philip in china

I need oxy acet of my own. I can sometimes borrow or get work cut for me but my own rig is the next big purchase.

What penetrating oil are you using? Not a good idea to leave things soaking in some brands. I am not sure about US brands but somebody here will be. Did you try the warm, used engine oil? It absolutely cannot harm.

I pick the brains of the smiths here mercilessly. I am a qualified accountant and accountancy graduate. If anybody needs a bit of help with business or pricing by all means PM me and I will see if I can help. I have plenty of spare time these days!

Should have mentioned. The slogan is "Nothing we make will ever break".

The only western named department store in Dujiangyan is called Trustmart so I simply removed the first letter for my name. It seems to work. I also have my slogan which really sort of means that if you can pick it up it is probably not one of my products which tend to be somewhat robust. Sean out here says I do everything too heavy but that is only professional jealousy on his part.

For what it is worth I use a British made London pattern anvil weighing in at 2:2:0. It is on a stump but to hold it in place I have a couple of pieces of 20mm plate profiled to match the base of the anvil and the circumference of the stump. With the anvil being as big as it is I don't need any extra mass but a plate at the base of the anvil sure is useful for upsetting and doing other heavy work. Maybe an oversized plate would be useful for just that and save some heavy use of the small anvil.

Anybody want a free anvil by the way? You would have to collect it.

Thank you for your input. They are illegal in UK as well. I have never quite understood the logic. If you are stabbed with a switchblade are you somehow more dead than with an ordinary lock knife? I don't make knives so it was just a purely hypothetical question. I think they are legal here. Certainly they are widely sold.

How does a switchblade action work?

There is an old Lincoln Continental here (probably 15 to 20 years old). It has done a lot of work and one of the springs has snapped. My boss is going to replace the spring. I have told him he should replace all 4 of course. Needless to say I have a home for the old springs!

What steel would old Lincoln springs be made of?

I want to make a rack of punches, drifts, chisels etc. and hoped to use these springs.

The point about the outside air is really obvious............. once you mentioned it. I would never have thought of it myself though!

How do you rate the 9Kg one piece An Yang. I can get one here new for US$2,300 which seems like a good price to me. I think I would have to make a stand for it though as I don't fancy working in a full squat position like the Chinese do!

I understand that Uri Hofi has suggested a number of improvements to the An Yang hammers made here in China.

Has anybody seen the products subse quent to the modifications? Are they a lot better?

I am seriously considering a power hammerand being in China wouldn't really look any further than An Yang.

Pulleys as well? More swages. this just gets better and better.

I have a diagram of a clinker breaker on my other computer. I will try to remember to send it to you. (The diagram not the computer).

I have a masonry forge almost exactly like the one you describe. I had to make the fire pot etc. in a tremendous hurry so did not actually put a CB in mine and I have never felt the need for one.

It is basically a steel Toblerone which you can rotate with a handle.

That has certainly given me a lot to think about. Maybe just an open fireplace with a brick chimney would be a lot less trouble. That might be the way to go initially! Then I could use my time making fire dogs, log box, tools etc. The house fire and carbon monoxide poisoning aspects of it are what worry me most. Here in rural China there are no regulations for anything like this so I would probably abide by the US or British codes.

Please keep the ideas coming!

Here in central China it gets a bit cool. I want to make a wood burning stove as there is an almost unlimited supply of free wood here. Does anybody have any plans or advice please?

For smaller handles on other tools than hammers I use old maple drumsticks that I get from a guy who works here. Ethan, a five year old boy on site, has a tiny hammer with a drumstick handle and yes maple seems to work ok in that as well. So try it in a full size hammer. What have you got to lose?

I had the same problem sourcing an apron. I found a place that makes sofas etc. They had whole skins and were happy to make aprons to my design. They put leather straps on them. If they break I shall replace with some old judo belts I have got. (Great stuff for loads of uses).

Look after your apron and it will last you years. I put dubbin on mine and also I wear it when we are cooking outside. Any grease from the food gets rubbed in as well!

If you are making one make it as big as you can. A real wrap around one with plenty of length. You can always trim it down but you won't want to especially if you do much work kneeling.

Marc,

That looks a really good setup. How much ring do you get with the anvil on all that steel?

I shall also use the tennis ball. In fact will probably patent it so you will owe me ;-)