Problem Solving

Hi, I am looking for a sander polisher that will also accept a wire brush... I saw that some smiths use this instead of an angle grinder which has considerably more rpm. The problem is that I can't find one at a hardware store or home depot that looks right for a wire brush. Also I have no idea where to look for a stainless steel brush. Where does one find this sort of thing? Any help, suggestions much appreciated. Robert Hanford

Anyone know where i can find an oil burner cheap like the one in this link http://theworkshop.c...r/mstrblstr.htm

I have a commission for an unusual building on our island, a stone built Scottish tower house. We're well through construction and I want to begin some of the metalwork projects that we need. Of these, the most challenging is a yett, a Scottish term for a forged iron gate. These had rails running vertically and horizontally that were interwoven so they couldn't be dissembled. I have no idea how these were made and I'm hoping someone can offer a solution so that I can give some guidance to the blacksmith we eventually appoint. I've attached a couple of illustrations of typical yetts. I'm unclear whether these were forged from single bars which were heated then expanded …

I recently salvaged a broken down gas grill to use as a base on my forge/furnace when I realized that there were already two valves on the thing via the grill knobs. I can't image that the valves on that thing would have any problem taking 30 psi, right? Could be a convenient way to dial up and down without needing to go back to the regulator. Obviously, I'd replace any hose on the thing with high-pressure propane hose to do this. I'm just wanting a little affirmation on the valves themselves. And then if that works, it looks like it'd be rather easy to set up an idler circuit by using the two knob outputs...

I seem to be running into an inability to drill through my work after I've forged it. I'm not quenching it at any point, and I've tried annealling it before trying to drill through it, but that doesn't help. The bit is sharp enough, it works on other pieces I haven't been hammering on, nothing wrong with the drill press, either. Can anybody explain to me what I assume is the blatantly obvious thing I'm doing wrong?

I know this has been covered but I looked through the first 9 pages of search results with no love so I figured the best thing to do was just ask for some help. A local boy scout master called me and ask me to make him 10 strikers for his troop (about 200 scouts) I told him I would be happy to but have no idea what makes a good striker... These will be purely functional, down and dirty... I have some D2 that I could use if that would suit or can scrounge up something... or even buy a bit of 1095 (its all a donation so if I can use an ol leaf spring or some other bit I have that would be best) So can someone give me a pic to copy and tell me how I should forge th…

Making a replacement mailbox stand with post being 1" square solid and the cross bar (what mailbox will sit on) 1" x 1/2", all A36 using mortise/tenon construction. I have already punched/drifted the post 1/2" square to form the mortise and I intend to upset the 1" X 1/2" cross bar where it will join the post to create a good shoulder and butcher/swage part of it down to a 1/2" square tenon. Now, I know the tenon needs to be 1.5 times the length of the mortise (1" post so 1.5" in this case) but how do I determine what the dimensions of my upset need to be in order to provide enough material to draw out a 1/2" square tenon 1.5" long and still leave enough of a shoulder t…

I have an old gauge on an acetylene regulator that I'd like to reuse on my propane setup. It seems to be sealed in pretty tightly. I suspect that you need to apply a little heat to get it to loosen, but figured I'd ask before either heating or wrenching it. Suggestions?

Hello All, I found a free bench grinder...(yea right, free)..But the left side needs the flanged collars and spindle nut 0.625 LH, 11tpi. The spindle nut is a beefier unit than a standard nut. What is a good resource for parts, I have been unsuccessful at locating them? thanks for your help.

A client asked us to facilitate painting and installing of these panels they bought from India. Whats the best way to get all that rust out of the nooks and crannies? They work is pretty frail and our sandblaster guys are definitely not gentle. Any other ideas? Jamie

I am a newbie to smithing and I have made a first, flawed attempt at some tongs. Some of the mistakes I made I understand but I also had a couple questions. In the attached image I have two issues that i couldnt figure out how to solve immediately. First of all, on the place indicated by A, there is a dent in the side of the metal. What would be the best way to remove that divot to get the side flat. While we are talking about flattening, on the side marked by B, the side is rounded but I would rather have it be straight. Is there a way to straighten that side without curling the metal from A to B? Thanks in advance.

I am a new blacksmith and want to make some mirrors and tables. before i begin i would like some advise on how the mirror is mounted into the forge worked frame, so i can work that into the design if need be. also i want to make glass top tables. I have some reinforced glass but dont know how i attach it to the table base? I would prefer not to put a frame around glass and have table base under the glass. Are there any blacksmiths that can offer advice and techniques? Thanks

One of my regular customers is a general contractor who does high end restorations. He recently gave me three old gas light housings to repair that date from WWI. These appear to be brass or bronze (I'm leaning toward the latter because the house was a mansion when it was first built and much of the other hardware has been bronze). At any rate, the pieces that form the housings are mostly flats and rounds that appear to have been soft-soldered together. I have soft-soldered wires in the past but nothing on this scale; several pieces have broken away over the years so I plan to buy some bronze/brass sheet and fab whatever is necessary but the actual soldering has me sl…

hello. I need to cast a hood ornament for a project. it will be about 3-4 inches high, i will like to paint it or get it chromed afterwards. i might even braze it to my project in this cast a bike. i dont have any casting materials yet, but i was thinking of sandcasting, because i cant afford lost wax. my question is what kind of metal can i use? i dont want to fool with anything that has lead in it of course. thanks.

Hey guys. I'm planning on doing some cable knives soon and was wondering what you fellas use to keep the bundles together. I've been told to use iron wire but I can't find any. Substitutes? I would mig them together but I don't want to introduce any extra foreign materials if I can help it.

Any help much appreciated. I struggle to successfully rivet my tongs. The rivet collapses and never peens right. I am working on my own and fumbling around a lot.... Any advice?

Howdy folks. i recently acquired a Bailey's No.4 post drill. I am researching to find pics of one to see what the missing pieces look like. The hand crank is missing and the feed actuator arm is broken top and bottom. The cam is still there so i can imagine what the arm looks like to repair it. the MFGis unmistakeable it is clearly marked "Bailey's No. 4" then either "II & B Co." or "LL",in lower case, "& B Co.". I have all of the gears and spindles free except for the feed, the acme thread is frozen solid, I'm still working on getting that free. Any information or photos or ideas to search would be greatly apperciated. I did find a "Bailey's No. 5" which was …

This #325 monster is more than two of us can really lift. I had to take it up some stairs, we had to lift it one stair at a time. That was about 9 inches. I figure the anvil stand will be more like two feet up or so. How do you lift a monster like this? I think that I can tie into my roof beams through the drywall with these: 3/8 In. x 4-1/2 In. Stainless Steel Screw Eyebolt Bolt Name : Eye 325 lbs. safe working load Use with rope up to 7/8 in. Will not rust when exposed to the elements I figure I put two or more of these in two or more roof beams, put a rod through them, get a come-along and chains. This should get me the vertical lift I need. Had I though…

Fresh on the heels of dbrandow's query, I'm having trouble drilling a small hole in some 7/32 music wire, which I think is SAE 1095. Trying to put a 3/32 hole thru the diameter at two places. First I tried in the drill press with the old bit in the index. It cut about 3/16 down and stopped cutting. Figuring I had a dull bit I replaced it with an Irwin Cobalt bit. Same problem, the bit cuts just a little and stops. The slowest speed on my drill press is about 620rpm, a bit fast for metal I know. 3in1 oil is being used in copious amounts. I tried the same hole in the post drill, and the bit just bends. I'm about to try resharpening the Cobalt bit, but haven't ha…

I'm looking to make two weddings from Damascus stainless steel. Looking for any kind of help or info.

Hello i am new here how is every one . dose any one know how to make a smallish lock for like hand cuffs or stuff like that i did a search on here but found nothing might of did it wrong through

I had a bit of free material and wanted to make a show piece. Fireplace cranes are things that people buy if they know that you can make them. I usually used flat stock, forge welded the arm to the post and then a curved brace to both. I think almost everyone I have seen has been like this. Today I took a section of 7/8ths round bar and split a mortise in it. Then I took a piece of 1 X 3/8s bar and made the arm. it holds my weight and does not budge. I am thinking on upsetting the bite flush with the bar and not using the curved brace at all. Since I have not seen one like this afore, I am going to be a bit cautious before I finish it. Any reason why this won't work?

My son-in-law lived for some years in Uruguay and now has started to build an Uruguayan "PARILLA" which is a BBQ grill. It is like an open-sided brick oven with a fire kept going in a metal basket at one end from which coals are raked out under the grill ("parilla" pa-REE-zhah, refers to the actual metal grill.). Of course, I'll be doing all of the ironwork. Some parillas have a chain hoist or some sort of a way to lift and lower one end of the grill. Others have some kind of a crane to be able to swing the grill completely off of the fire. Many just set the grill on a permanent tilt and leave it at that, preferring to move the meat from the cooler to the hotter ar…

I work occasionally with a guy who does historical bridge restoration. Several of his bridges have eye bars with a prick punch at each end before the eye. They were forge welded bars. Some have welded eyes, some look upset and split with the forge weld being in the middle of the bar. My question is, were these punches used to locate length overall or do they have some other significance? Sorry, he has no pictures. Do we have any historians who want to chime in? My "semi-educated" guess is that they needed an overall exact length and they went from mark to mark. Jeff

Breaking a tap off in a piece of work can be a frustrating and potentially expensive mistake. I see all kinds of little gadgets for sale made for removing broken taps, but have never tried them. The best technique I've found for removing a broken off tap in a hole is to burn it out with a plasma torch. This works particularly well in blind holes. With a center punch or pin punch break off any jagged ends of the tap that are sticking out of the hole. Place the tip off the torch straight and centered over the hole and tap. When everything is lined up ,clear your mind of negative thoughts and hit the trigger of the torch for a momentary burst. [ Do not even conside…