Dragons lair

Oh C__p Now I find a jr member(younger than me) who started 200 yrs ago. No wonder I suffer so many brain farts. Talk about oldtimers. Might be time to take the roll bar outta the roadster and put training wheels on the roadstar. Naw Life begins with medicare. Most people thihk caulk is a weather seal. Hang on Eric we will get there some day. Ken.

Ya can't hurt it but it sure can hurt ya. Started with a light wight spindley one. Traded for one like the pic. Over 100lbs. Jaws were shot so I replaced them with 1X2X5 crs. went to move it and found the jaws slam shut with almost no effort and with your palms in there. Ones I have seen here in WNC ran from $350-$500. Greatest thing for twisting. Ken.

OK with 2 pritchel holes might be a ferriers anvil. Clean the left front foot for weight #. Or just weigh the thing. Grab the horn tip it up scale under let it down. If ya can't tip it on its butt its HEAVY. Bottom line fore me is can I do what i want/need with it. Ken.

Ia'm with you on this one. I have a few torches older than a lot of members here. Only issues are with the newer ones. I use um verticle or horizontal. I have trigger starts and match starts and mix and match torches. Branded tanks and tank adapters for 20lbers. Ken.

Jeffery, there used to be a lot of smiths there 30-40 yrs ago. Around Rutland and lake Hortinia. (Gods country) Used to camp and hunt up there in the 60s. Ask around they may be retired or closed but every old timer this old Conn yankee meet would talk with me. Ken.

Bob just gotta ask if the hoses were fresh or salt. Bought a hull a few yrs ago had rain water in it. Rotted the stringers motor mounts and transom. Ken.

First look seemed like Vulcan. Magnafied I don't see a raised anything. See what might be large stamped letters. Try a little cleaning and chalk. Close up pic. Ken.

Guys listen to Bob. Been there done that with my dad. Got a red cross leave to wisit after the 3rd surery. First thing I noticed was he kept watchimg the clock(waiting the next shot)When the nurse arrived he told her " my son will kill you if you stick me" Didn't come to that. Got the DR in and he agreed to no more drugs. Told me he couldn't live with out them. Came to my wedding(drove 1200 miles) and plsyed golf 15yrs later. Pain is good it tells ya yoe are still alive. And what ya should stop doing

Don't think so Phil. Have seem a few cut down ones. Seemed like they clamped the tip in a vise and milled 1/8 back and 1/8 down. Used to do alum spool gun welding with an old Arco gun get the heat, gas right and set the wire feed and pressure to give ya a curley pig tail. Ken.

Dang Jer only 15 yrs ago. My last left seat was over 40 yrs ago. $25 a go I would have been there. I still remember wodden blades(HOKs) Was in the last marine sqd to fly UH-34s. Hugs for Deb Ya get nothing. HA. Ken.

OK fe. Leiv'S LASTED A LONG TIME. When was the lsst time ya bought Levi's that didn't say made in Tiawan Or some other country. I have 6 shirts hanging say levis'e made in Tiawan or else where. I buy the Rustler brand. (stone washed boot cut for $9.99 A Pair. Ken.

Just a note on this one. Yrs ago I needed a large socket. Went to my tool crib. Can I borrow a brand new craftsmen Socket and bar. Finally got it by agreeing to replace it if dammaged at all. Removed the bolt cleaned the tool. HMMM made in Tiawan. Did ya know stanley tool works makes sockets for most of the US markets.FIL worked there. Son Levis are no longer USA made. I have a 1/2 doz shirts. Made in tiawan with levis logo.

While I an blessed with a partner who is willing to get us solidworks. For yrs I delt with PCM (plasmacam) Then turbo cad finally autocad 2000.Senior says here is the guy who makes the machine and the tools to make it work. IE todays project. Mount a mix motor in a 1700 gal tank. Manhole has 9degree walls. Mixer weighs 80+lbs. 4" front to back with a curved lip. If the motor gets loose ya loose $28,000 in chemicals and maybe blow off the roof. Any one want my job? BTW motor and shaft is over 7.5 ft long going thru a 20" hole at a 30 degree angle. Also the hole is 8 feet up. If no update tommorow I am toast. Ken.

Bob, I feel it's a matter of training. I have never used a striker and may not ever. Should I train? How about all the folks out there who go to the rental yard and have a trackhoe, dozer, and yes ya can even rent a small crane. Delivered no questions asked. I do agree comercial operators(riggers) should be trained. However the backyard smith might not. And the master said "when i nod my head hit it hard" The helper is now the master. Ken

No need to cut it. Concrete it in a bucket. Bury the bucket to a height you like. Bucket don't care if it sits on the ground or is burried. Want a london pattern? Took me a week to torch and grind one. It's still only 37lbs ken.

Works great if ya have a bunch of motors and are happy with a fixed change. VFDs are the thing if ya want to go from 255 to 265 bpm or mayby 257. I think I would prefer to have an infinat control for all size stock rather than one speed fits all. Just me. Ken.

Make a nice hi end nut cracker if nothing else. Grin. Ken.

Bob, Try 4oz of det cord filler in a 4" pipe nipple. Makes about a VW size hole. A 32short filled 1/4 full will destroy a toilet bowl(don't ask) Ken.

Any one else wonder why the MSC ad didn't say cast steel. The amazon one says cast steel??? Ken.

Arrow in the barrel is a nice touch. Ken.

Nah. Me thinks ya want one. Ken

Yes location and condition plus which model. H-Bs after 1908 had the entire upper half made of one piece of tool steel. Worth more to me. Have one and one with a top plate. Big differance. Ken

Just a thought on this. Last few years we have had a lot of members having young ones hanging out or working in the smithy. For those folks I would caution the use of acids. Ken

Just a little lighter note. This from my guild myster. Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave in a great looking body but to slide in sideways totaly worn out shouting holy ___ what a ride. Not being a smart ass just saying do what ya can not always what ya should.Been inna work force/military for 50 yrs 25 yrs ago the bone doctor Said " I hope you have a good sit down office job" I said nope been welding and iron working all my life guess I'll have to die doing it. I still have my shop and am running 2 others. One of my great men summed it up in his book. Ride hard and shoot streight. Ya can't get any better than that. gdnite all. Ken.

Another 2 cents worth. Some of the small units are non switchable. Bought a little Cebora hobby mig for the wife (yard art) Connections are hard wired(non switchable) A lot of the little flux units cannot run gas. Look around the feed rollers for the block used to switch polarity. Don't part with grandpaws. Never ran any stick with one but with an added hi freq box welded 17 yrs piece work aluminum can't kill the old ones. Ken.