doc

I've owned a 77 lb peddinghaus for thirty years it's a great anvil and it is my only demo anvil. I might be prejudice, my full time forging anvil is a 165 lb peddinghaus that I've used for over forty years:)

It' feasible I've done it a number of times.Just take your time and let it air cool that way there shouldn't be to much distortion from cooling.

You won't enjoy forging D-2 by hand ! That is supposing you can at all.

Dave, Having built a few roto-phase converters my self and using one now on some of my machines.I think for your set up the best thing to do is swap out the motor. Phase converters and roto phases work well but a home built is beyond your skill level right now and would and a lengthy time to your getting the hammer going. Besides in a small shop I don't feel it's a good deal to have one running your compressor. Doc

When making legged items either three or four legged. The important factor is to have all legs an identical length. To achieve this with curved legs some form of jig should be used to bend them and all forgings must be of identical length before bending on the jig.When welding the legs together as they are in the picture it should be done on a flat and level service with care in placement and to watch for movement caused by the welding process. The same care must then be applied when the supported item (candle holder,stool seat, table top )is welded to these legs. Just because a three legged or even four legged object doesn't rock won't mean that the object it supports is going to be level. Doc

I'd like to say something about anvils. There are a good number of posts here on the site about "anvils lasting along time" or "that it will out last your grand children". Well that's what I used to think too,until I spent the last forty years as a professional blacksmith and found that you can start to wear out an anvil in your own life time. I bought a new German Peddinghaus anvil in 1973(thats 37 years ago)and have used it exclusively for all this time.Let me emphasize that I mean used NOT ABUSED and it is starting to show signs of wear.The off or far edge has of resent years begun to chip, ever so slightly but chip it has.The once sharp edges on the first 4-5" by the horn are wearing rounded and the nearer side of the face where all the peening of latch and hinge cusps are done is showing signs of a slight hollowing. Now some may think that this would be the sign of a poor quality anvil.I don't think so. It's the sign of a tool that has served and is serving it's intended use.In those 37 years this anvil has been on the receiving end of hammer blows for Tens of thousands of nails,thousands of latches and hinges,and countless different scroll ends.When one thinks of the abrasion of the scale alone against the anvil face it's no wonder some wear is apparent.As far as the chipping goes,the first chip appeared while upsetting a french button on the far side of the anvil.It didn't happen between the hot metal and the edge but to the side of where the work was being down and a small sliver just popped off.What this says to me is that even though nothing but hot metal has been worked on this anvil it will eventually work harden the face under the impact received through the hot metal. All this said ANVILS DON'T LAST FOREVER or even through the life of a full time smith. All these old PW's that we see or any others that are worn didn't necessarily get that way because they'r 100 years old they easily could have gotten that wear in the first forty or fifty years of their lives.Then of course there are those which after a life in the blacksmith shop were truly abused. Nuff said, just wanted to make a point

I have called a tow company with a wrecker (not a roll off) and had the lift it for me. cheaper than a rigger if you don't have the equipment to do the lifting.

This notice is for those who new Mark Woods of Confluence Pa. Mark passed away suddenly at home on Friday,January 7,2011. Mark was my shop assistant here at Peters Valley Craft School for one entire summer and for half of a subsequent season.Those who new him will remember his humor,his immense knowledge of Damascus pattern development and drive to impart this knowledge to others. Although I had only known Mark for five years he had become a great friend.I enjoyed working with him on the day to day repairs that running a teaching studio requires he was a very competent mechanic as well as blacksmith.I look now at his presence in my life as a gift and I'am very sorry that this gift is no longer here for me to enjoy.I will although have a life filled with the memories of who he was and how he has influenced my life and will continue to do so. Rest In Peace Dear friend. Dick Sargent

OOps...... looks like Bob and I posted at that same time, sorry Bob. so my answer is What Bob Said

Dave Try going to Sears if you have one near you and buy a set that goes up to 1/2" as these sizes will be the most used over the course of your life time.Any other sizes will be used very rarely and if truly needed could be added to the cost of the job at hand as an expense of doing the work. Please don't forget that you will need a set of "Tap Drills" to go along with your taps,Every hole tapped has it's specific drill size required and they cover the gamut from "letter, number.and fractional"depending on the size of the thread required. It will do you no good to have a tap and die set without the proper drills. Hope this helps, Doc

Ian How about you try something on the lines of a steady rest on a lathe? Where the rollers are forced against the tube and the tube is held between centers.

Hi Bill, Simplest way to make your spring is to forge it to shape from W-1. Normalize, then heat to critical and quench in water to harden. To temper dip in motor oil and "Flash" off buy holding over your fire until the oil ignites and burns off. Repeat this flashing off three times and when cool you should have a fine spring. Doc

Check out this link for home built PH's. http://www.appaltree.net/rusty/index.htm Doc

Just a note about all this dissimilar metal fittings on lp gas. Here in NJ in the student shop the gas inspector told me that using dissimilar metals of any kind was against code. When I pointed out that the burner orifices were brass and some copper and the feed lines were black iron all I got was a blank stare!!! :blink:

The pressure in the 100# and the 25# is the same only the volumes of your tanks are different.

Find an old winch from a truck or some other type of gear reducer. These can be set up with a hand crank or drill motor to operate. The minimum reduction for 1" stock twisting by hand or with a small motor with this method would be at least 75 to 1 Doc

Ask Glenn to give you the link to vise repair from the Blue Prints pages. Doc

I've owned and used a peddinghaus anvil for over thirty years and I've used it professionally for all that time. It has helped me build everything from hardware to bulldozer parts and has stood up well. One thing to mention is be SURE you purchase the German made Peddinghaus and not the Belgian. Doc

I've owned and used a peddinghaus anvil for over thirty years and I've used it professionally for all that time. It has helped me build everything from hardware to bulldozer parts and has stood up well. One thing to mention is be SURE you purchase the German made Peddinghaus and not the Belgian. Doc

Tim, I've seen all the things mentioned in the previous posts be the problem but it also may just be that the belt has streached or worn just a bit and is too loose. You'll be surprised how tight a flat belt can and has to be to work properly. If I were you I might try shortening the belt by 1/2" to 3/4" and see if that doesn"t improve things.

Phil I forgot to add that the pressure in the tire is stored energy equal to the elastic force of the rubber trying to relaxe to it's original none expanded size.

A piston pump that displaces one gallon of water in one stroke will produce a lower pressure when it is disharged thru a 1" pipe than when it is discharged thru a 1/16th" pipe. The pump doesn't create the pressure the restiction does. The pressure will continue to increase as the size of the opening is decreased until either the internal leakage in the pump is to great to equal the pressure or the driving force ie; motor/engine can not over come the load. These factors are true no matter what type of pump is being operated. Doc

I was taught that a pump creates flow but not pressure. Pressure is created when a restrition to that flow is introduced. Since a bellows is nothing more than a pump it cannot create pressure only the size of the outlet will cause pressure to be produced. Doc

Peters Valley Iron Fest and pig roast. Sept. 4th Starts at 11 am. Food soda, burgers, dogs and the pig. Blacksmithing demos, steel making, music, tail gateing and auction featuring the sale of a 300 lb.HAY-BUDDEN anvil. "Starting price $300.00" check out the PV web site, petersvalley.org for details

Does anyone have a link to the Hammer that Pelgrom has built?