DSW

The anthracite I was given burns down to a lot of clinker.

When I wanted to forge some top tools in class ( flatter, and set hammer) first thing my instructor set me to do was to take a piece of 1" round and draw out and taper it to form my drift. Working the 1" steel was certainly a lot easier than working the 2" piece of 4140 for the heads later on.

I've seen worse. I'm surprised they didn't put the load sticking out the back and then strap the ramp to the load to keep it from dragging.

More than I'd want to spend on one, but condition isn't too bad other than the damage on the one side probably from cold working shoes. Price is below $3 a pound and in some areas that would make it a fair deal. Myself I'd want it under $250 to think about it. Make him an offer, you never know.

Bit late, but I see long stock as being an issue the way this is laid out at the moment. I'd extend the bottom cut towards the back more and then taper on an arc up to your "hood" so that you can lay full lengths side to side thru the middle of the fire if need be to work long stock.

Stupid disappearing post again.... Please move where required. Thanks. 120-170 amps DC for 7014 sounds high compared to what I typically use on 1/8" rods. Note though that AC settings are often higher than DC setting suggestions, so that may be in range for running 1/8" rods on AC. Note that it's important to note rod size as well as amps so things make sense. 120-170 sounds closer to the settings for 5/16" rod in DC vs 1/8" for example. With stick, how far you keep the tip of the electrode from the plate effects how hot the weld is as well as amps. Typically for 1/8" 7018, we have the machine set at 125 amps DC+ so the students can simply drag the edge of the flux on the plate as it burns and get nice beads. I can make just as nice a weld at 100 amps DC+, but I have to hold the rod off the plate farther to get the machine to increase the voltage and make the rod burn hotter. This can be useful to you if you have poor fit up and need to fill a gap. By turning down your amps and increasing your arc length, you can adjust how "hot" the weld is while welding. If the gap opens up, push the rod in closer and it tends to cool the bead some. Back it out farther and it burns in a bit deeper. Arc Force is kind of tough to explain. It's called "Dig" and other things by other manufacturers. It adjusts how "soft" or "crisp" your arc is. Rods like 7018 tend to run nicer with a soft arc. rods like 6010 tend to run nicer with a "crisp" arc. I don't have a really good way to explain this better. This is something that can be very subtle and newer students may not be able to notice the difference simply because they are changing too many other things at the same time while welding and those changes mask what the arc force is doing to the arc while welding. Keys to stick welding... Amperage, arc length, rod angle and travel speed. Get these right and things should work well. I try and have students eliminate as many variables as possible at the start. Arc length is an easy one to eliminate if you use "drag" rods like 7024, 7014, 7018. the flux builds up a little shell that extends past the tip of the electrode while welding. You simply keep the flux on the plate and your arc length will stay the same all the time. You can easily feel the flux touch the plate. Amps, mid range is a good starting point. For 7014/7018 that works out to around 125-135 amps DC+ using 1/8" rods. Not all rods from all companies are the same, so some variation may be needed to get what that particular rod likes "best". Rod angle... It's a bit easier to show someone than explain it, but I find tipping the rod so the top is in front of the bead at between 1 :30 and 2 O'clock is about right. Travel speed tends to be the hardest to keep consistent. On average a full length rod will lay down about 6-8" of weld bead, depending on the joint profile. If you are getting more length than that, you are traveling too fast. If you get a lot less, you are going too slow. When done you should have about 2" of rod left in the stinger, or about where the numbers are printed on some rods. You don't have to make any special motions while doing all this. You can simply drag the rod in a nice straight line. I find that some students fin trying to manipulate the puddle with circles, arcs, figure 8's etc just messes them up when starting out, and they forget to keep everything else consistent. If you do every thing perfect with 7024, 7014,7018 the bead will tell you when you are done. If you have to beat the slag off, you didn't do something right. If you are close, the slag will break up in nice big chunks with minimal chipping. If perfect, it will simply curl up behind you like a scorpions tail or just fall off. As a side note, 6013 is also a drag rod and can act similar to the rods suggested above. It does have heavier slag though and many students have issues seeing the puddle well with it or they bury slag because they can't differentiate between slag and puddle well. That's why I typically don't recommend it for new guys trying to learn on average.

His pick up is a low rider El Camino and it's been customized with the low profile rims and had the top chopped.

Striker and a sledge. Even if you had someone else hold the piece and you beat it with a sledge, that would probably work. When heating thick objects, remember tons of air fast isn't the best idea. You can get the outside hot, while the center still is warm. A good long slow soak will bring everything up to temp together.

Actually I'd think getting a nice even bend with the holes already punched would be harder as the thin points of the holes will bend easier than the full thickness bar will. The piece on each side doesn't look a lot longer than say 3' in length and that's still fairly manageable in length.

Something in the last pict looks "odd" compared to the one above. I think it's how the center line of the bevels is on that one compared to the other side above. Pict above with the tip of the tooth pointed left looks and feels "right" while the last pict seems awkward for some reason. Shape reminds me of those big fossilized Megladon shark teeth that they dig up down around NC.

Wayne/Frosty a question: Many of the gas forges of this style I've seen have a smaller opening or some sort of "door" to close down a large opening. Would decreasing the height of that opening with bricks help with temps or do you need the large opening to get the flow right to keep your air/fuel mixture correct. Seems to me that large tall opening would be a big heat waster open full time.

Most times as long as something is securely attached to the vehicle, and doesn't look too stupid, most cops don't give it a 2nd thought. Some times I wonder how they let people out of places Like Depot etc with them simply holding sheet goods to the roof by hand etc. The cops do get cranky if things come loose however. All ways plan for the worst like some idiot cutting you off so you have to make a panic stop, and be sure to flag anything so they don't ram the thin hard to see piece of steel if it sticks out past the vehicle front or rear. Figuring out how to secure something is usually the real key no matter where you load stuff. Steel is slick and often oily and slippery and can be hard to secure in small bundles. Nasua 357 duct tape is one of my favorites. It's one of the strongest duct tapes on the market. If you ever see the Mythbusters shows on duct tape, that's what they use to suspend the car, build the bridge etc. It's almost impossible to cut without a knife. We used to wrap small bundles of rebar with that stuff to make one"unit" that was easier to strap down. It also worked great for securing it to the side rails on the overhead rack. Depot used to carry Nasua 357 tape regularly, but I had a hard time finding it last time. I got a roll of their 557 tape that seems to be just about as good, though not quite as sticky. Learn how to use "chokers" That's another good way to secure stuff. The harder you pull, the tighter the choker gets. Ratchet straps can be wrapped like chokers if need be. Hook the one end say near the middle of the load to the truck, wrap around the load and pass back under the strap to "choke" it, and secure forward and ratchet tight. The load won't shift, especially if it's all taped together 1st. As mentioned clamps are really useful. You can use them to support a load, create an attachment point to stock, or use them as a place to tie off on a frame rail etc. I personally hate bungee cords.if I can pull it over to secure it, chances are it can move enough to get loose. "pull" type friction straps aren't too bad for light weight items and I keep a selection on the truck to secure many things. Ratchet straps are my favorite though. I have a good size selection of both 1" and 2" straps on the truck at all times. Hmmm. Makes me wonder, have we had a thread on ways to load/secure stock here before? Might be worth it's own thread if not... Probably a good subject for those that aren't regularly familiar with securing loads like many hobbyists.

Stupid disappearing post issue again... Please move to correct thread. You looking for a mill, or simply a place where you can buy materials? I'm a bit north of the city in Bucks Co. There's a number of places in Warminster that sell steel. I've deal semi regularly with Met-L-Center. In the same industrial park is McKnight Tube and Steel. though I haven't dealt with them personally. I forget the name of another place that sells steel in that industrial park right now. There's also 3 or 4 small to mid size fab shops in the same industrial park. I've gotten material quotes from Pennsylvania Steel in Bensalem in the past. Out towards Schwenksville, there's Hoover Steel. I dealt with them several times when I used to work out that way. Stainless, there's Penn Stainless up in Quakertown. Alum, there's Peirce Alum in Warminster. I get a lot of my small stuff over in NJ up in Lambertsville at Finkles Hardware. They have a good selection and don't mind dealing with someone who wants to browse and think about what they may need, and they will sell by the foot at a reasonable price. They are often a bit less than Met-L-Center, but add in the extra drive and toll on US 202 with my bigger truck, and it's usually a wash cost wise unless I need a lot of stuff. I do like supporting them as they are one of the few old time hardware stores left in the area and I can always count on them to have all sorts of "odd" plumbing parts etc in stock if I'm in a bind and can't find it else where. I've also made the run over to Joseph Fazzio's in Glassboro NJ fairly often. The "new" store will sell you just about any steel you want by the foot. The "old" store next door is full of all sorts of surplus, used tools, stuff they buy at auctions and resell etc. It's a "dangerous" place. I usually find all sorts of things to spend money on I really didn't plan on. I usually figure it's at least a 1/2 day trip just to wander the isles and see what sort of "goodies" I can find cheap. Racks and bins of sockets, hammers, tools, vises, all sorts of misc hardware, wheels and who knows what. They also have a smaller store down near Wilmington that has a smaller selection of steel and used tools. I've been there several times as well, but the Glassboro location is just about as far, but is a bit easier for me to get to from where I'm at.

Several times doing concrete we had to take 20' pieces of rebar to the job with the pickup when the truck with the overhead rack was down say for inspection or repair work. Light weight stock I've lashed to the passenger side of the pickup truck as well, using 12" bar clamps clamped to the top edge of the bed front and rear with the stock laying on those and the mirror up front. I've opened the hood and pulled the stock tight to the body with a strap if need be all the way up front.

Keep in mind things can go UNDER the vehicle as well as on top, especially if you don't have very far to go, as long as it's secured well. Clamps( especially bridge clamps) work well for adding tie down and attachment points for straps and so on.

Also many things on this are relative and subjective. Even a junky cast iron ASO may be worth the price being asked. I'd happily pay $10-20 for a junky HF anvil to let the kids beat on. On the other hand a pristine example of a rare anvil may simply be beyond what someone is willing to spend, even if it is a reasonable price. You need to determine what it's worth for you. For someone starting out, you don't need the best anvil available. Chances are you are going to ding and dent it while learning. You may be better off with a reasonably well worn anvil at a reasonable price rather than buying a pristine anvil at a premium price. Chances are you can always sell it later and use the money to upgrade when your skills are at a point where something like that is needed.

I'm a bit surprised that worked without any "ribs" in the drum. Thing I have often found with smooth drums is that the material "slides" vs tumbles. Maybe your higher speed and larger diameter carries the material up the sides enough that it falls back down. The ones I've done were all smaller than a 5 gallon bucket on average.

Sharp edges on both those anvils concerns me. The comment on the 2nd one being recently "refurbished" makes me want to run away. Sadly too many people feel anvils have to be "perfect" and try and mess with them. Most have no real idea how to properly "restore" a damaged anvil and many are ruined by people who simply don't know what they are doing. I have a suspicion that is the case with both of those anvils. The 1st clearly shows grinder marks on the sides at the top along with those clean edges that makes me think someone may have welded on that anvil. The comment on the 2nd one that said it was "refurbished" along with the sharp edges almost guarantees that one was welded up. Those anvils may have been perfectly good before someone messed with them, but the way they are now I probably wouldn't pay half what I would have if they hadn't been touched.

Stupid disappearing post bug again! My favorite bending tool is my Versa Jig from Yesteryear Forge. Lots of different center disks to use as jigs and plenty of holes in the base so you can match the bending pin to the stock being used. The jig also comes with a 1/2" socket adapter to increase the number of different sizes should you need a certain exact diameter to work with. Great tool and money well spent. I have a 12" long 3" dia pin from a piece of heavy equipment that I plan to eventually draw out and forge down to make a nice free standing bick, once I can arrange some time on some ones power hammer. I've also seen horns made for ASO's from round stock by grinding or turning on a lathe, if you happen to have access to one. Some of the off center turned ones I've seen are really nice.

In some ways you already have a "horn" tip that "anvil" over and use the rounded end of your shape to help draw out stock. You can also use the pipe base to do light work like bending. The real question is "what do you want to do with your horn?" There are plenty of ways to draw out stock quickly using what you have, either working off an edge, or turning your block with the rounded end up. If you want to do bending, you can always make up a bending fork or use various dies as a form and bend around them.

I doubt it's a typo. You can see the 5 holes in a cross pattern near the top of the top of the peak in his 1st pict. if you look closely. With that simple board construction putting in a gable vent wouldn't be hard at all. Find a nice one that will fit in the stud spacing you have and then simply cut the hole to fit the gable vent.

Take a minute and add your location to your profile. You might be amazed how many members are near by. Building a forge isn't all that hard to do. All you really need are some basic tools like a drill and a wrench and you can get started.

Stupid disappearing post bug again... Please merge with original thread. When I lived on base back in the early 80's there were all sorts of opportunities available to base personnel and civilian workers. Number one was all the Rec facilities on both our base as well as others in the area. Our base had a fully equipped wood working shop that sadly was seldom used since few knew about it. The nearby Sub base had a ton of different facilities including a completely stocked automotive shop containing metal working and machine tools. Besides the base Rec facilities, there were also all sorts of machine and repair shops on base. Some seldom regularly used as they were there as much for emergency use as for maintenance. Often those facilities could be used in off hours if you knew who to talk to, usually the NCO or mechanics who ran the shops. Often they'd be happy to help and let you use their gear especially if you showed an interest in something that also interested them. Most of the ships that were assigned to the base all had full machine shops for ship repairs. Many having originally been set up in WWII for service over seas where they had to often make their own parts should something break. Base motor pool was another good possibility that had welders and gear for hot work.

Looking at the point, I wonder if some sort of die would help shape the points consistently. Looks like the "bottom" 2 tapers are shorter than the "top" one with the fuller. I wonder if you had a lower die that helped shape those two tapers, the " top flat" could simply be created by hammering, then possibly fullering. I'm probably not explaining it too well. I bet someone with more experience doing die forging might be able to explain what I'm thinking a little bit better and possibly even suggest how to make the die. I have an idea on how to do the dies, but not being all that experienced in die forging, I'll leave the suggestion to others 1st.

RR spikes are usually about 5/8" square on the shank on average, so you are probably looking to get a pair of 5/8" bolt or spike tongs. Often the way tongs are made, you can usually hold the next size up reasonably well. With some tongs you can also hold the next size under, though on occasion with some difficulty. So say 1/2" tongs may work for 3/8" thru 5/8" material. This can be convenient when you need two tongs to work with the material. Say you need to get the work piece out of the forge, but then have to shift how you hold it to work the stock. I'll usually use the "wrong" size tong to grab it in the forge, then transfer the stock to the correct sized tong to work the material.