HWooldridge

Have you ever seen a "kick" wheel? It's simply a wheel mounted on a very good bearing. The work surface is at a comfortable height and the lower wheel is substantial and has some weight - it is spun by kicking with a foot. Inertia keeps the wheel spinning until it's given another push. I have seen several professional potters using this type of rig and it works well once you get the timing down. If it were me, I'd get a scrap wheel and tire off a car along with the spindle and bearing. This becomes the bottom wheel - the work surface is a piece of plate mounted to a section of pipe, which is bolted to the tire/wheel. Simple and effective - you already have your bearing and a fairly comfortable surface to kick.

Before the Spanish, there were no horses in North America (near as anyone can tell). That means everyone walked and/or used dogs - period - so there was no historic tradition for shoeing. Sandpile can correct me but wild horses either wear down their hooves or they founder - the whole weight of the horse bears down on the coffin bone and without the attachment to the hoof wall, the bone rotates down and the horse is crippled, i.e., dog meat. However, horses thrived in North America barefoot and the Indians didn't need to shoe them. Fat white men in saddles carrying lots of gear over rocky terrain have better reasons to shoe horses with iron. Flint about covers the entire continent so dart points and knives could be made almost anywhere. Bows were cut locally and strings were made from sinew but it seems no matter how civilized or advanced the tribe, none of them rose above the Stone Age with regard to certain mechanical skills which were taken for granted in other parts of the world. That doesn't mean that a certain level of wealth, culture and material comfort wasn't attainable, but no Indian tribe spent nearly as much time obsessed with money as the Europeans did. They were happy with what they had...although after the advent of the horse, many tribes became quite wealthy by the standard of the time. The Comanche are a case in point. Before the horse, they were a minor tribe, pushed around by their neighbors. After the horse, they became one of the most feared and respected rulers of the plains.

There is no evidence of iron forging before the Europeans came. Recent discoveries point to the fact that the Vikings were probably here long before Columbus and they smelted iron while living here. This would have given local Native Americans a chance to learn the techniques but it does not appear they were interested so most of the early European settlements that failed were not used as a training ground for the natives. Instead, they seemed to have viewed those locations as places to be avoided. Most authentic peace pipes I have seen in pictures or handled were cast. Some may have been forged but casting out of brass or some other material makes more economic sense. Trade for furs was one of the very earliest forms of commerce with the Indians so some form of currency was needed and guns, knives, mirrors, beads, pipes, etc. were all considered fair exchange - but with CHEAPLY MADE as the primary concern. Unfortunately, the philosophy of simply exterminating all native people combined with their tendency to not have permanent settlements has resulted in very little remaining of the total items which were made for trade purposes. As the land became settled some natives became skilled at various trades. You might want to read up on Ned Christie, a Cherokee who made a living as a blacksmith and gunsmith in the late 1800's. He became an outlaw through some unfortunate events and was eventually killed in a shootout but records indicate he was quite skilled at his business prior to that ending.

Like Ed said, I have been told on multiple occasions that bearings and brakes on mobile home axles are not built for more than one move. Everything is made on the cheap. Doesn't mean you can't upgrade but it probably should be done before too many miles. I have built several trailers and always buy my undercarriage new because I want all the moving parts to start out brand new. Your ideas on box tubing and 2x's are quite sound. You can also buy trailer deck screws that help the wood installation. The screws are about 3" long, self-threading tip and have a torx drive, countersunk head. You drill an undersized pilot hole thru wood and steel, then run the screw in until flush. Everyone does it differently but I put the front axle in the center of the box dimensions with the rear axle set so the tires will clear by 3-5 inches. Some of that spacing is determined by the fenders. The tongue material is then usually enough to give you 200-300 lbs on the hitch so it tracks well.

Hot dog - finally a question I can answer...:-) All items that are manufactured are built to a set of tolerances. For any given dimension, there will be an Upper Specification Limit (USL) and a Lower Spec Limit (LSL). The smart manufacturer will try to run to mean or the middle of the range. If a machined hole diameter is .250 plus or minus .001, then it can be .249 or .251 and still meet spec. In practice on the shop floor, a set of four pin gages might be used to check a hole. It takes about .0002 for clearance so a .251 pin should bind in a true .251 hole so that is the USL "No-Go" gage. The next pin will be .2508, which is the "Go" gage. These two check the USL only - the LSL pins would be .2488 for the Go and .249 for the No-Go. Shop practice varies but the middle two pins in the block are usually Go and the outer ones are No-Go. "Go-no go" can be used in many applications - as scrapman said - threads, flatness, concentricity, TIR, etc.

One thing that was commonly done in old shops was to use multiple fires when welding different sizes of material (to better control the heat). We sometimes forget that smithing was not a hobby and that large shops often existed that were the equivalent of modern job shops. It was rarely just a one-man show even in a small shop and the smith(s) usually had help. As today, businesses often specialized so there were those folks that only made shovels and related items. Those craftsmen would have had that process down pat - just like people who made anvils, firearms, etc.

Alan, Whatever you do in the interim before you get a forge, hang on to that 400. I sold mine to a co-worker years ago with a really nice forge as he wanted to get started smithing. He never used it and during his divorce a year later, his wife basically gave it away just to spite him. No good deed goes unpunished...

Motor brushes can be very dangerous. I buy the best wheels I can find in soft configurations - primarily because the better ones last so don't shed wire bristles and also because the smaller wire, softer action wheels leave a nicer surface and are not as prone to grab. A very usable hand brush is the butcher block style, which has fairly large, flat wire blades set into a big block, usually with a handle on top. These are sold in butcher supply stores to clean wooden cutting boards. In the blacksmith shop, they automatically protect the hand (because the handle is on top) and last a very long time. I have one in the shop that is about ten years old and still going strong - has lost a few bristles but a good 90% of them are still there.

Gear oil (90/140 wt) gets pretty thick in cold weather and makes the gear train hard to turn. I use ATF and it works fine - as would hydraulic oil - as would 30 wt, etc. You want the bottom shaft running in oil, the other gears will sling it around inside the housing. What type is less important than making sure it simply isn't dry. Some blowers (other than 400 models) have an oil fill plug but less is usually better as almost all of them will leak. I have no idea on the handle or the numbering question. The fan housing is likely the result of whatever molds the foundry had on hand. Some said "No. 400" and some didn't - won't affect how it pushes air. I'm also fairly sure the factory changed handle designs over the years so it might be tough to nail it down for certain. However, it does look period so could be authentic. Hook it up and make a fire...

I'm speculating but looks like a drive point for drilling water wells. Slips into a hollow end (pipe?) and then a threaded collar locks it into place.

I used to own a 400 and took it apart a few times but that was over 15 years ago. After you open the fan case, a nut is removed that locks the fan in place and then the fan can be spun off the shaft (its hub is threaded). As I recall, the drive shaft for the fan is threaded on both ends. There are bearing caps on the ends with leather washers. Under these caps, there is a spindle nut (castle type? - can't remember...) on each end to generate pre-load on the bearings and if tightened too much, will lock the shaft so they need to be adjusted for free play. Under the nuts is a washer and then the bearings, which are open-cage ball type. The fan shaft is a spiral worm and the brass drive gear runs perpendicular to it. Removing the top of the gear case shows the gear train. I used to run oil in mine and it leaked a bit. I have been told but cannot confirm that they were usually packed with grease. However, I have doubts about this info because my blower housing had an oil fitting on top that appeared to be a factory item. The Champion 400 is the Rolls-Royce of hand blowers and should be preserved if possible. They don't make 'em like dat anymore...

The old way was to use lead and I have done that several times with success - but the modern epoxies are hard to beat. A buddy of mine sets gates with Devcon and adds pulverized stone from the installation to the glue mix for a perfect match.

The right kind of fire and fuel is important also. For several years, I had a lot of trouble forge welding but other more experienced smiths would come to my shop and weld so I assumed the problem was me. In fact, I more or less gave up until I was working one day in a friend's shop on a different forge with coal from another source. I decided to play around and started hitting every forge weld I tried. Trying to analyze the difference, I concluded it was primarily blast control and the new coal - so I took some home and experimented. Turns out the other smiths knew what to look for but I didn't have enough experience to realize that dirty, marginal fuel and too much blast was hurting my forge welds. I began mixing my old coal with good stuff and using with the air gate to throttle the blast. I can stick welds with regularity now but realize that after 5 or 6 heats, I better clean the fire or the next one will fail. If you have problems, don't get frustrated and waste time like I did. Instead, go to a workshop or get someone who is good at forge welding to come watch your process.

I have two reasonably entertaining stories... My family hunted and fished to supplement what came from the grocery store so we ate a lot of small game, deer, turkey and fish plus I grew up on hunting stories from my grandpa and uncles. One of my uncles (named Willie) was a deer hunting sonofagun and since he farmed for a living, could take off more or less when he wanted during the season. He went out one weekend with my grandpa and uncle Paul and they split up about a 1/4 mile apart. When a shot was heard, grandpa and Paul went looking for Willie and found him bending over a nice buck. He was about to cut the deer open and start field dressing but they started talking. Couple minutes later, the buck stood up with Willie straddling him. A fight ensued with Willie trying to stab the buck while the deer trying to toss him. In the meantime, my grandpa and Paul just stood by and laughed their backsides off. Willie finally was able to stab the deer in the throat but he was beat up and his clothes shredded from the battle. Turns out after inspection that Willie's bullet had nicked an antler and momentarily knocked the deer senseless but he was otherwise fine so Willie was "bull-riding" a perfectly healthy buck. The other two guys loved telling that story but Wille didn't like hearing it told. Even a little 140 lb Texas deer can fight pretty hard. The second story happened to me. When I was about 12, my grandpa and I went out one afternoon. He shot a doe right before dark but she ran off. Grandpa thought it best we go back to the house, eat supper and come back to get her, reasoning that she'd lay down and die. I was already a pretty good tracker and at an age that I wanted to be a grown-up so I volunteered to go search by myself. The old men decided that was fine so they gave me a spot light and a knife. However, they told me not to cut the deer's throat if she was alive but to put my knee in her side and suffocate her. If she was already dead, I was to field dress her and come back to get them. I took off to the river bottom and within 20 minutes had found the doe. She was still alive so I tried to do what they said but kept getting kicked. I finally locked on, twisted the head back like a bulldogger and held on. During the struggle, the spotlight bulb got broken so I was suddenly in the dark, holding a dying and bloody animal, with the river bottom coming to life for the night (with all those animal noises). I held on for an eternity but when I let go, she took a breath and went back to fighting. However, the next time was the last and then she was gone. I gutted her in the dark and went back to the house. The old folks totally lost it when I walked in the house covered in gore and blood. I told them the story and the men just stared at me. My grandpa told me later they never thought the deer would be alive and were afraid I'd get hurt trying to stab a wounded animal so that was why I was given the "smothering" instructions. This became one of their favorite campfire stories and they would laugh about me always being good at following directions. I will say that I lost all fear of the dark that night and probably matured some in the process but it sure wasn't planned...

A buddy of mine makes a really neat rig. He takes about 20 pcs of 1/4" square (you can use anything similar in size) with each piece starting about 18" long. One end is pointed and the other end is formed into a closed eye around a 3/4" pin jig. This is done on all pieces. In use, four of the rods are driven into the ground with the eyes lined up. Another piece is run thru two eyes so it becomes horizontal piece #1 - horz. #2 is slipped thru the eyes of the remaining loose rods and also run thru the other two already in the ground. The loose ones are then flipped over to rest on horizontal #1. What you get is a cute little grate that can be varied in height (by how much it's driven into the ground) and the loose pieces can be scooted back and forth to space evenly over the fire. The nice thing about this rig is that it all collapses into a fairly small bundle. My buddy makes these sets with a canvas bag to hold them and sells a bunch to period re-enactors and primitive camplers. The size I described will hold a frying pan or a coffee pot. I like to cook with a Mexican "comal" which is nothing more than a big flat, square piece of sheet iron (10-12 ga about 12" square) with a short handle. The edges are turned up slightly but only about 1/8" to 1/4" so drippings won't run off quickly. You can grille vegetables, meat, eggs and fish, warm tortillas and bread, etc. It is flatter and more compact than a cast iron frying pan but you can't load it up with a bunch of stuff or it will fall off the edge.

I am not much of a leather worker but am lucky that one of my sons knows a saddle maker and he gets lots of high quality scrap. They throw away enough that we can make knife sheaths, holsters and other fairly small items with no material cost. I wrap the item to be sheathed in a polybag and then wet the leather to mold to shape. Don't know if this is correct but it seems to work. After it's dry, I use contact cement or Gorilla glue to bond the joints, then stitch for insurance and the right "look".

Make a big wheel out of wood and glue sandpaper cloth to it like the old stones they used to employ for sharpening. Doesn't take much pedal speed to move the bigger wheel at a pretty fast clip.

I think I understand your problem. If you make a small V-notch in the center of the fishtail before beginning the scroll, it will roll up more smoothly. Hope that makes sense - if not, I may be able to find a pic somewhere.

You want pressure in a forge blower, not CFM. 200 cfm is plenty for most fires and that Buffalo will work better than almost anything you can find in a squirrel cage. The 400 Champion is a Cadillac so snag it if you see one in good working shape...

We are at $2.09 here in New Braunfels but I am told a couple of places in San Antonio have already dropped to $1.99. Guess I have to keep driving the truck for a while.

Like Woody said, there is a great deal of stress in hardened, untempered steel. Some years ago, I was still getting a few plow sharpening jobs and did some on the 25lb LG for an old farmer who lived near us. When I got to the end of the pile, he asked to do the last sweep so I obliged. He did a pretty good job of sharpening but then quenched the sweep at a dull red into the slack tub. He pulled it out and was inspecting the edge, when the sweep went POW! and flew into several shards, one of which cut him and drew blood. Scared the s@#$ out of both of us but proved that forged and quenched high carbon is pretty unstable.

I'm not trying to dodge your question but this has seen some discussion here and there may even be a blueprint on the subject. I will say that most machine shops probably won't do this unless they have a Blanchard or something big that will take a good cut as it would take forever on a surface grinder. A right angle grinder works just fine for this type of work. Many years ago, I welded up both a Fisher and an Armitage with high manganese rods and the color of the welds always stood out from the rest of the face. As I did more repairs over time, I eventually moved over to MIG with standard wire for hole filling. If you only have stick, 7018 will probably work.

Cool - what kind of steel did you use and what type heat treatment?

I don't know what type work you are looking for but I am in the ranks of the unemployed for the second time in the past three years and I can tell you what I have observed. A posted job opening will spark a mad frenzy of applicants. Since I used to hire and fire as a manager, I have been in that situation. It is quite easy to receive hundreds of resumes over a few weeks, so the trick is getting someone to look at yours. The best way is to use proper keywords for the type work you know or want (more on this later). It is also best to place your accomplishments so they are read first but I'm not sure martial arts training will mean anything unless physical prowess is part of the job needs. The only exception to this might be a business owner or manager who also practices martial arts and wants to bring you in as someone with similar interests but this is very unlikely if you can't also do the job. It might pique someone's interest but the space is better spent on other information. On a hard copy resume that is mailed or hand delivered, printing on colored paper other than white can help - just don't go crazy and use lime green. I went to a job fair a couple weeks ago and used a very few keywords on a cover page with a colored border. A conventional cover letter and resume followed underneath but it was easy to find in a pile of paper because of the cover. With all this said, a lot of companies are turning to software that prescreens applicants according to keywords in their resume. Acting somewhat like a search engine, resumes that don't have a certain percentage of the appropriate words or phrases are kicked into an electronic wastebasket so no human ever sees them. It pays to cruise Monster or one of the other job boards and see how companies are describing the positions you want then incorporate those words into your resume. Of course, this assumes you do in fact have those attributes or experience. In general, a good resume opens with either a career objective or goes straight to skill sets and accomplishments, followed by work history and job duties. Education and references can follow that - unless education is a big part of the job (like having a PhD), in which case you may want to mention it earlier. The company wants to know first and foremost what you can do for them, not what you do at home. If possible, keep your resume to one or two pages at best. You'll be lucky if someone reads past page one anyway. Good luck...H

I agree with Peyton because .970 is only .030 under an inch. That's not very much to either remove or forge down to size - but - too tight is not good either if there is a wedging effect. Part of the reason some anvils are broken at the heel...you really don't want to be knocking hardies out of holes, they should be snug but loose enough to remove by hand.