Randy

It should make you feel good. You are learning, growing and helping others. What's better?! Way to go!!! Look forward to the photos!

If it's been used for the age of the anvil with out cracking farther than that I wouldn't worry about it. If you get it mark the depth of the crack so you can see if it moves at all. It can always be ground out and welded in if it does move. Main thing is to clean up the face and weld up the face edges back to sharp, except about 3" or so closest to the horn. There you need a radius on both sides. Good Luck and Happy Birthday!

Here's another link to "Build Your Own Hydraulic Forging Press", by James Batson: Forging Press

Hi, Chad, The I-beam came from a scrap yard so I assume it's pretty standard. As the press stands it's 24" across with 7" end plates. The web is 1/2" thick as is the rest of the plating. The sides and tops have other 1/2" plates welded onto it and the top and bottom is built out to 2-1/2" & 3-1/2" thick. Look at the videos again and you'll see the added on plates. Overall it is 25" wide and 56" high. It doesn't move at all in operation. Main thing is the frame has to fit your plans for what you want to make, the size of your cylinder and what tonnage you're pushing. The guy who designed and built my press started by using Batson's book. Before he did mine he built 3 or 4 of them, all H style for doing damascus. It's the only double cylinder that he did. If you don't have Batson's book, get it! I don't know what you mean by a "rail". The plates where I work and have the tooling are 5" x 11" and there's 7" between the top and bottom working plates. In other words the opening is 7" x 11". Hope that helps.

Thanks, Ted. The thing that turned me around from a few years of struggling with hammering is learning the basic hammer blows. Once you know those 80% of the work is done. The rest is putting them together with the other techniques. You can even practice them on modeling clay and a 2x4. Remember, hot metal works under the hammer like clay does! Back to presses: Be sure to have protective coverings on your high pressure hoses. Like Kevlar or nylon sleeves. This helps prevent wear and if a pin hole does develope stops that stream from cutting off a finger, or worse, and from it becoming a flame thrower. It costs about $3 a foot and is easy to install.

Hi, John, I've got a 60 ton double cylinder press and that's 'bout all I'm doing is making up tooling. It's a great machine for forging, like in drawing out and flattening. So you need a fuller and flatter. To make it work faster a top and bottom set. Also a hardie for cutting off, but make it so it doesn't cut all the way through. Don't want it to drop off or fly across the room with that pressure! I also use it for texturing so many texturing dies. Alos helps if you can interchange the tooling as fast as possible so some sort of a slide in affair with a latch. Then it depends on what you want to make. Here's some videos of my set up: Part 1 : YouTube - Hydraulic Forging Press: Part 1 Part 2 : YouTube - Hydraulic Forging Press: Part 2

Any one know how to download these videos for our own use?

Wait 'till you see this! Or I should these. This is Part 1 of a 6 part video. Below is the link to this YouTube video and if you look to the right you will see the other 5 parts. Just click on them and they will open and start playing. It is wonderful to see the old Yellin shop and such great smiths as Francis Whitaker, Fred Christ, Peter Renzetti, Tom Latane and others forging out a gate. "Documentary filmed during April 1986 showing blacksmiths forging a fancy wrought iron gate using traditional forging techniques." Just click on this link: ( or copy and paste this address ) YouTube - Ornamental Wrought Iron I Pt.1 of 6 YouTube - Ornamental Wrought Iron I Pt.2 of 6 YouTube - Ornamental Wrought Iron I Pt.3 of 6 YouTube - Ornamental Wrought Iron I Pt.4 of 6 YouTube - Ornamental Wrought Iron I Pt.5 of 6 YouTube - Ornamental Wrought Iron I Pt.6 of 6 I don't know who put these up for us to see, but THANK YOU! And please pass this on. This should be seen by all smiths! Randy McDaniel

Just thought I'd pass on the info that at Blacksmith Days in May they are going to have knife making contests, National demonstrators, tailgating and an auction of forged metalwork including a titanium sword. Go to Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland for more info. Also there's a video about the sword on YouTube. Just search for "titanium sword". Hope to see you there! Randy

Hi, Thomas, I work strictly from scrap so never know what alloy I'm working with. I think this one was a drop from making a hip replacement joint so hear it's pretty pure. I forge titanium mostly because of the texture I can get with it. Love it! Randy

Thanks, guys. Maybe I can get some shots up of the 60 ton press I built and how it squashes the hot stuff. Looking forward to hammering in VA! Wish it was sooner as I'm ready to go. Randy

Randy McDaniel, here, just saying, "hello", and trying out this new venue for me. Been hammering since '72 and I enjoy teaching the various concepts of forging, from basics to advanced, traditional to contemporary. Check out my site at Home and you'll see what I mean. I've also been helping to promote the upcoming Blacksmith Days, May 19 - 20, in Westminster, MD. Some great National and Canadian demonstrators, knife making contests, tailgating and an auction of forged metalwork. I donated a titanium sword for the auction. See YouTube - Titanium Sword or go to YouTube and search for "titanium sword" to see a video of the sword with a demo of how it was made with some info on Blacksmith Days. Also go to Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland for more info. Hope to see you there! Meanwhile, keep the sparks a'flying!