01tundra

I spoke with the manufacturer today. Replacement cutting blades are still available for $61 each. The shear is rated to cut 4" x 3/4" flat bar or 1" round. It weighs somewhere between 500-600 lbs.

Does anyone have any info as far as cutting capacity for an Edwards no. 10 "alligator" shear? Also any other info would be much appreciated.

I mix new and more traditional techniques, it really depends on what I'm doing and what I'm in the mood for. If I'm doing repetitive production work where the clients are either not willing to pay for, or see no value in doing things the more "traditional" way, then I use whatever method minimizes my labor, yet gives me comparable and satisfactory results. If I think doing something with more modern equipment will truly devalue the work (in my mind), then I will do it in a more traditional method. I often reach for the hack saw or file in the shop, but a lot of times it's because I don't feel like getting extension cords out or I have some fine tuning work to do. If I have to cut 20 pieces of angle.....I'll leave the hack saw where it hangs and plug the band saw in. If I'm making a single piece for myself or as a gift I often try to stick to more traditional methods because I can switch my business mind off and recongnize that I'm working for "fun", not profit. This is real important to me so that my work doesn't just become another "job". If I have to cut something that would take me an hour with a hammer and cold chisel, twenty minutes with a cut-off blade on a grinder or ten seconds with my plasma cutter.......well......call me a poser

That's how I removed mine.

I use a keg as well -

The one I was around this weekend was a 50 lb. hammer based on Clay Spencer's plans and I'd guess it at somewhere around 7' tall at its highest point.

I drew the diameter out with a sharpie marker, then chiseled the bowl out to roughly what I wanted, then used a torch to burn the wood and used a rounding hammer to get the final product.

My first attemp at a steak turner. It's not very pretty but it works well -

I finally decided to try forging a RR spike steak turner this evening when I got home, as soon as I got it finished and walked in the house the wifey asked me to go out and check on the steaks.....straight from the anvil to work and it does great - win (although I did make an absolute mess out of the handle twist.....need more practice in that department obviously...)

http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/28153-another-anvil-stand-build/

That's really nice work - well done!

From what I understand the recipient was happy with the tool set, so mission accomplished .

Thanks for the info Neil, you saved me a lot of unnecessary work!

I was given a few old RR spikes that I'd like to make steak turners out of. They are still solid, but do have their share of surface rust. Think I should throw them in the electrolytic bath to remove all of the rust, or hit them with a wire brush to remove most of the surface rust, or just throw them in the forge and start hammering? Another question in general, I sometimes knock the rust off a piece of steel with a wire brush prior to forging and other times I do not, I can't really say that I've ever noticed a difference in the end product. Does the rust usually come of with the scale, or does it get hammered into the metal and cause potential issues? Thanks!

That's just a picture off the internet of the stove that the volunteers are installing in our friends home next weekend. The tool set is my donation to the cause.

OK, I'm good now.

That's a good question Frosty. The stove is a fairly large one with a glass door, so it appears to be large enough to use tongs with. I'm not sure if he would really even use the tongs since I rarely use mine.....at this point it's basically me challenging myself to build them just because

That's basically what I'm doing, got the fork end forged last night and it came out pretty nice. Also got the handle end forged for the fork side of the tongs. Trying to figure out the mechanics now to get the pivot point in the right spot. I believe it needs to be closer up toward the handle end to maximize fork travel with minimized handle movement. I got the broom end and shovel blank from Kayne & Sons. I wish I would've had more time, I would've rathered to hammer out the shovel end myself......oh well, next time.

Not sure yet, either forge weld or mig a 1/2" piece across the 1/2" handle section and then draw out each side for the fork. Probably just mig the tee together and clean it up and then forge from there. I do actually have some 1" round stock laying around, so I could fuller the neck down to 1/2" and then forge weld it to the handle end, then split the 1"......man I sure do need that powerhammer

Gottcha, sounds easier given the time constraints I'm under.

Yeah, I guess I could also just fold over the 1/2" and forge weld it together.

Do you think I could pull off something along these lines with two pieces of 1/2" round stock? I've got the material to build them if 1/2" would work, I'm just afraid that there won't be enough material for the split fork?

Thanks Charles. Yeah, I really wanted to add tongs to the set but I'm out of time. I figured I could always get one made and send it to him later.

This has been on my "to do" list for a while now, but this wasn't the ideal situation to make my first set. One of my imaginary internet friends from another forum recently learned that he had cancer, which forced him to leave his job to get the necessary treatment & recovery. A group of people on the forum decided to donate to have a wood stove installed in his house so he could afford to heat it through the winter. They contacted me last week asking if I could build them a tool set by this week and that they would be happy to pay me (which I declined - the pay part). So my only window to get this built was yesterday....started at 8:00 AM and was cleaning the shop at 5:00 PM, worked non-stop all day long. I did have a lot of motivation to get it done since it's a donation to such a good cause. I really wish I would've had more time to make my first tool set, but I'm still happy with the way it turned out and hopefully it will serve the recipient well for years to come.