irnsrgn

I made the legs on my chopsaw stand splay both ways for stability, its light only made out of 1/8 narrow angle iron, I did make a removable stock rack that looks like a small ladder that the outer end sets on a stock stand, that I can clamp a short angle iron cutoff to for a stop when cutting lots of same length short pieces .

I have lots of old math books, algebra, geometry etc, The one old book I have that has the most understandable and easiest to comprehend math in it is, my 3rd edition of the American Machinists Handbook, not to be confused with Machinery's Handbook. I also have an 1885 or 6 sheetiron and coppersmithing book.

Nice job on your fingers. Self Centering Steady Rest, capacity 5/16-5 inch, repeatable, This is a prototype, took me 15 years to come up with the design. one ring slides inside the other, Clearance .0015. One elderly old machinist who saw this called it a "Machinists Dream". I basically used it to quickly line up shafting to drill a center hole in the end for swinging between centers. I am a self taught machinist, I never learned there were things you couldn't do with a lathe and mill. I also made my own indexing head. Then made the necessary parts to turn it into a dividing head for cutting gears.

drawn down tapers= 1/3 the total length to make a taper from shaft size to a point. to determine what size flat a round shaft will make or vice-versa, measure the circumfrence or all the sides, they will be the same. To find the diameter of a machine screw, multiply the size (number) by .013 and add .06 works in reverse too, diameter - .06 divided by .013 = machine screw size. And don't forget trig, length of leg times tangent of angle gives the distance (tangent) at 90 degrees at the end, Cosine, is the same except it is the distance down to make a right angle at the bottom, Cosine and Tangent are the same distance just figured off differnt legs of an angle. hypotenuse was the most used mathematical forumula in my work in the shop AB

When making hats (tops) for oil field gun barrels and storage tanks, I used math to lay out the cone tops, radius and height to find the sloping length, (hypotenuse) then found the circumfrence with that measurement, diameter of tank to find the circumfrence of tank, Lay the sheets usually 3/16 thick out and weld them together, then use my trammel points to layout a circle using the radius from the hypotenuse measurement and then cut it out and making sure I had an unwelded edge to the center of the circle. Raise one side so I could place a large wooden block under the exact center, then subtract the tank circumfrence from the hypotenuse circumfrence and measure off the distance half way either side of the unwelded edges to the center. tack weld on a couple of pad eyes, use a small comealong to pull one edge to the mark on the other side, clamp the edge and start moving up the lap edge tacking as I went, then after everything is stable, weld the seam and hold up to the tank end (tank laying on its side) with winch and poles on truck and using a ladder start tacking the edge of the hat to the tank top. Usuaally by myself, not hard if you plan what you are gonna do.

This is a copy of a Blueprint I did for IFI TO LAY OUT A CONE by irnsrgn cone 01 - Start by drawing a center line and then draw the cone on the center line full size as shown. cone 02 - Next using a compass or other means, draw in the hemisphere under the line BC as shown, what this does is give you a half view looking at the bottom of the cone. cone 03 - Next using a compass, divide the hemisphere into 6 or more equal spaces as shown. On a large cone you will need more divisions, as this is the means you use to get the outside diameter of the bottom of the cone. cone 04 - Now draw line AB as shown and using a compass or other means, draw an arc from B with A as the center point as shown. cone 05 -Now using a compass or other means, lay out the divisions as shown and number them as shown to avoid mistakes. Then draw in line AC and you are ready to cut out and form the piece into a cone. If you were accurate in your drawing and transfering of measurements you should have a cone that has a tolerance of + or - the thickness of the material. If the cone is going to be a large one and needs to be bent on an apron or press brake, draw lines from all the segment marks to point A as reference lines for braking the material. I have made cones for different things up to 15 foot in diameter at the bottom out of 3/16 plate for oil well tank tops using almost this same method. I hope this helps you understand how to make a cone.

that number on the side is Engglish hundred weights, Multiply first number by 112 lbs, second number by 28 lbs, this number will never be more than 3, its quarters of a hundred weight just add last number, its in lbs. And yes, $200 is a big steal. Peter Wrights in good shape usually bring $2 a pound or more.

I think I met this old Gentleman many years ago, I guess I didn't make much of an impression on him then. Blacksmith Leaves $3.5 Million To University Of Nebraska - Omaha News Story - KETV Omaha

yes, Audragon, as well as the saws and quite a few of my hand tools. Hand Tool WWing has been my hobby for some time. Having a fully equiped Blacksmith, Welding and Machine shop and Metal Working Skills, makes it much easier when blending them together to make WWing tools. In my Grandfathers day, the Majority of farm implements were of wood with Iron reenforcement and Iron cutting edges, so wood working was a required skill for Blacksmiths then.

The Hardy Hole in my main forging anvil is worn from years of use by me and its previous owner, and if I fuller down the collar in the hardy hole it will only fit well one way, so I made this Hardy Collar Fullering plate that I put over the hole prior to fullering the collars. Its just 1/2 inch hot rolled flat. Besides my hardy hole is 15/16 square. Its evident by looking at it that it has been used a time or two. And when I make Cut Off Hardies I orientate the cutting edge 45

When I saw Bob Patrick demo making a butterfly hinge, he used sheet stock, rolled both barrels and then cut the parts he didn't need out with a hacksaw and a cold chisel for removing the center part, and filed the barrels where they met in the center for a nice fit. then hammered the butterfly part to make it spread, then punched holes. if that helps. My own experience you need to roll the very end up first before completely rolling the barrels so that you don't have a straight part instead of a completely rolled barrel.

You can use them.

Ya Gotta Make the Woodworking tools first. Before

I would think you would want to look at and maybe take pictures and measure the ones the customer wants you to duplicate first. Looking will tell you how they are made. FWIW

Just go to a tractor supply or farm supply place and get a prince tie rod cylinder, remove the bolts, and cut it to length in a bandsaw, chamfer the cut edges, use shorter bolts and cut the ram to length. Off the shelf is going to be cheaper than custom built.

For Instance, in Machinery's handbook and the modern version of the Machinists handbook, to fine the Chord depth when cutting a keyseat in a shaft. (Chord Depth= the distance the cutter has to travel down before it cuts clear across the top of the round shaft). Its vary complicated and takes a calculator and a couple of tables + finding a constant to obtain the Chord depth. In the old 3rd edition it is so simple, ( The keyway width squared, divided by 4 times the shaft diameter ='s the Chord depth to within .001 inch.

not usually, most people nowadays are more interested in CNC and Cyberspace, just old books to be trashed to them. I think I paid $15 for the last 8 volume set. I have found that the info contained in them is still relavent today even tho everyone is supposed to go to college now and hands on Craftsmanship is to be avoided, there thinking is you work with your hands, you too dumb to go to college. Yet they can't fathom that someone who worked with their hands is responsible for all the technology they take for granted and use today. And in most cases it is easier to understand and learn about a given subject from the old books, compared to the way information is given today orientated toward the computer age.

Just post a question Kiethh, but be prepared for the volume of answers you will recieve. people here are very open and willing to share info. This site has very good search features, so use the search feature with a subject of your choice, more than likely it has already been discussed several times and you will get quite a volume of info to look thru. When ever the Blue Print section gets tweeked to run with the last update, and the problems the update caused, there are at least 500 + demos called Blue Prints here with pictures and text explanations for you to ssort thru. Each one is like going to a hammerin and watching the actual demo.

My latest acquisition for my library is the Audels 8 volume set of Engineers and Mechanics Guide. They are all about building and Maintaining Locomotive and Commercial Steam Engines. The first 3 volumnes are currently on loan to 3 RR buffs, One of who is an Engineer for one of the 2 major rail lines that service this community, and who builds scaled down Engines and Cars. He normally is the pilot engineer of choice when the UP's Restored Challenger Steam Locomotive 3985 tours this part of their system. The Bookcase, the top shelf is all Blacksmith related books, the second shelf is all Old Woodworking handtool and foot opeerated related books, The third shelf down is all technical manuals mostly Audels, the bottom shelf is historical books on various subjects and old catalogues, there is another bookcase not enclosed up on the first floor full of other old catalogues and books on various other subjects, some real old some not so old. Also at my blacksmith shop there is another bookcase with modern, Blacksmithing, Welding and Machist related books. The oldest books I have are a reprint of the 1730 edition of Moxons, Mechanics Exercises, the 2 volume reprint set of Diderots Pictorial Encyclopedia of Early Trades and Industry, (mostly wood cuts as most people of that era could not read). An 1885 or 6 book on Tin and Copper work, and 2 cook books from the late 1800's. Coinsidently on this mornings Yahoo Insider there is a news article that 14% of American Adults are Illiterate and cannot read. The famous old churches have the pictorial stained glass windows and some like the one Michelangelo painted the ceilings and walls, this was how the multitude of citizens of that era learned their religion as most were illiterate.

FWIW, I have set up several National and State Conventions for the various organizations I used to belong to, as well as given short seminars at various Vo-Tech Schools around the mid west for various groups. You have to run the knife chat like a seminar or a class room, I had no problems with the few that are always there with a pet pieve or an agenda of their own, I just followed what I had planned. But when I had Guest demonstrators or lecturers, I personally attended whether I had an interest in the subject or not, so as to keep the seminar going down the original subject, advising the persons with off topic or personal questions not pertaining to the subject being discussed that they could visit with the Guest after the seminar if the Guest had time. In essence what I am saying is, have an outline ahead of time that you can post as the start of the seminar, in this instance the Knife Chat and stick to it, remembering that the majority are there to learn from you, each other, or a Guest Instructor. You are running it, in charge, so be in charge, inform those that want to change the subject or have a personal agenda other than what is being offered, that they can chat after the subject of that evening is over, or come back when what they want to discuss is the subject. After all you are there as a convienience to the majority who want to learn about the subject at hand. Also as this is an ongoing teaching/learning type of thing, don't try to cover too much at each session. Pose a question and allow a given amount of time to discuss that part, then move on to the next question. like the discussion period after the Blue Prints. You da Boss, Be da Boss respectfully irnsrgn Jr.

Yes, its the 3rd edition of the American Machinists Handbook, not to be confused with Machineries Handbook. I also have an extensive collection of early editions of a lot of Audels Books including several full sets some with as many as 8 books to a set, when traveling I used to stop at every used book store and cruised the antique malls book and tool sections. I call them my technical library. I have them in a barristers book case on casters beside my computer down here in my basement wood shop.

ok, here goes from a 1920 machinists handbook, the one on the left is a Round Chisel, used for cutting Oil Grooves. the one on the right is a Cape Chisel, used for cutting Keyways. The Diamond point is sharpened similar to the round chisel but with the cutting edge at one corner, used for cutting a Sharp Bottomed or V Groove.

the other style to make a full set is a diamond point chisel

create an album in the gallery, it automtically downsizes them, then click on one of your pictures and then right click and click on properties, copy and paste that url in your post.

this is a recent, late sept view of my portable demo forge in operation in about a 10 mph wind outside. I had to add a couple of firebrick shields, but all the smoke went up the 2 3ft sections of 8 inch pipe when it was in use.