Robert Yates

Richard did that come out of the Ol Welders Hand book ? Looks much like the chart in a Very old book I lost years Back Man I miss that book too it had a ton of information in it . Yes it was published in the early 40's too .

Sam

Aman Tim

For me and many I am sure it depends on How tall or Short they are, as well if you sit or stand.

Sam

man that fish looks Awesome ! now make a Bait jig in its mouth ;)

Sam

Here is mine

8 Photos there

http://imgur.com/3L7ayPg,o2sKNV5,CxZBQdC,d4qoHnQ,JlQjKVq,0tHUAif,g7wtoLw,wktjT04

Sam

Ryan,

You have gotten some good advice here. I have been welding for close to 30 years now and I will leave you with a few thoughts. First, safety is paramount. Buy good quality personal protection equipment. I.E. gloves, pants, BOOTS (not tennis shoes), heavy cotton long sleeved shirt or leathers and cap. Above all, hearing and eye protection. Don't scrimp on these because once you injure your eyes and ears, they don't heal well. Second, a class at the local junior college or vo-tech is a great idea. At our local J.C., if you're not seeking a degree or certification, you can use their equipment, consumables, and materials for very little money to explore the welding world. Third, don't get hung up on one type of welding versus another. Every type has it's own pros and cons. Practice, practice, practice. Hood time is the best teacher. Learn all you can from whomever you can. I was fortunate enough to work beside a retired pipeline weldor for several years who taught me stuff you will not learn in school. Little tricks for this and that and those have helped me a lot. Enjoy your time behind the hood and be safe!!!!

 

Chris

Welcome Chris,

I agree with you Safety is Priority 1 in my Book and I teach my students to NOT scrimp on EQ. either they need the Best or the Very Best they can afford NOT cheep stuff just to get by .You have covered it just as I did emphasizing how important is is for very good welding EQ. in my Welding 101 post . It is good to have yet another experienced welder here on the site to help teach others about welding even though it is a forging site I really think they go hand in hand .

Sam  

I love this type of work Louisiana is full of the Old Smith work every where .

Sam

For a direct Ventilation a semi-flex hose with a hood or canopy over the welding station powered by a small/ medium size squirrel cage motor ( they are cheep,quit and good for this application) or a good High dollar Bathroom vent to remove the welding fumes . as for fresh air circulation you can instal a ceiling fan and a Box type fan in the gable(make sure it is installed so it will pull the air out or supply air into the shop ) with duct work and a return cover in the ceiling . knowing what type of forge you have (even photos of the shop set up would help us recommend a better solution for you .

Sam       

That is a very sweet shop . some day I would hope to visit when I am traveling.

Sam

It does not tell what it is and the face is broken ,Yes I could fix it but would NOT touch it at that Price .

Sam

By Bril I thing you are saying it is Build like a Bull or very Strong am I correct ?

Sam

Lol Frosty , Naw I just am set in my ways and tend to not give a hoot on a ton of things now days . she don't fight any more thankfully .

Sam

Thank you Frosty , you covered it , the company did not reveal How they introduced the Carbon content to the mix other then stating what I posted . Trade / Manufacturing secrets I would guess . yet the carbon content remains the same .030 to .035 is the maxim they would guarantee give /or take a point or two of carbon content . 

Sam  

Silicon Carbide (SiC) Crucibles are high quality melting crucibles. They can be used at temperatures up to 1600C (3000^oF)and are suitable for melting and refining precious metals, base metals, and other products.

Yes, do preheat crucibles. This will drive off any moisture that may have been pulled out of the atmosphere during manufacturing, storage, and cooling from the previous firing. And for high value fires (like refining), it is good insurance.

Coating the inside of the crucible on the other hand probably does not help. If you want to coat the inside of the crucible with borax, go ahead as it probably will not hurt anything. But, the borax is a low melting temperature component so the coating will not form much of a barrier after you start heating things up. And, it will "cost" you one of the fires.

Some people do some refining in assay crucibles. The fire clay used in assay crucibles is not rated for nearly as high of temperatures as graphite or silicon carbide, and this is not really recommended. But, if you have had success doing this, make sure and preheat the crucible before use (as mentioned above).

Preheating can be done by placing the crucible on top of the furnace, or on a hot plate, or by putting them in the furnace and raising the temperature slowly. 

They are expensive but well worth it .

Sam

I just bring it in if the better half throws a fit about it , I tell her to carry it out her self  that wont happen ;) and she uses my lil anvil just as much as I do when cooking and Prepping food and many other things . Good Compromise with us .

Sam

when I was still in the Military it was a rear occasion to find one in an old Conex  from the Corps of Engineers and Maintenance Depot they would throw them out in scrap bins . I saved them many times for friends back then due to me not being able to forge at the time . I wish I had any one of them Now .

Sam  

Looks like a Ship builder Hammer .Agreed ! I seen one at Tampa FL Ship yard many a day ago while in the field .

Sam

Wow very good looking work and a Fine job  in Craftsmanship.

Sam

Hey Steve,

I have just about got the motor, & Variable speed controller set up with a 4 step pulley system  installed . and we are making prints of the build to share with IFI Family .

Sam

the old tried and true Boy Scout Method a small Teepee of wood ,lil paper and it will make a good fire . add a lil coat to it and add air it will be going good in a very lil time .

Sam

interesting specs Sam,,thanks...I would have thought that they had at least some carbon in them...and I am not sure how they included carbon dioxide....

Carbon dioxide is the Scientific composition is a Gaseous form of Carbon that is in a powder form when introduced to the forging process of the spike. so it is Pure Carbon .  as to the reference of the MSDS that is how they show carbon in the elements for the Hazard material in the composition  .

As per information from a phone call I made to Ameristeel to provide an answer to your question.

Sam

I am Happy to see others making this an Active thread by adding their Knowledge for folks in the Welding field. 

Best Regards and have fun rod burning !

Sam

Thank you for the prayers , we will soon be in transit to FL to be with him .

Sam

I understand your concern but it's not a disk. Its a forged ring or collar I made to snugly fit the foot of the leg. The picture is kind of deceiving. I have some leveling feet on order now. I will take some better pictures when I get them.

Sorry if you say so it does not show up as so on my Alienware 18.5 Monitor . good job on the build .

Sam

I thought I had it wrong ,However I am glad to see I did not say it wrong as I do have issues of doing that some times ,more then I like too.

Sam