HWooldridge

An HVAC company who does ductwork can probably help you if they will brake a piece of 4x8 sheet metal into a square duct that will be just under 12" when the seams are done. That will give you 8' of duct - another half sheet will give you the other 4 feet.

I have been using a Rotophase converter for about 15 years because it would cost me over ten grand to install real 3 phase where we live. I have several machines with 3 phase motors and it's just been easier to use the converter than my other limited options.

1144 StressProof is proprietary to LaSalle. We run an ordnance job in our shop for the government which is sole spec'd from that material. That is not to say the AISI 1144 chemistry cannot be had from another source.

It's difficult to speculate unless you can find who made the original assembly and obtain the specifications - Mazda may be different from Mercedes who may different from Ford. Machinery's Handbook has a chart of general applications; it states: Steering arms...4042 Steering knuckles...3141 Steering knuckle pins...4815, 4820

Measure your sow block and ram dovetails.

1144 was designed to replace applications where parts are machined and subsequently heat treated in the range of 25-32 Rc (i.e., the material is "pre-hardened") - so it provides a cost savings for certain uses. Can it be forged and heat treated to use as a hammer head - maybe - but it is an experiment. I would not discount anyone's experience but you should realize it may not be the best choice. Go for it - nothing ventured, nothing gained...

1144 is a proprietary product from LaSalle which is intended to be machined in the supplied condition with no further heat treatment needed. The qualities are achieved by heavy coldworking so there probably isn't a lot of forging and H/T info available. We run a lot of it where I work because we can drop a finished part (prior to zinc plating for corrosion resistance). I doubt it will act like 1045 or 4140 but you can certainly experiment.

There isn't a quick answer to your quick question...If you mean what is typically called "running clearance" in a bearing to shaft fit then it varies with the application. If you are trying to bush a shaft for a power hammer then it would be best to use the proper shaft size. Not much different than grinding a crankshaft for an engine and using oversize bearings - you don't want much space beyond what's required for the lube film.

This may have been more common than you think (although an extra 100 lbs is a considerable difference). My #4 Beaudry was advertised to have a 100 lb ram but actual weight is 115 sans die; 125 with die - I don't think the ram came off a 125 lb hammer. Either way, that is a real bruiser of a hammer...

Rutland is another of the many import names. You might get a good one and you might not - it's tough to make generic recommendations or otherwise because quality varies on all of the imported tools. Since it's already set up, take a cut on a piece of tubing or pipe and see if it cuts squarely. You can tell a lot from how it behaves.

They are good for all sorts of pressing operations other than "blacksmithing" and are faster than most comparable hydraulic presses. Since you are a carpenter, you might want to consider using it for mortising. Set up a sharp chisel and get to cutting. They can also be set up for sheet metal shearing and a host of other things. For example, aside from hot work, I use mine for pressing rivets into the sickle bar for my hay cutter. Your imagination is the only limiting factor for tooling. For the money you have in it, I would set it on a small table with rollers and keep it for a rainy day...

Same thing happened to me on my first anvil (the one I still use). We also ran short of water so I kept what flow we had over the main body since that's where most of the mass was. The heel back of the hardy did not get quite as hard but no matter - it has held up for many years and will outlive me. It actually might be a good thing to have less hardness near the hardy to provide some toughness in that area. If I ever do another one, I think prefilling a couple of those industrial 250 gallon plastic totes with water would work to provide volume after the initial quench. Just like any other carbon steel, the temperature needs to fall rapidly to form martensite but the main purpose after that is to prevent the residual heat from tempering it too much. I think you did a great job and the anvil will be a joy to use for a long time.

I really like the creativity and end result - I would bet lunch that blower will make a very nice fire in the forge. You don't need a lot of CFM volume but it does help to have good pressure, which is what a centrifugal paddle fan provides.

Throw one of those recycled rubber horse stall mats under it. Will provide some cushion and also won't try to walk around during use.

I have only done lost wax and green sand so will defer to your experience. Brass is definitely hotter than aluminum at casting temps so that should work with the right gating and vents.

I think foam only works for high temp metals like iron. Lost wax would make a pretty hammer - carve anything you want on the master then burn out and cast the metal. Lots of info on the 'net about it - I have made very complex hardware reproductions using lost wax.

Instead of all that boring, you might be able to weld a piece of thickwall pipe to a short piece of shafting to eliminate the excess mass then clean up the welds and do the finish cut...although a big lathe could do the stock removal with a 4-jaw and steady rest.

I agree with Basher and suspect the lift will not pick up a solid tup. Discounting the available air volume in the circuit, the weight alone is probably too much. The original engineers would not have overdesigned the system with that much tolerance. It would be like hanging a 300 lb ram in a 100 lb mechanical hammer - you might get away with 130 lbs but not a whole lot more.

We live in a semi-rural area with a bit of property. We raise poultry/livestock so I process a lot of our own meats and make several types of cured and fresh sausage. I also perform contract hay baling services for many of my neighbors. I enjoy cooking and we typically host get-togethers several times a month, which range from 8-16 friends/family members who live in our immediate vicinity. My wife is an amazing seamstress, who teaches quilting and other sewing subjects to both adults and children.

I used to work with a guy who was a play actor in the Texas Renaissance Festival that takes place in Plantersville every year. He asked me to make a pair of Indian katars (push daggers) for his character. Me being me, I made real blades and handles. After they were completed, I held them in my hands and a little shiver ran through me - I shuddered to think what would happen if someone were carrying a pair of these in a dark alley...I turned the daggers over to my co-worker and very seriously told him to never pull them out in public. I have made a few hunting knives since then but swore a private oath to never again produce items that were solely intended as weapons.

The plastic covers generally have pivot screws to hold the half-globes that cover the U-joints then the long sleeves slip off - but there are many designs. With regard to the stuck telescoping driveshafts, did you use any lube prior to assembly? If not, you might try some light aerosol along with force. You might also have better luck using a come-along between posts to put a steady pull on the joint - rather than yanking on it with the tractor. Put a good load on it then tap with a hammer. My neighbor parked his auger for a full season and the fire ants got inside it - he brought it over to my shop and I had to heat the driveshaft to a dark red in the forge (twice) before it would turn loose. A little bit of trash will cause all types of problems.

I believe the habit of dovetails (for dies) are primarily a carryover from the days of cast iron. Steel holds threads better than cast iron so a few bolts are all that's needed.

Why not just bolt on the dies and skip the intermediate dovetail?

A very worthy project - and obviously a labor of love from you. I haven't seen a huge number of patch knives but the few I've made for my personal use have a single bevel and not much point. The flat side cuts closely against the muzzle of the gun; I make them for a right handed person (since I yam wun...). Your pattern could be dual bevel and multipurpose - both for patch cutting and small utilitarian tasks around camp.

Very nice - exquisite work!