don't freak out. question regarding hand grenade welding

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Ok, so i went to the army surplus store to come up with some ideas to modify my motorcycle.while i was there i picked up 2 hand grenades that have been emptied and have a hole drilled into the very bottom of them.i haven't quite decided what i'm going to use them for. maybe highway pegs, regular foot pegs, handlebar end weights.   i don't know.  anyways, a friend of mine (certified welder in all types supposedly) claims i can NOT weld, drill, tap or otherwise modify the grenade because "it's made to break and explode".the way i look at it, is.  they had to originally drill or at least tap the top part, so they could screw in the igniter.   and then they obviously drilled it again to make it non-functional and to be able to sell it at a surplus store.    so i'm very confident, that i can drill and tap it.BUT...............why wouldn't i be able to weld it???   specially if i take the igniter head off, then it'll basically be an egg with a hole in the top and bottom.  so there won't be any type of pressure buildup.   oh, and does anybody know what kind of metal hand grenades are made out of??? cuz i'm still brand new to welding, so if it's some kind of weird metal, then i don't want to mess it up because i can't weld to it properly.
Reply:Finally, someone else from Milwaukee. Where did you get the grenades from?I don't know what they are made of.Yup
Reply:Many of the early ones were made of cast iron, both because that is a cheap manufacturing method and being brittle, c. iron breaks up well. I don't keep track of these things, so can't tell you what 'modern' grenades are made from, but expect that a few here can.
Reply:I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to.  take out the igniter, and give it a try.  Might want to get another one or two as a 'spare", just in case, though .....
Reply:Why not weld it?Because the metal is often -made- to break and fracture into shards.  It is on the brittle side.weld + brittle = broken partThat's for the 'standard' fragmentation grenade.  Grenades come in other 'flavors' as well as the fragmentation-shrapnel kind.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenadehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M67_grenadehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M61_grenadeAnd the 'classic' pineapple grenade:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mk_2_grenadehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_..._hand_grenades  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:What you bought is probably a dummy practice gernade... not a real gernade that has been de-milled. I have a couple wired around my shop with trip wires (thieves can't tell they are dummy's) Of course I now have trouble getting help around the shop--LOL(but nobody is stealing my tools any more)They appear to be cast iron which makes sense for fragmentation (are these like little pineapples?) The smooth ones are gas gernades and may be steel. If you use them for road pegs it might be better to unscrew the fuse and thru bolt them for that use(easier than welding and safer).... you can reattach the butterfly to the bolt head if you like it to show.They were $7-8 bucks for a long time but were $15 the last I checked.
Reply:The old Mk 26 (?) 'pinnapple' hand grenades were cast iron.  They were most likely cast with all the threads and holes as a part of the mold.  I have my doubts about machining them.The newer hand grenades are probably still cast iron.  It's cheap and works well for the intended purpose.  All that aside, I don't see why you should be able to braze them onto a rod, or even machine a rod with threads that match those that hold the igniter in.  Since they're brittle and designed to break, I'd shy away from using them as footpegs.  I'd had to be rolling down the freeway and have a footpeg snap off.  Or drag a footpeg in a turn and snap it off...Might be too heavy for bar-end weights.  Would look cool to have a suicide shifter with a hand grenade as the top piece.Might be able to swing using a hand grenade as the top of a dipstik, or oil resevoir cap....Or how about as passenger pegs, assuming those don't get much use.Conceal a mirror on the backside, and mount them as rear view mirrors....Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Originally Posted by BurnitFinally, someone else from Milwaukee. Where did you get the grenades from?
Reply:I just made a nice cast iron welded repair on a forge blower dated 1901, by TIG welding the mild steel repair peice to the existing broken of cast handle using 308 stainless TIG rod, actually welded quite smoothly. I did preheat the part and submerged it after welding into a gallon bucket of cat litter to control the cooling. A little clean up on the belt sander and you have to look close to tell it was repaired.Not a beginner, not a pro !
Reply:ok according to the links that moonrise posted, i have the MK2 "pineapple" grenade.  here are a couple pics.as i said, i'm not quite sure what i'm going to do with them yet, but if i'll use them as pegs, then i just have to thread the bottom hole and screw it on.   if for some reason i do come up with some idea where i'll have to weld it, well then i'll be on here asking for advice on how to weld cast i guess. LOL Originally Posted by A_DAB_will_doSince they're brittle and designed to break, I'd shy away from using them as footpegs. I'd had to be rolling down the freeway and have a footpeg snap off. Or drag a footpeg in a turn and snap it off...
Reply:My comment about a thru bolt was so there isn't any pressure on a weld of unknown material that might snap at the wrong moment. All pressure would be on the bolt used 'not' on the gernade itself.Wouldn't it be easier & safer to have a good steel bolt attachment? the fuse could be cut down and welded to the bolt head and still retain the complete gernade look,but when you prop your feet on them you wouldn't be worried about one snapping off while going down the road.There you are ...feet propped up on the foot pegs rolling along easy as you please and you hit a very rough road joint that causes you to tense up and push against those pegs....SNAP... there goes the gernade and all of a sudden one or both feet are trying to find a place to rest...hopefully it isn't the asphalt. I don't always think about things that can go wrong,but that occured to me in this case.
Reply:Originally Posted by RyanLipskiWhat, Tosa is too far away?   hehehe....
Reply:I have no idea what they are but I once drilled out the bottom of one to accept a nut that i machined round. I welded it with regular old solid mig wire with c25 gas. It was for a shifter knob.
Reply:They aren't that fragile. My son had one when he was small, and left it in the yard after throwing it one day. I found it in the grass with the lawnmower. The blade cut a gash in it but it didn't shatter, just gave it a good pitch.... wonder what I looked like when I saw itskipping accross the yard ?Not a beginner, not a pro !
Reply:Slick idea....way cool. Mudbugone is right for the footpeg application. The bar through would ultimately be the safest way, by taking all the questionable properties out of the play. Keep us informed on this project and don't forget about brazing as a method. You're going to chrome it anyway....right?
Reply:Originally Posted by maniakSlick idea....way cool. Mudbugone is right for the footpeg application. The bar through would ultimately be the safest way, by taking all the questionable properties out of the play. Keep us informed on this project and don't forget about brazing as a method. You're going to chrome it anyway....right?
Reply:I was tugging your chain a little about the chrome....a-dab-will-do did mention brazing as a possible joining method in his post too, not saying it's THE way to go, just don't count it out when the time comes. Take a look at the threads where the trigger screws in, you should be able to tell if it's a tapped hole. If so that would indicate that it's a machinable cast iron. Good to know if needs drilling and tapping later. I thought of tail/brake lights or turn signals.... what kind of bike? Good luck...maniak
Reply:It'll weld fine if you've ever welded cast. I have a grenade shifter knob on my Jeep that was welded on, no drama there.Not by me, I think it's hideous and uncomfortable. But hey, the Jeep was cheap.
Reply:What about cutting one in half and like was stated putting a mirror in the cut side for mirrors for the bike?[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]weekend metal melter and all around pain
Reply:Originally Posted by maniakI was tugging your chain a little about the chrome....a-dab-will-do did mention brazing as a possible joining method in his post too, not saying it's THE way to go, just don't count it out when the time comes. Take a look at the threads where the trigger screws in, you should be able to tell if it's a tapped hole. If so that would indicate that it's a machinable cast iron. Good to know if needs drilling and tapping later. I thought of tail/brake lights or turn signals.... what kind of bike? Good luck...maniak
Reply:ignore the part about brazing. i responded out of reflex. i can just google the answer. LOL
Reply:I can't tell if you're kidding or not (about the brazing question). If you really don't know, type it in the search forums box first and see what you can find by gleaning the posts. Chances are it has been asked here before. After your homework, if you still want more details, ask in the Oxy-fuel section or even PM me.  Have you come any closer to deciding what the grenades are gonna be on your bike? maniak
Reply:unfortunately i'm not kidding about the brazing. but i'll research it.  i'm 100% new to metal working.   other than helping a friend hold some pieces together and watch him weld, and do some of the grinding for him, i haven't done anything myself.   i just bought my first welder recently, and so far have made myself a small gps mount for my motorcycle, and that's about all i know. LOLi haven't quite decided yet.    i've been kinda throwing all the ideas/suggestions from this tread into a bowl and seeing what comes out. LOL   but with being a stay at home dad with our first child (3months old), and then doing side jobs out of my garage in the evening, i've been a little busy to actually make any physical progress so far.     right now i'm still stuck with ideas in my head and on scrap paper.hoping to take the little guy on our first trip to the metal shop tomorrow to buy some metal to keep on hand.
Reply:Great! There is a lot of knowledge and experience on here for you to tap into when you're ready. Good luck           ....and what does your Dad do, Billy? " Oh, He welds grenades in our garage..."maniak