sdalcher

Nice Sam, I like it!

WOW, That is pretty darn good for a first try!

I have a small HF chop saw and the larger version. The small one was a complete waste of money. The larger one works well enough, it has its drawbacks, but I can work around them. It does tend to cut at an angle with excessive downward force applied. I was able to minimize this effect by simply moving the back stop so that the workpiece is quasi-centered under the disc. Once I did this I noticed a considerable increase in ease of cutting and angled cuts are now negligibile. I also have a horizontal/vert bandsaw that I use for many things. The chop saw and band saw see about equal use. I couldn't imagine living without either one. Steve

Rod, Lathe basics are not real complex, but care is in order... It would be best if you had someone local that could kind of guide you through the basic operations of facing, turning, center drilling, drilling, boring etc. Most people use a self centering 3 jaw chuck to hold the stock in, though there are other means. A 4 jaw independent chuck is a necessity for very precise work as it allows you to precisely center the workpiece, even irregular shape pieces. Face plates and lathe dogs are also used in combination with a center placed in the tail stock. While none of these setups are difficult if you know how to go about it, it helps to have someone walk you through the process a time or two. A purchase that you will be very glad to make is "The Machinery Handbook" Used models can sometimes be had for a few bucks, while a new runs about $80. Super great book that gives direction for any number of operations and calculations. You will also need to learn how to make and sharpen your own cutting bits. If you search the internet there are a few good sites that will show you the desired profiles and walk you through the process A final word of caution! When doing setup in the lathe if you have any doubt about the setup, do not turn on the lathe! I REMEBER THE TIME THAT I WAS PRESSED FOR TIME AND DID A MAKESHIFT SETUP. Everything worked fine until the second cut which was a bit more aggressive. It was like a bomb going off! By the grace of God, I was completely uninjured. I did have to replace the bit, and repair a rather large hole in the far wall... Attached are a few links: How To Use a Lathe from American Machine Tools Corp. Lathe

Those do look nice! How about a blueprint?

Been there done that... Usually makes me very angry at myself. Laziness combined with being in a hurry usually equates to 2X + the original time.. Sad thing is I have done it more than once :rolleyes:

a small blower will boost your temperatures very well. It will infact cause it to melt 2000 degree refractory. I was having problems getting my foundry burner to a melting point for brass. Slip a small blower to feed into the inlet of the propane burner, achieved melt in under 3 minutes, and also succeeded in melting the refractory out of my furnace I was a little upset about ruining my firnace, but it was a grand experiment! PS Please take every possible safety precaution in using any kind of flammable in an enclosed basement.. An Oh XXXX moment there could cost you your life or your house.

Archie, How did the blower pipe fare temp wise? Did it get hot? My propane burner stays cool because of the compressed gas leaving, just wondering how much of a difference there would be with a blown burner. Thanks Steve

The MSDS list it has having a max temp of 3200 degrees F...

Another useful tidbit is to never store the micrometer in the closed position as this can allow corrosion to form on the anvil and affect acurracy. I also like to check that the micrometer is zeroed before each use... Simply full close the mic and it should read 000. If it reads anything else, you probably have a small bit of dust, metal shaving etc on the face that needs to be wiped off. You would be surprised at how far off a little dust can put your readings. But no worries as blacksmithing doesn't create any dust or anything, LOL :p

It is a good idea to check it before any precision machining. Though I have been guilty of rushing through a setup and then wondering why I have small steps in the face... :D

Someone else had a good suggestion in that at the end of the day let your fire die down and out. Doesn't take too long once the air blower is shut off. Then dissect the fire with your clinker tongs (small very light weight tongs). The clinker will be towards the bottom, and has a hard feel to it through the tongs. Coke will have a softer feel to it. Coke is also very light when compared to the clinker, you will easily be able to tell the difference. The coal I am burning does not form too much in the way of clinkers, and usually mine are pretty small. If I have been forging for a few hours, I will notice a difference in the fire, it appears to die down and become less self sustaining. At this point, I shovel off the coke top 2/3 of the fire into the back of the pot. I then quickly scoop out the small clinker pieces at the base of the pot. Takes about a minute, and then I just push the still glowing coke back into the center of the pot and turn the air back on. The fire will pick up right where I left off usually in less than 2 minutes. Hope this was helpful. Steve

Merry Christmas to all! :)

Wow, that is beautiful!

Looks good Sam!

If going to salvage yard, get an array of different sizes and shapes... I like to have some angle, some square tube, some heavy wall pipe, and any small round and square stock I can find... I also like to have a few pieces of I beam handy for those special projects. I also usually pick up some different sizes of rebar just for cheap play metal. Steve

Hi Bob, Thanks for posting! Steve

The clinker breaker on my forge is a an oval approx 4 inches long by about 3 inches across that has been flattened on 3 sides. Rotating the breaker causes one side of forming clinker to drop/while other side lifts and then is crushed against the side opening.

I believe so and there have been a few similar items on ebay asking like $300... I don't think they sold at that price but...

"You're punching a piece of steel that is at an orange almost yellow heat. Why wouldn't the punch be hot!!?" Ecart, I did the same thing a few days ago, I had misplaced my usual punch which is fairly large and takes a while longer to get "hot" where I hold it. So I made do with a thin punch, drove it a few licks, was interrupted for "a few seconds" ok, really probably a minute you guessed it I grabbed a hold of the punch and promptly flung work and all at my excitement of learning the thermal capacity of my new punch. Needless to say i spent the next few minutes with hand in quench tank, berating myself for being an idiot... :D

I also have marveled at this phenomenon... Mine even evolved into a "brass magnet" as about 50 lbs of spent shell casings somehow found there way onto my table, hmmmm

Here is my old Atlas Atlas Lathe - Blacksmith Picture Gallery

I use a 2' x 3' roll around cart/cabinet seems to meet my needs pretty well.

My bench is 4' X 12' and just about waist high on me. I have been contemplating getting rid of it and finding two smaller tables. That could be set together or apart as need dictates... It is currently occupied with all sorts of tools (sand blast cabinet, bench grinder/buffer, etc.) I am the part I like about the table is the under storage. I can fit 4' x 8' sheets underneath with no problem.

Awesome! Thanks! and keep more ideas coming. Steve