mudbugone

David...I was looking at that picture with the square rod sticking out of the sq. hole in your "Mousehole" Mine has the hole too (front too) but I thought they were used to lift the anvil while forging them... Do you use that hole like a hardie hole ? or did you place that sq. into the anvil to silence any ringing ? Just curious since I was cleaning my Mousehole up today (with the heel broken off) and examined that sq. hole while I was cleaning it.

I would think a long taper might be accomplished using a cone mandrel (of correct taper) and a press or by shaping the taper and welding the seam... but the best method for durability would be turned on a lathe out of larger stock. I examined one of the tapered pieces of Titanium I use as a breaker bar cheater pipe and I really think I'll need to collect several pieces and cut them to length then measure both ends to see the taper involved...Just looking though I think they might actually work for this...The one I looked at sure might. The next time he picks up a load I'll experiment a bit with them...

Piece of log would be my bet (cheap easy & simple)...both to absorb any impact issues to the floor and deaden sound.... As for insects there are ways to treat the log to prevent that and besides they like 2x12's as well as they like logs...wood is wood and the only other option is steel.... which is fine if you have a welder and the material to build it with feet to protect the concrete and place it on rubber pads too. (Hockey pucks?) Even on a steel base I think I'd place the anvil on a wood pad in the top of the steel base.

That's very interesting and not anything I had considered... (Thanks for those links BTW) Anyone that has ever handled commercial burners notices that the burner feed (usually cast iron) isn't straight,but bulged out indicating the interior of that assembly is flared (like the burner assemblies in your links) The few times I disassembled burners for cleaning I noticed the shape,but never thought much about the reason or shape. Sorta tosses a twist into the notion of just hooking up a piece of pipe and lighting it and expecting heat... There must have been a lot of thought that went into shaping the burner feed pipes considering they cast special shaped burner assemblies for a reason. I'll have to examine one much closer with more understanding that there was a reason it was done that way... Sometime things take on much more complicated design issues as you actually start examining them... assumptions of "how it's made" aren't always correct...and the facts can get complicated even on something that seems so straight forward on it's surface... I'm almost thinking the flare in commercial burner tubes are cast for a couple of reasons now. Strength and perhaps the rough interior casting causes a turbulance ? I doubt it'll matter much for building a forge,but a shaped tube would have been far easier than a casting that had to be machined not to mention the weight of them... I really am going to have to examine those tube extrusions closer now...Just for the heck of it. If nothing else I ought to be able to find one suitable to make a 3" long flare for a homemade burner tube. Seems the more you think you know the less you actually know. LOL

That's enough to make a grown man cry.... That first pictured anvil looks like a dandy...

Question ? The flares I've seen (online) have set screws to hold them onto the burner tube.... Is this to allow an air gap between the burner tube and the flare or only as a method of attaching the flare? Does the flare fit tightly with no air gap at the connection ? For the sake of discussion could a say 3/4" threaded flare be attached directly to a 3/4" burner tube if the flare was shaped or even turned to correct internal taper on a lathe ? From this conversation what I'm getting is that the flare would be better if it was the entire length of the burner tube instead of just the final 2 inches of the flare tip....??? If that's the case couldn't a 8-10" tapered tube be formed for use instead of a 3/4" pipe 8-10" long with a flare attached on the end ? I understand "making" that flared tube would be more involved than a piece of pipe with a flared tip,but I can't see it being that difficult if doing so would improve the function of the burner... I'm only asking because I really don't know, but wondered about how the flare was mounted while examining various burner threads and photos... I happen to know a guy that gets Titanium extrusion tubing scraps from a plant nearby that makes aircraft tubing... I use the larger tapered pieces as breaker bar extensions around the shop,but I see no reason I couldn't cut a short section of about the right diameter and length to use as the burner tube ...IF ... having a taper the length of the tube would be better than just a short flare on the tip... ??? I'm not sure what the internal taper on these pieces are,but I'm going to check. The taper seems very gradual in the small diameter pieces and I assume the end could be threaded for this use.

And here I was thinking I was going to have to buy some hammers... I bet I can find some shafting for this...Great idea & great job...Thanks.

I've got the entire system brand new including the gauges and extra pieces.... I've had it for several years with the intention of getting some gas bottles and trying out some of the things it's capable of... Alas,things beyond my control have obstructed those plans (and some others too) for a couple of years.... I can't address it's use...only that the hotrodders & metalshapers think it's the greatest.... I think the whole package was around $12-1300 bucks. My main interest was the metal cutting and cast iron repairs it's used for... I've got 2 plasma cutters & haven't needed to fix any cast iron .... and have been otherwise occupied since I got it so it's just stored in the shop unused.... If you decide to purchase one I'd consider selling mine with all the extras for less than you could purchase a new one for. I've acquired a dozen other machines since I got it and I've been thinning out the herd of tools and project vehicles to a more managable quantity...I actually hadn't thought about it in a while til I saw your post....

I've seen several "anvils" made using forklift tines ,but this one is pretty cool... I found where my local scrap yard had a pile of forks hidden today...maybe a dozen in various sizes... Looks like I'll be getting at least one to fabricate something similar.. Thanks...and don't forget to add the finished photos when you get done...

I've picked up so much as deals lately it'll be hard to decide.... How about a couple hundred 4' x 1/2" steel rods connected to several hundred cast aluminum brackets at auction for $75... The track system from a dry cleaners that holds the clothes....This pic isn't all of them... I can imagine all sorts of uses for the rods alone...not to mention the brackets (4-5 of them attached to the wall make a pretty cool articulated arm for air lines? swing away lighting?) the 1/2" rods ought to make good branding iron handles ?