ChrisB

Welcome to the addiction!

Dodge, Take a look at Jymm Hoffmans burner. It's about the simplest out there and doesnt require an expensive regulator or needle valve.

You going to tell us Gerald?

Hyd presses look neat. You can find a couple cool videos on youtube. I however keep flashing back to several parts of my life... In no particular order My time working in a plastics factory as a maintenance man. Those molding machines were over grown Hyd presses. Lots of noise and prone to leaking. Without fail I could be checking on a leaky line and that line would blow and I'd get my weekly hyd oil bath. Growing up on a farm and Dad worked contruction. Hydraulics were everywhere, disk, hay mower, skid steer, dozer, excavator and a few tools dad made i.e. log splitter. Some line always seemed to be leaking and give you the occasional Hyd oil bath. Serving in the United States Navy, my job was in the avaition field. Again hydraulics are everywhere. Nothing like riding along in a helo looking out and seeing nothing but blue water and the whole time some hyd line is leaking and its running down the bulkhead. And another line is dripping right on you. Nothing like a nice hyd oil soak.. I dont know why but I really despise cleaning up hyd oil.... My flypress is everything that you said. The "quiet" is impressive to say the least. Last summer the Mrs took a nap in the sun 10 feet away from where I was working 3/4 stock with the fly press. When she woke up her jaw dropped wide when she saw what I had gotten done. I'm sure that one could scrounge and find parts to build a hyd press for less than what I have in my flypress. Dont forget to add in your time to build it and "small stuff" like the Hyd oil.

Reading those specs sounds like you got some expensive bolts. Now what to do with them...

Coils springs convert them to punches and chisels. That's on my list for this weekend.

Try Postville Blacksmith shop. If I remember correctly they repair Nazel hammers.

Check out zoeller forge. He has materials for sale. I've used the plistex and it made an improvement in the forge temps.

He's convinced her they will be worth a fortune one day.

welcome! ball pein hammers are usually easy to find. I know Lowes carries one cross pein hammer. Hit a local flea market, you'll be surprised what you'll turn up.

Managed to get out in the shop and do some forging. I have this thing lately for wanting to making a leaf. It hasn't been going well so I went back to basics and got some modeling clay and practiced for about 45 min. The next leaf turned out much better. I think my problem how is hitting the leaf square with the hammer. I did one on the horn and it spread much better. Ah practice makes perfect I suppose.

Very nice.

Your vision is amazing. Do you know the result before you start or is it a "progress" kind of thing.

Very nice. I'm betting he has a big hammer and drinks lots of energy drinks.

LDW has a good idea. I know my Estwing framing hammer has a very knurled face and leaves a mark in the nail head. You could get a cheap hammer and cut the face with a whizz wheel to a pattern you like and hammer away.

I know this type of forge is popular with blade smiths. Does it allow one to get shorter heats on a bar like a coal forge? http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/fogg-designed-norris-built-forge-ashokan-2006-a-1625/

+1 to Philip's suggestion

Break-free, Liquid Wrench

Agreed. I've surprised a quite a few with how much I can haul.

Powdercoating is polyester powder baked onto a part i.e. plastic coating. The nasty chemcial part is the strippers required to remove that "plastic" coating. Go to any large powdercoating shop and ask to see the burn off oven. It's how they clean the hooks/hangers/racks used to hang the parts being coated. You can also remove it with a sandblaster or wire wheel. A blast cabinet would be ideal. I do agree with Glenn and Brian in the fact that there is plenty of steel out there that is coating free. I have to scrounge hard to find free stuff, so I know how annoying that can be.

It's powdercoat. The easy way to get it off is to burn it off. Otherwise your dealing with very nasty chemicals.

Anything I purchase would be UPS'able. Last time I tried to hit a sale of this type the first guy in the door bought the entire place out and repriced everything back up to near retail and sold it on the spot to everyone that came looking for a deal. If I ride out and that happens no biggie I fire up and roll out... I'm still having fun. Riding home with an empty rental truck would be disappointing to say the least.

Go to his website. It shows a list of what will be for sale and prices. Basically it's all the tooling from the school and a few power hammers. Looks like they are grouping small stuff like tongs/punches into bundles. The wife has been telling me for a couple months that I need to go away for a few days on the "scooter". I'm toying with the idea of wandering out.

Making your hardy tools fit that anvil will get old real quick. Then when you get a another anvil your going to have a bunch of hardy tools that dont fit it cause you mod'd them to fit that oddball anvil. So unless you can get that dirt cheap and pick it up to save shipping I would say pass on that anvil.

You need to ensure that you are going to have some form of long term coverage in case 10 years from now you start having problems related to that damage he did. Dont back off or change your mind about pressing charges. Has the school done anything to him? Expelled? How close are you to graduation?