Dogsoldat

yeah, I see the mistake. been there 2-3 times already... was looking through old links and the Refflinghaus dealer in the US has a story board for bolt tongs.

lots of good solid blocking will be your friend think 6x6 to 10x10" maybe 2' long. crib it if at all possible and make certain that its all stable. if your getting into the springs best to block up the frame. if you pull the wheel first gives you more room to get into the u-bolts and springs.also makes for a little more room to move and stay out of the way of things if needed. I'd consider calling a wrecker for commercial trucks and see if they are interested in the complete axles. the carriers that go into the center of the dif are worth a fair amount and at least on the logging trucks I work on, the do pile up often enough. the 5th wheel plate may be worth more to them as well, as long as there are no crack, typically on the under side around where it pins to the frame. even the steering axle may be worth something to a wrecker. we've had to change more than a few on the fleet. Guess the biggest thing is everything is heavy and when it drops free it goes with a thump. think twice and do it once safely... the air tanks do make nice little propane forges. I happen to be using a short little tank that I rescued from the scrap bin and with a single burner makes plenty of heat.

cool, if you need even more reading on many and diverse topics http://www.survivorlibrary.com/?page_id=1389

if you put James Cran in the search bar there is a 1910 book that has the tong dimension chart in it. It's not letting me load it right now but it's well worth a good look though.

I will really have to try and remember that next time I'm trying to make a copy of something Frosty. Such a simple and basic thing but so easily overlooked. Thanks

Practice, practice, practice... and before you know it they start turning out pretty sharp. There is a Pdf book on I forge that has a chart with all the recommended dimensions for any given stock size. What I have found helpful is draw them out to scale on a piece of paper and try your darnedest to get them spot on. And then it all kinda falls into place after that. If you can manage to get something your half way happy with it only takes a minute to size to whatever stock your using. The first pic is of a few unfinished tongs I had started on. the second pic is some miscellaneous tongs and nippers I had acquired a while back. The large tongs with the broken handle is sized for 1" or slightly better material. Most of my tongs have been made from 3/4 rnd, but I picked up a pretty good bundle cheap. I would recommend 3/8x1" flat bar or even 1/2 x 1" makes for nice stock to make bolt tongs with. As well as twist tongs. The giant pick up tongs started out as 2' of 3/8x1" they are for a buddies father-in-law's fire pit. Hope that gives you a few ideas

Seen a few barrels like that around different places. One is up on the main drag thru town with some other old mining equipment on display. Another I think is in the Museums outdoor display. And I'm reasonably certain I have seen a rusted out one next to the tailing of one of the mines in the nearby hills. Couldn't say for certain where or when, covered so much ground on the dirt bikes. Out over the bank from the Snowshoe open pit there are several barrels for lifting out ore but they are 55 gal drums with two holes punched near the rim and a piece of 1 1/4" stuck through with a loop in the center. guess I'll have to try and get a few pics one day soon.

Was contemplating that. Wife was heckling me a little about the mismatched lengths... telling me it's my trade mark or some such and that they match all the other tongs I have on my rack.

Well managed to finish tweaking the poker to were I wanted it. Spent a good bit of time and coal making a extra large set of pickup tongs. starting stock was two pieces of1/4x1"x2'. pretty happy with where the reigns ended up. The jaws a little less so. Had them nicely matched and in adjusting to get the tips to touch the way wanted the ended up a little asymetrcal. not sure if it's worth trying to get that last little bit just so and bugger something else up. Maybe tomorrows job. But right now it feels like beer-o-clock

Aside from Frosty being a Ranger, it's going to be like the Movie Resevoir Dogs where they all want to be Mr Black. Everyone is going to want to be the Smith.... Sounds like an entertaining endeavor if theres room and timing works I'm in.

The stripped bolt doesn't need to be replaced. Depending on fit, just cross drill for a hair pin, cotter pin or bent nail. That is one beautiful Brute!

Like to say the cabin is around 12-15' wide and over 30' long. if your on google earth look up the city of paris BC, get you in the neighbourhood. More than a few old mining camps and pits in the area. Bit of paint and that flower will look sharp Ausfire. Librarian, even a poor day a the forge is better than... curious to see where you end up with that blade

A friend asked for a fire poker and a set of pick up tongs for his father-in-law's fire pit. Started on the pokers handle. Half way happy with it. Getting way to spoilt at work using the big stick welder to lay in really nice beads with my little wire feed. And a teeny sickle for getting the grass in close to things. Have a few larger sickles but keep catching the chicken wire on the coop or the page wire around the garden. It needs a few little adjustments and should work right nice. A week or so back we had one heck of a thunderstorm come through. everything was rattling for a while then the hail came down. Lucky that we're late getting the garden in or it would have been flattened. Took the long way home, and found an old cabin I've been looking for quite some time. Ran fuel up for the skidder just the once and could never quite remember the twists and turns with 3' of snow and no spur roads visible. What odds an ends did everyone else work on this weekend?

Poking around trying to find stuff on basket. birdcage twists for handles. Came across these. Just may have to try a set for kicks.

Wonder if it was stone masons straight peen for splitting rock. has that kind of a shape to it

I can't take credit for the picture, first one I found googling. Just wanted to make sure we were all thinking of the same thing. I'm glad that I'm not the only one that thinks of these things. Almost falls into the category of the obvious trade secret... everyone in the trade knows how it is done so it is never really brought up or mentioned. I appreciate everyones input.

Been thinking of a gate for my mothers yard. And have been rolling many ideas around. Had a thought on incorporating a few lilies into it but was wondering about ice and water damage. Or am I just over thinking things. I would expect water and snow to accumulate inside the flower during winter and the resulting ice to open up the lily. Aside from ensuring that the flower is thick enough so it lasts what are others experiences in this matter.

Beautiful pictures. Really appreciate them being posted. Anytime you want to share the rest I'm sure the rest would like to see them to.

I'm sure Frosty or someone with far more technical knowhow on the subject will answer shortly. From what I remember looking up info on Ron Reil burners the flare is only needed when not in the forge. The flare helps to create a low pressure point that supports the flame. In the forge the reflected heat the larger volume of the forge takes care of things. I have a wooden plug I put in the end of my mounting pipe inside the forge and form the fire clay around that then smooth things up after the shell more or less hardens, with a little more clay where the plug was. Anything not coated will erode. I have a few patches and a back door to fix up in my little forge.

Barn wood is in high demand around here as well. Lots of old homesteads have disappeared because of it. But I'm not going to be the one to rip down a piece of my history.

Very cool to know what the tool is Biggun I appreciate the info.

Finally got a set of keys to the great grandparents farm again and permission to clean out whatever I find that I want out of the Blacksmith shop. Grandpa's forge made from a milk separator has been claimed by a cousin. I'll have to get some pictures of it next time I'm up there. I had seen the chrome or nickel plated footrest that surrounded a pot belly stove but it's not there now. It's all been picked though at least 2 times by everyone else. But on the bright side there are a few treasures to be found in the 6" of marmot manure and dug up dirt on the floor. Came up with a set of cast rollers for a grindstone, stuck in the corner was a set of CPR tongs for pulling ties. A million nuts and bolts. Many are 1/2" or better square nuts. Two cans of square nails were sitting on the stump where the kids used to be sent to straighten nails when they were bad. Have a lifetime supply of rivets, found a sack of them in the back corner by the sickle mower blades. and near there almost covered in dirt was a set of cast iron legs off a oven or stove. Also found a neat little oscillating drill? and a fret saw. 5' length of rail from the Great Northern Railway. Didn't have a lot of time to really swamp it out but there are quite a few bits of steel here and there. A bunch I have a feeling may even be wrought but that will be for another day. Interesting old gauge looks like temp of some sort maybe for a chimney.

if it were mine I might make a 1/2 round fuller there for welding up cable to make knives

I like it Charles. I'd be happy to have something like that in my shop. And the best part, still have a London pattern anvil.

Without being able to pick it up looks like it turned out real nice. Does have a pleasing shape and flow to it.