Dragons lair

Joseph, Ya need to stay here inna mtns. Don't need to go looking at the northern lights. Don't get to Kaynes much anymore but have a guild 45 mins south. Its worth the trip open forge 10;00-4;00 Pm if intrested. Ken.

OK 20 tongs at $20= 400 Devided by 8 =$50 per 8 hr minus matl and overhead. Jearking your chain. It's a loss if your making a living at it. I do it cause I want to not cause I enjoy it. If it's an obsolete part or just one ya can't find then I enjoy it. Got a lot of 80+yr farmers with 60+yr equipment. Dealer tells them Junk it and buy a new one. Anybody want to spend $40,000 on a tractor when your 80+ yrs old. After turning 65 it's not about the money anymore it's keeping theese olduns going. After all I might be one someday. Ken.

The Johnson co made nice propane and NG soldering iron heaters as well as heat treat ovens and those monster gas forges with the swining top covers. The soldering heaters often show up on ebay as gas forges. Ken.

Just a note. 1st pic the anvil is much lower tham the shear.2nd pic the face is higher than the blade. After enlarging X 4 it looks like a clip horn to me. Also it appears to not have a table. Ken.

Wouldn't worry about a mag heater or an iron hurting the hean treat. After all if your putting Red to white hot metal on it thats a lot hotter than either of those. I cheat. I either set the thermostat and timer on the kero heater Or fire up the gasser and go sit in the heated office and finish my coffee. After 65 I don't deal with working cold anymore. Ken.

Spread sheets be dammed. Worked one place the boss came out and said "see this" I said here is the tool show me how to do it in that time frame. Worked in one place piecework shop after 15 yrs was told spreadsheet says your too slow. Da m it was fast enough last yr. I left Co along with many others. Co went from 22 million to 2.4 million the next yr. Took 15 yrs to get that high. 15 weeks to get that low. Spreadsheets are a great way for companys to screw the troops or themselvs. Visited there 18 yrs later thier still in the hole. Got help try telling them they need to do 3X as much for 1/2 the pay. I don't care I moved 1000 miles away. Now it's just me

$12.50 a lb for a Heyhorn. I gotta find me one of those. Shoot I have 2 of them and I know when they were made. My 88lb with a date should be worth around $1200and its usable make it $1800. For $2200 I will deliver it any where in the states.Come on guys help a brother out. Too late I just laughed myself to death. Ken.

Please when folks start saying cobble toghter a tool that can and will hurt ya. I get worried. Yeh I have a set of rusty plans and tire hammer plans may even still have some air hammer plans somewhere. Cobbling on the cheap is a bad thing. Just keep in mind MURPHY is everywhere. If ya don't know MURPHY stop what your doing and spend some time with family. The life ya save could be yours or theirs. Be safe. Ken.

Good thought Rich. But then what weight,BPM,anvil weight,Tup speed,air, steam, electric or water powered. Don't really matter to me cause nobody wants to take 3 hammers 2 anvils and a post vise in trade for even a POC PH. One day before I die or maybe after I'll have one.LOL Ken.

I would have to conclude from most of the posts that most have not watched the vidio. The method is the most important part. And after watching it many times You will probably find you have gone back to the old way. Ken.

What no reindeer? Ken.

Is it balance? Is it weight/ or is it velocity? Quustion asked by a 12yr old neighbor. Her answer Energy is 1/2 X mass X velocity squared 2 lb hammer= .5 X 2 X 20 X20=400 4lb hammer= .5 X 4 X20 X20=800 2lb hammer= .5 X 2 X40 X40=i600 Double the weight double the energy Double the speed quadruple the energy Her thought is speed is the answer Mine is I don't have enough fingers to keek up Ken.

Worst thing about having your shop at home is having folks show up at dinner time,Sunday morning,or 10 Pm on a holiday. After I lost my job to downsizing at 58 yrs old and 16 mounths of looking. I took the plunge and opened welding shop out frount. Added CNC cutting and light machining then smithing. Every body thought if the shop was dark and the house lights were on that I would just open up for them. I still have the shop out front just not there most days. Great old client offered a great saleried job. But once a mounth the phone rings after 9 pm Yeh it cuts the overhead down just raises the stress level. Work off site and DO NOT use your cell as a shop phone. Ken.

The brass plate is probably an inventory # put on by whatever factory it was used in. Ken.

Just a thought on this. Having done this in my shop, 14 hrs plus heating and welding and grinding I would be at $1 per minute. lets see $60.00 per hr X 16-18 hrs. Say 17X60=462 hrs X $60hr = around $2750 for a anvil repair.

Just a thought here. When a man comes in with a part costs $ 1000 to replace(if ya can find one) and complains about a $100 charge to fix it.My answer is GO FIND one. NOT doing that anymore. Pay what its worth or do without. Ken.

Ah Yes progress. We have progressed to a point where the average guy can't change his own oil(jiffy lube) can't fix a toilet(roto rooter) I know a few than can't change a tire(their wives can) I don't want a craftsman I just want it done fast and cheap. Yeh smithing is a novelty now just as whatever job ya work at is. Think it ain't gonna happen to ya check out Kings. I can't compete with thier forgings or CNC plasma work can you? I have to deal with someone selling 12X12 gazebos for $200 I atleast found a saleried job in a eng co. Saw a guy selling S hooks(trying) $15 for a 1/4X6. I do not feel sorry for him I admire him. He is what he is even being the last. Hopefully some one will fill the need. As a welder/fabricator/blacksmith. I have/had a lot of clients needing the old stuff repaired. Now I we are dinosours. It's all about new and or fancy(for cheap) I'll stop rambling now and go to bed. Ken. )

How do ya get 100 or 150lbs of wrought from a trashed 97 lb anvil? Ken.

Best way for long even twists is with a torch. I have both coal and gasser. That said any long twists are done with my cutting torch. Have a holder for it. Can use it for forging at a high cost. Ken.

I like the attitude. Just a few thoughts from a oldun. Before ya was born I was a avionics tech. Went to work in the real world. Found guys with electrical enginnering degrees who couldn't read color code on a resistor. Went into welding back in the 60s. was in a shop in FL in the 70s. they hired a VoTech grad. Came in his first day with his new bucket and new tools. Was told to help me deburr a couple of boxes of flamecut parts. Picked up his bucket and said "I am a trained profesional I don't do that. Told him I was welding when he was born. 20yrs later I run into him again. 600 miles away. He puffed up his chest and said now I am a CNC operator. Took him to the shop I worked for Asked him if he could program the Fadal VMC or run it. He asked who runs it. Charlie usually runs it or I do. Running that thing was Open the door, remove part, install new part, close door, push start. 14 mins later do it again. I have swept floors and cleaned stock racks with 20+yrs expereance. Just saying if ya come to my shop I don't care where ya been or who taught ya. I'll give a project and a time to do it. It's pass fail. I get 10 calls a month " DUH YA HIREING" "NO" show up with your tools ready and able to show my what ya can do. I guess what i an trying to point out is Schooling is great.But expereance is king, Wish I had more. Ken.

Dang son 2 outlets? I have 3 220 outlets. one 100 amp outlet one 50amp outlet and iI don't know how many 110 outlets Plus feeding my wifes glass shop with 30 amps. Ken.

Just a few more thoughts. First a torch set 2nd a brand mame convertable mig then a portable rig. Why? My first portable was an old Arco wasp 140 amp AC with a 4300watt gen. Paid $75 and $38 to get it runnimg. mostly sat in the shed. Old friend(disabled vet) bought a lot of tools at $40 a mounth spotted it asked if he could have it. Told him if I could find a bigger AC-DC rig he could have it. A week later in the local paper was a lincoln G7 225 amp AC-DC CC-CV 7KW gen unit for $125 3.5 miles away. Had a dropped valve seat and a flat tire. It came home the wasp went. Few hrs work and $25 for a battery it lives. Last 4 day power outage the Colman 5K powered the house and the G7 powered the shop. Just something to think about if ya live with power losses. Yeh we can tough out no showers no lights. just fire up the camp stove and were good to go. OOps the toilet don't flush. Lets see the well pump and the woodstove blower don't work along with the freezer and fridge. Even worse no TV or internet. Love my gen and backup gen. I can go out behind the bush but momma ain't hearing that. Ken.

Have the son read this. I own my own shop. If ya want a job ya show up with your gear and dressed for work. Ya don't call and say Duh ya hiring. Ya don't show up claiming ya can do what ya can't. Had guys show up that tried to scratch start mig guns or switch started tig torches. Worse was when the state brought in 2 guys for a precision welding position. Only thing they knew about was a bernzomatic torch.You are only worth what ya can do. Rest of the guys/gals getting $20 you are offered $10. DO THE SAME WORK OR BETTER. I don't owe anyone a job. The stata or Govt Don't owe ya a job. Last guy who called said if ya don't hire me Ill file for disability. Hope ya do well cause I'll rat ya out. Ken.

Come on jER It's our corner. I 'll share it any time with ya. I'would even share the goats corner if we wern't so far apart. I have no problem with you or Grant or any one else. LV to ya all goats, dogs and all. And I burn those birtches any time i can. Ken.

Been ther done that(not the flying just the crash) After about 8 yrs the $18000 leg quit limping( still scooting at 65) First heard it as old bikers then as old fools. Dang son ya sound like far east and I is far western Mtns.Might hear the rumble on the coast one day. Or ya might come to see Georges big house. Ken.