kpotter

I have a small machine shop and I make my own products, I joke that my shop is ground hog day the movie. I make the same things everyday. I am very good at it and efficient. I used to be in my garage and I couldnt grow any bigger which meant I was only going to make 15 bucks an hour forever. I rented a shop for 1500 a month plus utilities and my business grew alot in the first year out of the garage. I bought a building with a blacksmith friend of mine and now my overhead is very very low and it has changed my life. Having low overhead allows me to hire people, I am lucky in that I live in a town with low realistate costs compared to seattle. I was at larrys shop and it is pretty sweet. there is a price to pay for low overhead, I cant sell anything in my own town because people are dead XXX broke. I ship world wide and in the past 5 years I have sold less than 1500 dollars in Tucson. I have sold at least 20 grand worth of stuff into seattle.

get both I had a power hammer and sold it because I use my presses but then I suddenly needed the power hammer so I had to go to my friends shop. I should have kept it.

I cant imagine summer in a place like that. The heat from the forge and the steam would make it damm near impossible. I would still love that job though nothing like massive power hammers to make a guy smile. How long have you worked there?

I have made a mini forging press with a HF air jack. I have a video on you tube mini forging press it should come up. they work fine on smaller material like under 1 inch.

I figured the world needs a table top 100 ton press. I doubt I will sell it I like it too much. I have made quite a few 50 ton models and lots of 20 toners but this is my first go around at the table top 100. I plan on using it for coining my own money.

I have built several air hydraulic forging presses and they work fine, they are not as fast as full size machine but they work great for small stuff. I have a video on youtube of mine in operation, it can squeeze a 1 in bar in half no problem. I build hydraulic presses for a living and I just converted one of them to air over hydraulic and made a set of forging dies. I am building a 50 ton forging press with an enerpac cylinder and pump right now, it will be a table top version, I have also made some 100 ton coining presses using enerpac stuff. The only problem is they cost lots more than 200 bucks.

There is a foundry in Phoenix called dolphin cast and they are doing some anvils their prices were reasonable. I have looked into having some of my tools cast there. I have had trouble getting s7 hard enough in thick cross sestions. I wish it was easier to get good results with a hard face plate, that would make the whole problem go away.

I have been real busy making the silversmithing stakes and have not had a chance to finish them. I pulled it out the other day to show my friend Harlold who does all my welding. We are going to weld an AR400 plate to it. I want it to be 100% welded so we will have to mess with it a bit. I will post some pics when it is done.

Shipping was only 90 bucks, lucky for me my wife doesnt hold a grudge she is over it and has moved on. I dont think this is an anvil that I am worthy of hitting so I will just keep it safe for the next generation. I have a 200lbs buddin in the living room right now that is perfect I dont think it was ever used. I will put this one on a nice stand and it will sit on the other side of the room kinda to balance things out. If any one know how to post a pic of it that would be cool since I have no clue.

I have always wanted a church window anvil and last week I was browsing ebay and there just happened to be a sweet one. I sat an oggeled the thing for an hour or so and for some reason I decided to place a bid. It is kinda like buying a lotto ticket it lets you dream that maybe you will be the big winner. I went to bed that night thinking of where in the living room to put this thing and then I forgot about it. I didnt now I won until my loving wife screamed what the hell did you just buy. She saw the email come in, Her screams jogged my memory and it was all I could do not to jump around the living room like a 6 year old boy at christmas. I had to restrain my joy and fein regret and remorse but inside I bursting, I cant believe I have one and it will be here in about a week, it is coming from michigan. I will post some pics when it gets here. It is stamped with a date of 1817 and has decorations on it.

I have bought stuff from Gold but it is alot of work. I got an engine turning machine from them 10 years ago. has it gotten any easier are the prices any better. They have the coolest stuff but it is expensive.

I am so sad to hear this I never met him but I learned so much from him. I changed the way I make some of my tools from watching one of his videos. At least we still have his words and videos to remember him by. I will miss you Grant, my prayers go out to your family.

I think I WANT a bigger hammer to do some coaxing.

I sit up at night alone watching nazel power hammer videos, I cant hardly stand it I want one so bad. I have been looking all over the place but I see all these guys having trouble fixing them and it worries me. I could probably make any of the parts that might be needed and if stuff needs welding, I have gods welder {harold} to give me a hand. The only other problem would be the money.

I have been agonizing over this now that I have seen all the cool controll systems for air hammers, I was pretty sold on a mech hammer build. Now I have no clue.