop it in a 55gal drum full of cold water the carbide buttons will pop out. I got some small worn out top hammer rock drill bits in the garage, I should test that and see if it works. Each carbide button is very dence and heavy for the size, so I guess it wouldn't take to much to get a pound of the stuff. I've seen how they braze busted & crushed carbide buttons to bucket lip replacment wear plates on loaders and those cost a bunch. That tungsten carbide will bust like glass when you knock button to button. Shipping would pack sometimes the bits face to face and the carbide would hit each other in transit and shatter the buttons, "goof balls". I should maybe pick these old bits up? I ended up with the ones I have because the driller says it wore out to fast and wanted warranty. I'd just send a pic to the quality control dept. and they'd send a note to the customer and say the product was made under all the mfg. guild lines and see nothing wrong. Can't blame the old driller for trying. Those things realy add up in cost.

I worked in a machine shop as well for many years and ran automatic lathes. We ran carbide tipped tooling and it would shatter like glass. But if setup was right it would make thousands and thousands of cuts without dulling. Sometimes our tooling came back from the tool grinder too sharp and would chatter or try to grab the workpiece and not leave a smooth finish. We would hafta dull it out and the only thing that would dull carbide was another piece of carbide. Just thinking back...
 

tamrock

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I worked in a machine shop as well for many years and ran automatic lathes. We ran carbide tipped tooling and it would shatter like glass. But if setup was right it would make thousands and thousands of cuts without dulling. Sometimes our tooling came back from the tool grinder too sharp and would chatter or try to grab the workpiece and not leave a smooth finish. We would hafta dull it out and the only thing that would dull carbide was another piece of carbide. Just thinking back...

Back when scrap was high I would bring all these worn out brass bushings from our shop we have in Nevada to the scrap buyers in Denver for a better price. I showed a carbide rock bit to the scrap buyer, but he wasn't familiar with the carbide in the rock drilling products. He then showed me a plastic 5 gal. bucket about 3/4 full of the scrap machine tool carbide and said he gave around $300. for that bucket. ( it was very heavy) Those machine tool carbide cutters have a brighter look to them then the rock bit carbide that is darker in color. He said if I get one of the buttons out he would send it to the place he sells carbide and see if it is worth anything to him. I know the drill bits are worth some scrap, because the guys who pick up the bits in Nevada drive drive all over Nevada to gather the bits up for scrap and then they need to remove all the carbide buttons. They drive in from Salt Lake City and go all over the west gathering up these drill bits. I'm thinking there could be some good money in scrap carbide?
 

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billjustbill

billjustbill

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Thanks Digg,

That spot looks like either a casting flaw and like it could have been welded/repaired before it was chromed.... The area around the flaw feels like the bit has its original contour and not built-up with a repair bead.... It's my first drill bit, so I can't tell... ;>)
 

tamrock

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Thanks Digg,

That spot looks like either a casting flaw and like it could have been welded/repaired before it was chromed.... The area around the flaw feels like the bit has its original contour and not built-up with a repair bead.... It's my first drill bit, so I can't tell... ;>)
I believe that weld is part of how they build those type of bits. I do know they rebuild those bits also. I had a customer who bought my DTH bits in wyoming and they could rebuild those tricones by taking them apart somehow to replace the bearings. I would think a water well driller would just like to have that one you got to put in his office, like a unique item to set on his desk.
 

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billjustbill

billjustbill

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Hi Bill , does that GE with the handle have brass blades ?
They are all beauties .

Yes, the blades are solid brass. I also used a magnet and the blades, themselves, are brass with the rest of the fan guard and housing being of ferrous metal
 

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