dan_m

Thanks Phil, I didn't notice the texture was continuous across the parting line.

I thought they looked sand cast as well...and there is definitely some pitting on the top one. From the way you look at it in the picture, it's just to the left of the splined section, along the bottom of the bar. My guess would have been that it was porosity from the casting, but if they got rusty at one point it could have been from that too.

Plus if you overheat and break whatever you're working on, you can sometimes save it instead of making scrap.

I vote for silicon bronze too. It forges great hot, and you can buy TIG rods that will color match it. It's also the most pleasant bronze to use for casting, so save all your scrap bits.

Thanks, that looks like the type of mounting system I'll probably end up with. I'm planning on using a jackshaft like the one in peacock's photo, do you have any issues with slippage or anything running it right off of that small diameter drive pulley?

Thanks Phil, I will have to make mine taller though. The top of my flywheel is about 6.5' off the floor, and if I wanted to mount the motor and jackshaft to the hammer or floor I'd need to move the flywheel back of the hammer, on the end of the shaft. There's a nice looking handwheel on that end though, and I'd rather leave it as is. I guess I'll be making a tall post sort of thing to mount it on. And thanks macbruce, I didn't even think about the hum from the motor...that's enough reason not to do it right there when there's another option.

I used to have my shop in my backyard in Portland, and my coal forge and oil-burning furnace were both about 15 feet from the garden in the open air. I never noticed any problems, but it was definitely a concern and I had no other option. That was only one year though, if it was going to be a permanent setup I'd keep it away from the food. If you ran an organic farm think of how you'd feel if someone tried to build a factory next next to it...I feel like its the same sort of thing, just on a smaller scale.

As everyone else said, the answer is no. A steel pipe welded to a plate for the bottom works well for aluminum, but only if you have a welder. If you don't, I'd just order a small crucible, but if you need to go an even cheaper route, a stainless steel container will work as Thomas suggested. Check the kitchen section of thrift stores. A soup can can be used successfully for small amounts of aluminum, I've done it but can't recommend it as its really pushing the limit. If you try that, don't reuse the can, but really a stainless container should run you a dollar or two secondhand, and the small commercial crucibles really are cheap enough to make it not worth the hassle to even mess around with anything else. Plus it should last indefinitely for occasional melting of low temp metals.

My shop has high ceilings, so my first thought was to mount the motor and jackshaft for my new hammer to the ceiling. My neighbors and good friends live above my shop though, so I'm worried this will make their floor shake even more than it's going to already. Has anyone gone this route and care to relate if, and how much, the vibrations from the hammer transferred to the motor mount? It's definitely the easiest way for me to do it, but I can always use a 12' heavy walled steel post mounted to the floor if it will make it unbearable for them. Thanks!

That'll work fine, just be sure to make or alter a set of tongs to hold the crucible firmly. Welding two short pieces of angle to the ends of some tongs would work well. Having four contact points is very stable, and easier to fabricate than trying to curve a piece of flat bar to match the curve of the crucible. I have a dedicated furnace so my tongs are the vertical-lift type, but they all contact at four points and are very safe.

Thanks for the explanation Steve, very much appreciated.

Have you tried asking for a sample? It's worth a shot at least, since with a minimum order like that a sample could easily be a few tons if they were willing to provide one.

I have three phase power in my shop, but the voltage is 208 not 240, and I'm confused about what the implications of this are. After doing some research online, I've read conflicting information as to what a 208/240 rating on a motor means. Some people said that it means the motor will run okay on either input, but others stated that the 208 rating simply indicated the low end of acceptable input voltage, and that a true 208V input will often run below this, causing the motor to draw more amperage than it is rated for. Does anyone know which of these is correct? Also, if the latter is true, is it acceptable to use a 240V motor with more capacity than is needed to accommodate the lower voltage (ie, using a 240V, 7.5HP motor when only a 5HP is needed)? I'm aware that if this won't work I can always get a buck/boost transformer, but it appears it would be cheaper to just get a slightly oversized motor if that will work, or is even necessary. Thanks!

I run a Miller EconoTIG on a 50 amp breaker with a 40 foot, 8 gauge cord with no problems.

If there is a refractory supplier near you, give them a call. It's likely they'll just give you an amount that small as a sample, since they usually deal in very large quantities. If you tell them what you're doing they'll often also be interested and glad to help you out. I've gotten tens of feet of ceramic fiber insulation this way.

Ozone. It's produced by any electrical arc, like welding, lightning, etc. I'm not sure why it smells so much stronger from TIG though.

Thanks Pete! I'm going to look at it this week, and will probably bring it home unless there are any major problems.

Haha, my list is probably 300 items long. I'm a textbook ADHD case and that's how I need to work. I jump around from thing to thing way too much, so having a really long to-do list helps me stay productive when I get bored with what I'm working on. Works for me in the end. I also have a very "get all set first" mentality, which has worked out fine for me so far but won't continue to do so for too much longer. It usually means spending most of my time building and buying equipment (which is fortunately my favorite part of this anyway), but this years goal is to transition my shop from a hobby to a job, so I'll need to work pretty hard to start making more things that actually leave the shop. Doesn't help that I have a big shop space right now, all I ever think about is filling it with more tools...

I'd try it and see how it works. Also, what material is your mold? It seems like the easiest thing to do might be to cast the pieces to their finished shape. If you're already pouring brass, pretty much all you need to make investment molds is a cheap pottery kiln, wax, sand, and plaster. Your originals would be made of microcrystalline wax, invested in plaster & sand molds, then burnt out for a couple days in your kiln. Check out the topic that's pinned at the top of this section for more information on that process.

Thanks for the info...my first post was kind of vague, so I'll clarify. I've been considering building a tire hammer, but figured that since I have the plans now I should start looking for used hammers since I know that as soon as I start working on it I'll see something that's a better deal. I hadn't heard of the manufacturer, so had no idea as to the quality of the hammer, or a reference point on the price. I guess I was just curious in general as to your opinions on whether it would be a better idea to start from scratch or restore something old. Fabricating and welding parts for an old hammer shouldn't be out of my skillset, and if I don't have any equipment I'd need I at least know people who do. Lack of a motor isn't a problem either, there are a ton of large motors (a lot of them overkill size) sitting around in the building I'm in, so it's probably free. And I assume the price is negotiable, it seems like he's been trying to sell it for a while. I think I'll at least go check it out...Tim, if I don't decide to buy it I'll definitely forward you the info. Stewart, PM sent.

Does anyone have any info on these hammers? I've never heard of the brand before, but I've just recently started looking into getting a power hammer. I attached pics of one that is for sale, they say it's a 90#. Not sure if this one is the best idea for me right now, as it's not under power so I can't watch it run. I have no experience using one, so I don't exactly what to be looking for. They are asking $2500. Thoughts?

I got a 6x20 for the press I'm about to start building. Randy was kind enough to let me come over last weekend to check his out, and I decided I wanted mine to have more tonnage than the 35 I had planned on, so I just ordered a second 6x20 cylinder. If anyone is interested, they are surplus from http://www.baileynet.com. There are currently 4 left, but they don't show up in the list when you view their surplus cylinders. Just type in 116-493 into the search bar on the homepage though, and it will come right up. They are only $295, so it's $600 plus shipping and you'll end up with a 70 ton press with more than enough stroke for using drifts, punches, etc. If you decide to go with that big of a stroke, remember you'll have to top-mount your cylinders, if that matters to you.

Elasticity? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elasticity_%28physics%29

When I use my tig welder I just cover up any exposed skin and it's always been good enough. My welder is only 160 amps though, and I don't burn easily, plus I'm usually wearing a sweatshirt in the shop. Occasionally I'll be wearing a tshirt and need to make a quick weld in the middle of doing something else and I'll just do it in the tshirt with no gloves. Like I said though, I don't burn easily, and I'm not saying it's a good idea. It sounds reasonable enough that the color on your shirt could be fading from the UV light. It's never happened to me, but I don't usually find myself using my welder for very long at any one time. I'd say just go with a hooded sweatshirt over top, they make pretty thin ones that don't get too hot, and I find the pockets pretty handy.

Picked this up along with the platen table on Saturday. It appears to have all the standard dies, plus extra ones for 1" and 1.25" round pipe, and it came with the original manual. It's made by Promaco and they're still in business which is nice. The manual show an optional die for clamping stock perpendicular to the machine and cold twisting it, might see how much they want for one of those or just make my own.