Mainely,Bob

Phil,that helps clarify the statement but I still don`t understand how the statement applies to this discussion and in particular how to properly shape a punch to get a hole that has both proper size and consistent,parallel walls like you would if you had drilled it. It could be that my understanding of what the OP is after is flawed.Help me out here.

OK,care to point to supporting evidence put out by qualified independent organizations not funded by insurance companies so I can educate myself? I was getting my education from motorcycle rights organizations literature but I stopped looking about 10+ years ago.Has the DOT certification process changed since then?

Most of the tools I make for woodturning are also custom made shafts or holders that use HSS inserts.The cutting bits range from bits of broken drill bits and taps for the smaller ones to pieces of HSS planer blades or machinist bits for the medium to larger ones. I have even made some with carbide bits for people who turned very abrasive woods and soft stones like soapstone and alabaster. Most of my raw materials come from cast offs from machine shops and boatyards. Till the OP comes back and tells us what it is he wants to do and hopefully also fills us in on where in the world he is located we really are just tossing out shots in the dark though. How about it,MarcusB?

Ya lost me Phil. I have heard the saying"There are many different ways to get to town and they all arrive at the same destination",but I don`t know as I agree with "If the job was done it was done right". I`ve made a lot of money re-doing jobs that someone considered done but then needed to be reworked by someone who understood how to do it correctly.One paid $800 for 20 hours of work just last week.No material or parts,just labor,done by a hand that knew what right really was. Could you expand upon your statement?

Haven`t had a helmet melt to my head yet and hope I never do. Seriously though,Helmets are only really protective against impact till you get out of the parking lot,despite what the insurance companies tell you.Helmets make more sense for bicycles than they do for motorcycles as far as I`m concerned. There`s a reason bikers call `em "skid lids" as at normal traffic speed all they do is keep skin from being scraped off your dome,something a leather cap will do without obstructing your hearing or vision. I have the attitude that I would rather die and be done with it than risk having that helmet save me from a concussion yet, break my neck and leave me a paralyzed from the neck down which they have been known to do. I suppose this goes along the same train of thought as the "gloves,no gloves" thread.

Doing this on the cheap is a losing proposition IMO.You know you`re going to put WAY more time into this that you realize or is reasonable don`t you?********. If you can`t be convinced to treat this as you would when submitting a real job bid them this is what I`d do. Look for a source for material that would be scrap.Slugs from places that punch plate or if you`re going with limited numbers,have an automatic saw and want to hassle with the cutting of discs then the bar ends offered by Biggundoctor would be a decent jump off point. If supplying these as a favor to a third party then make them out of ONE type of material and either electroplate,annodize,heat patina,powder coat,paint or better yet hand the stamped medals to the 3rd party and let them deal with the color coding headache. A less than ethical individual we used to compete with would do his bidding by shopping around the proposal.After collecting the bids,adding a percentage onto the highest bid he could get away with and copying the info onto his own letterhead he would submit "his" bid.If he was awarded the job he went with his lowest bidder and personally did nothing but paperwork and delivery. He stayed in business a surprisingly long time.I believe the divorce was what killed his run. His techniques can be used as a sanity check to see if you need to either walk away from a favor or jump in the car and burn rubber. Tell a good friend who is capable of doing the job what you plan and then ask what he would charge for a job like this.Be prepared to return the favor in the future.

Your vehicle PMed me and said to warn you that if you even think about throwing an anvil like that in the trunk you will be sorry.AAA will not even BEGIN to cover the things it has in mind for you. Consider yourself warned. ;)

If you want to punch a tapered hole then use a tapered punch.If you want a hole of consistent diameter,like one you would use a bolt or rivet in(think tongs)then you want a punch with parallel sides rather than tapered.The resulting hole would be the same as if you had drilled it rather than punched it. Put a bolt or rivet into a tapered hole punched into something like tongs and those tongs will quickly become loose as the pivot pin in that type of hole has only a small bearing surface and will wear quickly.

Worn with the traditional smithin` T-shirt I see. I always just wore a welder`s cap. I figure anything that will keep my hair from catching fire when red hot stuff is raining down from the overhead will work just fine when working at belt buckle level. Besides,with a welder`s cap I don`t have to change headgear to ride home on the bike.(Maine is a no helmet law state) One suggestion,make it cotton or wool.You do NOT want a synthetic cap on your head when working around fire.

It`s used to scribe joinery and such in woodworking projects. Nice job Wolf,I think you`ll find the blade end more useful that the scribe end.I tend to use a awl for marking hole placement and such.Hard to push that point into anything when there`s a sharp edge on the other end. Another project I found useful was an all metal equivalent of a mortice gauge.

I knew a smith who would intentionally forge round chisels and punches off center,less likely to roll off the bench or anvil that way. :)

I still say that a person of your talent would be a big hit as a teacher/demonstrator if he was inclined to share his secrets. Judging by the videos on your site you have excellent communication skills and I know up here there would be people lined up to take classes from a fellow like you. I could pass along some contact info if you think you`d like to come to Maine.

I would also vote for experimentation as you can never really be sure about a type of steel unless you buy graded metal from a known and reputable source.Those bits may have come from 2 or more sources who may use a different grade of steel for different types of bits so who knows how many different types of steel you have in that pile. I would also keep detailed notes while I was doing these experiments.That notebook will pay BIG dividends later on by avoiding going down the same road twice(or more). A four pound hammer will wear even an experienced younger smith out unless the arm swinging it does so on a regular basis and is used to the weight.The alternative is to stay with a lighter(2-3 pound)hammer but decrease the area of the point of impact. This can be done by using half face blows on the edge of the anvil,slightly tilting the hammer so the edge acts like a fuller or just using either a ball or cross peen hammer to move the metal and then go back later with either a flatter or plannishing blows. Knowing you are just starting out I am thinking you may be falling into the trap that some newer smiths do and that is using a bigger hammer and wearing yourself out when the better answer may be working smarter with lighter gear such as fullers or different "Dies" as B3 calls them. Then again,there`s always the dreaded striker approach. You never know,the wife/girlfriend/significant other may have a better eye than you and take to it like a duck to water. :)

Try looking at welding supply houses for welder`s hats or at motorcycle apparel shops for riding bandannas. Yes they do make them without wings and/or skulls on them.

What keeps my attention in Grant`s videos is how the work is getting done efficiently and quickly yet the shop is far more quiet than you would expect. There is also an economy of energy and motion both personal and machine oriented that is just amazing. Many times we see only the work and tooling then head off into a project without a clear understanding of the process.The pics and videos by Grant,Brian B,Hofi and others are excellent illustrations of masters of the craft making something look easy because they have taken the time to gain a deep understanding of both their material and the techniques involved to best work that material in a given environment or circumstance. I say all this to encourage people to look very closely at what`s going on.Just as buying one of Hofi`s or Brian`s hammers will not automatically make you a better smith.Taking a class with them and understanding the how and why of that tool will. Don`t for a minute think that a punch press will be a cheap alternative for either a power hammer or a screw press and run out and buy one at the next auction. These guys make it look simple because they have years of experience working with these type of tools behind them. The results in inexperienced hands can be disappointing at best and catastrophic at worst.Things to keep in mind when considering any purchase like this.

A few questions to help us better help you; You said "lathe chisels" are we talking about a metal lathe or a wood lathe? What type of work do you plan to use these chisels for? What material are you planning to cut? How long would you like the edge to last? What type of gear do you own or plan to get for sharpening the chisels once you make them. The answers to these questions will help us understand what you are really planning to do and help us narrow everyone`s focus in regard to answers. Right now your rather broad question is like asking;"I`m going hunting,what do you suggest I bring?"

I think what is being suggested is that you cut an approx. 6" long piece of leaf spring(mine are about 3" or more wide) and then cut a tang on it that is wide enough to fit diagonally across the hardy hole of your anvil.This tang should be centered in the width of the leaf spring to form a shoulder on either side which will keep the tool from dropping through. I do like Dodge`s idea of using a piece of thick angle though.A piece of square bar stock or even square tube welded on would hold it in the hardy hole just fine.

I find jack hammer bits,digging bars and large crow bars to all be good sources of steel for things like hardies and fullers.They can usually be found of a size and shape where half the work is already done for you and I get them for far less than the cost of new steel at flea markets and yard sales. Jack hammer bits can be bought for scrap from tool rental places.I paid $8 for a five gallon bucket full last time I bought some.Most just give them to me now.

There is a small but very dangerous group of people at work in the world.These folks have no intention of buying anything they see advertised anywhere but instead feel it`s their duty to "educate" sellers about what their items are REALLY worth. They will call and inform them of it`s history,pedigree,collectability and most damaging of all it`s "true value" based upon what they have seen on flea-bay. They don`t want it but more importantly they don`t want to see anyone else get a great deal on it. I suspect these nimrods are the same people who start internet viruses."Educating" sellers is just either a simple diversion or a hobby for them. <_<

So these two foxes come upon this chicken and the one fox says,"what do you think buddy,I`m thinkin` about gettin` that bird"The second fox replies"I don`t know,it may have somethin` wrong with it,looks can be deceiving". The first fox says.... While they are talking the farmer walks over and scoops the chicken up and puts it back in the coop and shuts the door. The two hungry foxes look a each other and walk away wishing they had pounced instead of talked. I trust you get the picture. Hint,it wasn`t the one on your cell phone or you computer monitor,those already got away.

I taught my son how to forge metal by making a hole in the ground,digging a narrow trench off the side and burying a piece of pipe in the trench to supply air by way of an old hand bilge pump from the dump. Build a camp fire and keep raking the charcoal to the center and you`re all set.No electricity needed. He tells me he still does this from time to time when he`s out camping with friends and has spread the word pretty effectively using this technique. Beats getting your lip burned by marshmallows. :)

I`d like to add to Ptree`s post by adding a caution about the MIG welders we are all so fond of.Be very careful about how you handle the nozzle on these torches. I have seen the results of more than one accident where the operator had a gloved or bare hand over the tip and the trigger was hit.The wire punctured the skin thru the glove and the leather acted as a seal between the nozzle and the skin.Once the wire punctured the skin the shield gas was injected through that puncture into the tissue of that hand.Very bad stuff followed quickly,like within less than an hour.

Just a little mental exercise here; If you drive over there and the edges are not badly chipped the heel or horn is not broken and the face hasn`t delaminated from the body(does it have a clear ring?)then you are about to pick up an usable anvil for a very good price.Something people here wish for every day! On the other hand if you make the drive and find this guy is not telling the whole story then you have a chance to bargain him down depending if you still want it or walk away and have only lost 3 hours and some gas which is nothing when factored into the big picture of rust hunting. My advice,push away from the keyboard and get in the car,son! PW anvils with no heels or horns are being listed for $1+ per pound every day.I don`t think you`ll have much trouble selling it(probably with some profit) if you find you don`t really like it after all. Trust me,this one will not last long.

If you fool around too long sending requests and pics back and forth there`s a good chance someone will show up with cash and a truck and drive off with a sweet deal. Just sayin`...

Thanks for the additional pics and info.Those little things like the rounded cap on the motor mount and the other small things make all the difference in the fit and finish of a project. Those are the type of things I work into the bikes I build and the machines I make.I think a finely made tool or machine inspires us to do fine work. If you wouldn`t mind I`d like to get some opinions and advice from you as my hammer progresses.I may need some help and guidance on the linkage arms and spring assembly especially.