Problem Solving

I saw TJ's post about balancing a weather vane and thought I would ask a question I have puzzled over for a long time. How do you mount (or make) the portion that lets the top spin into the wind?? Is there a bearing involved? Two different sizes of material where one fits into the other or???? I've got lots of ideas, just don't know how to do this part and have never had a chance to look one over. Sure would appreciate pics or sketches on how to do this folks.

I started my knife shop on her maiden voyage yesterday and ground out (yes, ground---no forge yet ) a pretty decent blade. I've got a deer antler ready to go on the end of the tang, but I was wanting to finish it up with a brass guard, preferably a hunk that's somewhere in the neighborhood of 1x2x2. Thing is, I got NO CLUE where to scrounge for brass. A buddy of mine found some cheap brass "door treatment" at a local hardware store, but no joy at mine. Suggestions? Thoughts? Outside the box?

To draw an ellipse you need to know the width AB in the drawing and the length CD in the drawing, You lay these out (draw them) on a piece of posterboard or other medium. Fig 1 You can use a piece of string tied together as in Fig 2 You use a pencil inside the string with the string around the 2 points P. To find these points P, there is a very complicated algebra formula, or you can just use a compass set the distance from where AB and CD cross in the middle to either C or D, then scribe an arc on either side of line AB using A as the common point to swing the arcs. Where these 2 arcs intersect line CD are points P. Using thumb tacks sticking out from the fro…

Hello! After doing some thinking, I realized I need a better air source:rolleyes:. So, I was wondering, where could I get a good hand-crank blower?:confused: Thanks!

Does anybody know anything about the practicalities of making lightning conductors? We are erecting some here on the taller buildings. So far we have forged points on some 5 foot lengths of 1/2" bar. These will be bolted onto the rooves and some 1" x 1/8" strip will be welded onto them to make the ground. This will be buried in the earth. Is it really as simple as that?

Hello to everybody. firstly I am from Australia. My problem is, is that I made a security screen for a window and I am using another mans solution with the actual fly screen attaching. He is using some sheetmetal folded at 90 degrees then welded to the framimg of the security screen. It looks ugly because of the welds and i can weld. There must be some framing that I can use that has a slot in it so I can use it to bind the fly sreen too. Any ideas will be aprreciated.

I just made my first scroll jig the other day and I made a double end scroll out of 14mm square bar and the whole scroll fits in the palm of my hand and it looks mad. I am so impress that I was going to take a photo of it and post it on here but I don't know how to post a photo on here or know where to put it. You's fellows probaly think that it is pretty lame but I thought it was swell. I carried it around in my pocket for 2 days untill the ecxcitement wore off. I built a coke forge and a gas forge and i am willing to share it with iforge if anyone is interested. Never know could be helpful to someone. so how do i put photos on here and where do i put things.

...Titanium??? I would like to try to draw out a piece of CP Grade 2, 5"X5"X1" into a flat plate and using a Coal forge and an Anvil, but i have heard that Tianium has a serious problem with oxidizing??? Does anyone know how i can forge Titanium and elimate the oxidation problem??? Thanks

Though I've done a search, I could find little on the subject about whether or not anyone tries to resharpen there used bandsaw blades. Over the years, as bandsaw blades go dull, I simply hung them on the wall and aquired new, fresh blades. I have a sixteen inch woodworking bandsaw from grizzly that I've had for nearly ten years, and I use bi-metal blades primarily so that I could cut nonferrous metals for guards and they range from 1/4 to 3/4 inch in width, but I can't see just throwing them away. New blades are not that expensive, but I just can't see not trying to make these used blades servicable again. I've attempted to resharpen one a couple times using a dremal to…

I have a candlestick base that has a rather complex rose shape made of mild steel. Inside the rose shape is a spire(tower) of wound copper. I don't have a medial blaster and there is no way I can get the wire wheel inside all those metal rose petals which have intricate and deep folds. So I guess I need some sort of pickel bath that will strip off that tough scale from forging but also not ruin the copper in the center. I'm guessing I need some sort of pickle bath. I've heard of people using vinegar, but is this strong enough to destroy the bond of steel and scale? and would it eat at the copper? Should I use something like muriatic acid or battery acid instead? I'…

I am trying to find out if I can forge weld stainless steel? If I can how do I do this?

Recently i built a garden gate, it was a marine theme with kelp,fish,crabs and so on.At the bottom of the gate I was going to incorperate some rocks from the beach,well buy the time i was ready for them it was to late ,I couldent figure out how to spray the gate with out getting paint on the rocks,so i ended up leaving the rock out.Anyway on to the next project,same theme only a sculpture about 6 feet tall and 2feet wide at the base.This time I will be incorperating rocks for the base and intertwinig them with steel.Any ideas on how i should tackle the painting process.Thanks in advance

I hate short hoses on OA. Is there any limit to the length I can use? I have just bought a new OA rig and actually bought 2 complete spools of hose. Could I use a whole length on each bottle? It would be ideal because I could chain the bottles just outside the shop but still get to cut anywhere inside.

i need help i made a forge frame in schoold its all done except i need fire clay to coat it. the metal was kinda of thin but i was hoping that fire clay would take most of the heat. like i said im new and i dont know much. i cant find were to buy fire clay in missouri. my forge is kind of funnel shaped. im pretty much going on hunchs and internet here. i want to learn .what sould i do?

I know that this has been asked before and I was overwhelmed by the response from the people. BUT!!! Is there anyone in Texas that would be willing to do this for me for a fee??? I am willing to travel and will prepare however you wish... Please let me know...name and phone and price....

How do you make square corners on sq. bar stock? Like on elements on ornamental scrollwork or on buggy and carriage irons? Do you sever the corner and weld a piece to make the corner square or do you upset while in a die? Warren

Hi! All, I am having problems with my self fabricated 6.5 Tons Power Hammer running on steam. When the operator lifts the handle to take the ram up he is unable to control the handle as there is an external force on it to move up. There is tremendous load on his hand to keep the handle from going up and thereby the piston hitting the top of cylinder. I believe this has something to do with the design of the motion valve, can some body help me with this? Thanks Rambo

I have an old pot-bellied stove in my shop for heat during the winter months. Since I burn a considerable amount of firewood in it.....and I also like to make my own charcoal for the forge........why not sift the ashes from the stove and use the charcoal in the forge? The 'problem' is that the stove leaves little charcoal behind........99% of what goes in the stove becomes ash. This type of stove is not very airtight at all.......this one has no gasketing. It's almost the opposite of what is required for the making of charcoal.......a well sealed barrel to keep as much air out as possible. So, the question is, are there any easy modifications that would allow me t…

Having trouble being efficient with long tapers in 1/2" round stock. Should I fuller the whole length first and then forge to square/octagon/round or work on one section at a time? Also, should I fuller on all 4 sides or just the top/bottom of the round? Thx, Keith

how do i make custom chisels for engraving text in steel :D

hi everyone. new to the board, first post. ok, i've got an overhead hood and need to make this thing work. i'm using a big, old coal-fired forge. i've never used a hood before, just got everything installed and it's not drawing well, at all. first off, dimensions... the hood is 4ft long x 3'3" wide (nearly exactly the same as the forge) and about 2'3" high, so it's fairly large. attached to it is an 8" duct w/blower. it's a straight shot through the ceiling. the entire duct is only about 3 feet long, sticking only 1.5 feet up out of the roof. i'm in an outdoor smithy (lean-to by a barn) with the sides tarped off to limit ambient air. when i fired up the forge…

As I was working today, it became apparent, I need a better system of storage for my drifts and files etc. All of my handled tools are hanging in racks , but the loose hand tools are all over the place, if you have solved this problem please help to alleviate mine!!!

Hello,just cleaned up my blower today,gear box was empty,added atf filled about halfway,maybe too much? when i cranked blower it started blowing atf out of blower,does any one know what the correct level should be?does anyone know if maybe you could replace seal for shaft on blower if so where can i get the seal,also would it hurt to just run blower without fluid? any replys helpful thanks

whats with warming anvils

Thanks for the help on the swage. I can do that but got sidetracked at the weekend making building tools for some people here. I would like to make spring swages and a spring fuller. How do I make the spring work?