sdalcher

Hmmm, Jack Frost mix in FireGirl and what do you get? LOL

Your problem may have been the overfill prevention device (OPD) on your tank. If the tank is filled full+ sometimes the OPD can get jimmied in an awkward place and will limit the amount of gas delivered. The cure is to run at very low pressure for a short period of time to allow the OPD to essentially reset itself.

Steve

The newer sysytems usually have backflow preventers on them, MAKE SURE! It is possible to have flame backflow into the acetylene tank, since the oxygen is a higher pressure.

I recently found an okay source for tanks on ebay from Indiana Oxygen, I paid $240 including shipping. The tanks are on the small side 80 Cu ft oxygen and 40 cu ft acetylene. I don't weld with this but it makes cutoff of larger stock much easier. Of course I also have a TIG, MIG, 240 v Stick welder and even a small 110 v stick welder. Each has their own special applications, though I use the 240v stick welder the most.

Used welders are out there, you just have to look for them. My last acquired was the MIg and I paid $25 for it because the guy had lost the nozzle and could not find a replacement. I took out my handy dial calipers and measured it out and then went on a hunting spree. Everyone said the only place that you could get a replacement for Chicago Electric was from some defunct company in California and that no other brand would work. I'm happy to say that it just ain't true! Chicago Electric is not the greatest, but they are not bad welders for the money(especially at $25 for a normal $350 model). :D

Beautiful!

very nice!

Absolutely beautiful Karl!

For those who haven't seen Karl's knives in person, you are really missing out!

Steve

Sam,

It is obvious that you have an outstanding personality. With that in mind, it won't be long till you make a few enduring friendships and many aqauintances. I have 3 people that I would classify as friends and several that I classify as aquaintances. An acquantance is who you call at 3 am to bail you out, but a true friend will be right there with you. LOL

I remember wishing to meet more people and to be the life of the party. Then I realized that I am who I am and I should accept the fact that I will never be the life of the party, but I have developed a few lifelong friends that would and have driven 1000+ miles to help out. That is true friendship and I wouldn't trade any of my three for a 100 fair weather heros.

Steve

Stopped by the local recycling yard today. Came home with about 200 linear feet of heavy angle iron, a 3 foot section of 8 in pipe (new gas forge). Several different sizes of compression spring. 8 feet of heavy bandsaw blade (there was more but it was buried under a ton of xxxx) 12 feet of 1 inch heavy steel cable. A usable oxygen cylinder and last but not least a fully functional pallet jack. Damage to wallet $110. What a day!!!!

Very Nice Find BT!

Lol, Ricketts!!!! Roflmao!!

Sam,

Sounds like you have found your own little patch of heaven! I am envious, as I have to scrounge just about everything. Not that my scrounging abilities aren't stellar, but I spend more time looking for materials than I do working on the projects... Of course there is always that sense of accomplishment when you have $0 in a project because it was all scrounged:)

Beautiful blade Karl!

LOL, if only I had more money ;-)

Friday was one of those unbeliveable days! A local community has "Farmer's Pike Festival" evry Labor Day weekend. It is supposed to be a large free for all rummage sale. So I pack up the wife and kids and off we go. Turns out that just about every other house within a 5 mile radius is having a yard sale. Picked up 25lbs of misc drill bits for $6. Out of that were 26 taper shank drills in varying sizes, a dozen drills for the old Brace & bit, 1 drill for a manual post drill and about 100 other standard straight shank drills and a few reamers and taps. I bought a brandnew 100 lb propane tank for $40 (I have 5 20lb tanks and it seems like I have to go get refill every few weeks). I bought a brand new 1000 W generator for $20 (bought it for Mom who lives in Florida as I already have one). A brand new Nitrous Oxide tank for $20 (good trading stock). There were countless other deals that I just didn't have enough cash to buy i.e. a 4" post vise in on concrete set post for $50. All of this before I even get to the show. Upon arrival at the Farmers Pike Festival, it wasn't all that great, some nice things but prices were very high. Overall a great day though!

Thanks
Steve

Why not make an angle iron frame/stand to hold it all together? Then you dont have to worry about a joint.

Thanks
Steve

Our thoughts are with you and your family.

Nice score ApprenticeMan! By the way, how is the two wheeled life treating ya?

melting metal in a home foundry, backyard metalcasting, metal casting

It is an awesome site, and has a lot of good basic knowledge and how-to. I dabble in foundry work also and it is a great complement to forging ability. There are many projects that take a little from both skillsets.

I currently use a normally aspirated propane burner, a few nights ago I experimented with adding a blower to juice up the flame. I severly melted my furnace refractory in just a few minutes of playing around. I have been using this same furnace for over a year with very little degradation of the refractory till that fateful day :-)

I am currently working on a waste vegetable oil burner, with a propane pre-heat built in. Propane is really great, but gets kind of expensive if you are forging/casting on a regular basis.

Thanks
Steve

Very nice find Habu!!

LOL, I was literally crying because I was laughing so hard!

jj,

The week before my wife and I hit like 15 different sales and scored a big fat zero. A month earlier I went in to a local flea market and picked up 2 Mousehole anvils 90 lbs + or - for $95 and the other for $55 at two separate vendors. The $55 one was beat up pretty badly and had the rear feet broken off but is a mid 1800's near as I can tell. I won't use it but I will give it a safe home along with my Peter Wright and my other new Mousehole.

Thanks
Steve

I may have to try that. Just gotta find some abandoned copper:D

Rolled up on a yard sale today had a Pexto sheet metal brake and a Pexto sheet metal shear that had just sold for $150 for the pair :-( My karma was seriously screwed up! Went to another Yard sale guy had just sold an Atlas 6 inch lathe for $300 and another small geared head Jet lathe :-( The bright side is that I found a vise for my Atlas shaper for $5 and bought several 1/2 hp motors for 1$ each one of which was a geared reducing motor. Also picked up a like new clamping kit for my mill $20 and 30 lbs of bolts for $3. About 10 lbs of that 30 is all brass :-)

Steve

I also use aluminum dryer vent and I created a reducer out of 14inch aluminum flashing to neck down into my tueyer. This allows a snug friction fit that I can pull with minimal effort when I hook up my electric blower. It took about 10 minutes to roll it and pop rivet it.

Thanks
Steve

I started out with an associates degree in tool and die making at Southern Illinois University(CTC). I have since added a few more degrees and teach at Ball State University now in an unrelated field.

I always enjoyed working with my hands and have been building up my shop for the last decade. I nowhave am Atlas 10in lathe, Atlas 7in shaper, Jet vertical mill, stick welder, TIG welder and many more smaller machines that just make life easier (belt sanders, drill presses etc.)

I actually made one of my belt sanders in high school, poured the castings and the whole 9 yards. I still use it after 20 years of service.

Over the last year I have cobbled together a foundry furnace (propane) and am currently working on a Waste Vegetable Oil system. I thoroughly enjoy the challenges of a good project that require a multitude of skill sets.

Thanks
Steve