JAllcorn
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Posts posted by JAllcorn
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very good
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My idea of what it might by.
Growing up in Central Texas in the 50's, I used to go to Priddy, Tx (nearest village to my dad's ranch) and would visit their blacksmith shop. Back then the farmers used a lot of "one-way" or "breaking plows". These used large discs to turn the land over, top to bottom, one way. Haven't seen one in years. The discs would wear and the farmers would take the individual discs to the shop for sharpening. They put them into a rolling device and rolled the edge back sharp.
Here's a picture of one, if it comes through, or google
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Since my shop is in my downtown area, 1 block from the county courthouse and surrounded by lawyers, I get a fair bit of "attention" at times. After a couple visits by the fire marshal when starting my coal forge, he saw what I was doing and decided I wasn't going to burn down the city. When the wind blows a certain way (it is distorted by the tall buildings) I can get a complaint from a neighbor that the smoke is being drawn into their space via their A/C unit. That rarely happens but when it does I shut the coal off immediately. I also do odd favors for the lawyers for free, so that helps.
I also get, on a random basis, visits from wannabe knife makers and blacksmiths. My answer to the "which kind of forge should I get" question is to start with gas for the reasons some have listed above; no smoke, easily stores, build fairly cheaply or if mom/dad have the $$$ buy the kid one, etc. Since most of the kids want to make swords, I recommend gas with a properly designed forge for that use. Also, I have to go 130+ miles to get coal and buy 2 tons at a time. The kids probably can't do that although I sell a bag here and there.
There is one young man who came in looking for help and he was already making his own charcoal. He is definitely NOT the normal visitor I have and is well on his way to becoming a "smith".
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On 1/3/2017 at 4:24 PM, AdamG said:
Why use a VFD? Are you trying to slow down the flywheel? If so, please post again to let us know how it's working. Residentially, where I live, we don't get charged for electricity based on peak amps (just on total energy), so I can't see why you would use a VFD unless you were trying to slow it down. Maybe use it for speed control on a grinder instead?
I was trying to lower the input amps and prevent "spiking" of the electric meter. I'm on a "demand" meter (you can research demand meters) and my usage is billed on a combo KWH used and demand factor.
Slowing the speed is an option w/ VFD. I did this a time or two just to see if I could and how well it worked. My electrician friend advised that if I was going to lower motor speed via VFD, that I needed to monitor motor temp, and if necessary, put a fan to blow directly over the motor. My 2 cents on this is that lowering motor speed wasn't really something I liked or needed.
Demand would not be an issue in a larger facility where numerous machines are being used simultaneously or in a residential location where there is no demand meter (in my opinion).
The VFD did work to some extent and it lowered my demand factor and electric bill as a result.
However, I finally got enough of the elect co, the demand meter, etc. etc. and I sold the Anyang 88 hammer, replacing it w/ a Big Blu 155. All that to say, the Anyang is a FINE hammer. I never had a minute's problem w/ it. I am also happy w/ the Blu. There are some differences and idiosyncrasies w/ each.
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Anybody have setup and or operation/maintenance manual for the Big Blu 155?
if so please PM me
James
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I have a VFD on my Anyang C41 (88 lb) but my VFD is a different brand/model from yours, or at least looks different. I watched my electrician program it. You really need to know what you are doing. The (at least mine) VFD's are computers and have many settings. My VFD was made by Schneider Electric and I d/l a 90 something page manual from their website. I suggest you try to obtain a detailed programming manual and get someone knowledgeable to program it. It must be set correctly to work properly.
Good luck
James
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In the shop bathroom, I keep a jug of Iodine (I think it is a solution, not pure) and use it when I get a cut worth treating. After washing, I use a liberal handful for a final wash. Good antiseptic and smells great. The Iodine color washes away w/o staining. Then band aid or bandage if needed.
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In our area there's lots of Bois d' Arc trees, Bois d' Arc Creek, even a Bois d'Arc Restaurant (now closed), streets named after it, a little Texas hamlet, etc., etc., also called the Osage Orange... a very tough wood used for fence posts and by the Native Americans for bows.
Anyway, we named our shop "Bois d'Arc Forge Blacksmith Shop". In the beginning we never intended to do anything more than have fun, make smoke, try to add to the downtown area and irritate the lawyers (we're located 150 feet from the County courthouse). It is commonly referred to by locals as "the forge" and we even painted our bathroom in the shop "Bois d' Arc green".
Looking back, we might have picked a different name... maybe just "the Forge", ???
Bottom line, you are stuck w/ the name so choose carefully.
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I found 1 pic of the rebar railing.
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I'll look on my other PC for pics of that staircase and post if I can find them.
We were hit by some sort of computer hack about a year ago which encrypted the word, excel, jpg and pdf documents on ALL our systems since they are on a network. (My wife was looking at emails and just "had" to look at something, turns out it was a really bad deal. The hackers wanted a ransom in "bit coin" to UN-encrypt the files.) we hired a computer security guy but wound up deleting all the corrupted files.
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10 years ago we had a client commission us to build a staircase handrail completely out of rebar for a 5,000 ft sq loft apartment. The staircase goes up to the roof where a motorized door opens allowing access to a roof deck. The idea for using rebar was their idea. The top rail was #14 (1-3/4" diameter) and the side panels were various sizes from 3/8 to 3/4 bent and welded to give the appearance of tall grass blowing in the wind.
Sometimes the rebar cut really well with a portaband and sometimes it would quit cutting and all the teeth would have disappeared on the blade. I built a form to scale of the staircase out of 3/8 x 2 x 2" angle iron and heated the #14 top rail bar w/ a torch while pulling the bar around the form.
Finish was achieved by wire brushing the rebar on a wire wheel running at 3450 RPM on a bench mounted motor, then the rebar was heated to blue w/ a rose bud and cake beeswax applied over and over till it quit melting, all the while rubbing w/ a heavy cloth. The bar was a bit sticky for about 2 weeks.
This was primarily a cut, heat, bend and weld job. I don't think any of the rebar was forged. It turned out great and is the centerpiece for the apartment.
After that I tried making a set of tongs from some left over 1/2" rebar... one side of the tongs were beautiful, the other side broke in half when I laid them down. I haven't played with rebar since!
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If you have access to a Hossfeld #2 bender, you can do most anything w/ 5/8 bar cold. A local machine shop came to me 3 mos ago needing 4 bars of 5/8 4140 bent in a particular shape and tolerances were pretty tight. I practiced on some 5/8 oilfield sucker rod (drill rod) and that bent easily COLD. So did the 4140 but just a touch harder to bend. The machine shop specified the bends to be all COLD. One bend was 180 degrees w/ a 2 3/4" inside, the other was a 90 degree sharp bend. Use some WD40 or some such oil and it helps the bending a lot.
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I've got 2 work tables but have the chance to buy an Acorn plate, 96x60 w/ 1 1/2" square holes. seems in good shape. I've never used one so the question is this, just how useful are they and what are they worth? I'd have to travel about 500 miles to get it (one way).
James
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There used to be a supplier, advertised in Hammers Blow or something like that, they carried all sorts of hard to get bar shapes. Haven't seen the ad in a while. I think they may have been in CA, not sure.
james
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Don't remember the name of the company but about 10 years ago I bought 100 +/- 20' sticks of 1/4x1/4 hot rolled in Dallas TX. My local supplier in Paris TX says it isn't available. I think it depends on where you are. I thought I would use it for small projects but haven't used much of it. good thing it doesn't take up much space.
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One day last year I was driving around in the "other" parts of our town and saw an old engine of some sort in a yard. Big flywheel, rusty, looked quite heavy. Nobody around so I went on and drove by every so often. Finally a fellow was in the yard and he said it was some sort of old engine (he didn't know any more than I did.)
Said he wanted $100 for it. It was a trotline weight to me so I called a retired doctor blacksmith friend that rebuilds steam engines. He made a deal w/ the guy, took it home, restored it and got it running. Said it was an early gas engine that had no carburetor by design and dated from the turn of the 20th century. I'm glad a bit of history didn't get to the scrap yard. Maybe I can get more info and some pics. -
Like others have said, hard to tell from the pics., but appears to be cast iron due to the thick heel. I have a smaller Southern Crescent which is cast and (I think) has a steel top... maybe - maybe not. I have mine on a rolling stand and use it rarely but it's handy to move around the shop when I need a portable anvil. All I've ever done w/ it is use it to center punch bar to feed into the ironworker, it's fine for that. As others have said, if it is CI, it will NOT ring, that in itself is a good thing considering I'm dang near deaf to start with (too many jack hammers and guns). CI is better than nothing and OK for a starting place in your smithing venture. Just be aware it isn't the best quality out there. I've always got my eye out for another anvil, at last count I had15 grandkids and want to leave them all with one when I leave the smithy for the last time.
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Roger Rice bought Little Giant from Sid S. Some years ago Sid rebuilt my 25# Moloch. It needed parts made and Roger fabricated them and Sid installed.
I'm currently looking at another mechanical hammer and emailed Roger. He called me the next day. Very nice fellow, does great work.
When I was at their shop (some years ago) they had numerous hammers which I assume either were being considered for rebuilds or for parts.
James
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For years I used my little 25# Moloch with good success but many projects were just more than it could handle so added an 88# Anyang (new) w/ 3 phase (I have 3 phase in my shop).
I also am on a commercial electricity service w/ a demand meter. Starting the Anyang costs me approx $100 per month over prior electricity usage cost. It sat for several months last year
w/o being used (we were doing other things) and the shop bill dropped back to "normal". Something came up and I started the 88 and ran it for about an hour, walah! Elect bill jumped $125
from prior month. This was for a total of 325 Kwh usage.
I'm not sure what I can do, if anything. But the 88 is great on bigger stuff.
Any electrical guru's out there with any suggestions?
James
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After looking for 2 or 3 years all over for an ironworker, found this Uni-Hydro 50-14 about 2 miles from my house!
Hadn't been used for several years and was covered (see photo) in grease. $2200 w/ some dies and a custom
notching tool that fits in place of the punch (which I will never use). I cleaned it up some.
It needs some work as some parts are pretty
worn but works pretty well. I've already paid for it on my current staircase project cutting balusters and flat bar
to length. Amazing machine, and the Uni-Hydro folks are great to talk to on the phone, very helpful.
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I bought a Victor rosebud specifically for propane early in 2011. It has the designation "N" on it whereas the acetylene tip has "A" stamped on it. I had previously tried using my "A" tip a time or two with propane but wasn't satisfied. The "N" tip seems to work better, but as others have stated, acetylene burns hotter. I haven't tried any of the other gasses such as propylene, etc. I was doing a "test drive" with propane last year until I had a sculpture repair project come in the shop and had to convert back to acetylene for that and haven't changed back. If anyone knows, I would like to know the actual difference between the "N" and "A" tips, construction wise. Perhaps it is the size of the orfices? Or something else in the internal part?
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This company (http://www.agostamachines.com/contact.htm) has the following for sale. They are in Oxnard CA.
1500 & 2500 LB C frame open die Erie Hammers
50,000 LB Forging Hammer (new)
6000 LB open die, single arch Chambersburg Hammer
Anyone interested can obtain a free subscription to FORGING MAGAZINE by going to
http://www.forgingmagazine.com/enewsletter/
I have subscribed for several years. It is interesting to look at.
JA -
I've got 2 grinders, 1 on a large flywheel, the other an old 3 phase w/ 12" wheels. I used to have it bolted down but rearranged and just set it in a spot. It never moves as it is very heavy. The 1 ph has 8" wheels and it moves around a little. My power hammer is anchor bolted down as is my anvil stand, the treadle hammer is chained and not used much, the Hossfeld is anchored.
JA -
Hello 77 iron. I grew up in Comanche but left in the late 60's, early 70's.
Perhaps we know each other? I used to know everyone there but my number of contacts keeps dwindling.
I'm now living in Paris TX. Saltfork Craftsmen is a great group and very helpful but likely too far from you to be too much good.
James Allcorn
Fireplace screen
in Problem Solving
Posted
Anvil asked for pictures
This is one of a matched pair of identical screens. Frame and feet are 1/4”*1” flat bar, hammered edges on front. Cold riveted front and rear panels together with wire screen inside. Rivets are smooth 3/8” head for contrast. Feet match frames. Handle forged from 1/2” round. Wire brushed clean, washed in acetone and painted with high temp clear matte lacquer.
Note these are freestanding and built to match size and shape of existing screens which had glass in them.
Thanks for the help as this was my first fire screen project.