NeatGuy

I have one of these machines. I use it when I need a bunch of parts now and do not have time to wait to get them plasma cut. They are portable and VERY useful. I have cut parts up to 3" thick with this machine. I will make a video of it in operation in the morning and post it when I get home. brad

Nice thanks! I think I may have to build me one of those rivet heaters. I usually save old microwaves to get the magnets from the magnetron but now I have a new use for them. brad

I like it! I saw a guy heating rivets with a spot welder. I would be interested if this spot welder could heat up a 1/4" rivet. brad

The Wii controller spews the data from the accelerometers at random times so using standard signal processing algorithms is out of the question. All you can expect to get from the Wii controller is that you are hammering and an idea whether it is fast or slow. Also MEMS accelerometers are inherently noisy so it is difficult to get good or even ok spacial accuracy, think of the amount of error after integrating twice (once for velocity and twice for distance). Gravity is also a big impediment to using dead reckoning for localization when using an accelerometer alone. I would ditch this approach and explore using two or three good cameras and opencv. brad

Renato Muskovic makes two sizes 375# and 640# they are great anvils at reasonable prices pm me for contact info. brad

There is also a small mechanical shear/nibbler that may be worth salvaging. (first set of pictures second to last). Looks like photo ops here as well. You do not see abandon buildings like this too often, there is a lot of history here. Many big shops like this had platens in the floor. brad

Clamping does not always help. There is a lot of stress left in the weld even after cooling. I have seen very large weldments that were perfectly square get stress relieved simply by the vibrations and movements of the delivery truck. They arrive out of square and need to be repaired. In addition to the already mentioned techniques. Backstep and skipstep welding can really make a difference. With backstep weld in the opposite direction of travel ie: if you are progressing from left to right down the bar, weld from right to left. Skip step simple skip very second or third weld. then come back an do this again. You can also peen the weld with an air chisel as it cools this will help to stress relieve it so that the contraction of the weld metal will not be so pronounced. These techniques are particularly helpful for large weldments that can not be restrained. brad

A common method that I have seen and periodically use is to turn the torch up and rub the tip on a piece of wood, once the wood is good and chard turn on the cutting o2 and continue rubbing the torch tip on the wood. Some say that the popping that occurs dislodges stuck particles.I can not say for sure if this is the case but I have had good luck cleaning tips with this method. Depending on the wood It also makes the shop smell good. brad

I feel that my 2 cents are warranted here. When I first decided to smith professionally I struggled with the same issues as most smiths, how can I get commissions? I tried advertising, web , trade shows, and sometimes even craft shows. I found that this attracted home owners and builders. Both groups tend to nickle and dime you to death. Home owners want what you have to offer at bargain basements prices and builders want it cheap and try to leverage you by informing you his buddy next door, who has a welder, can do it cheaper. This is all well and good for hobby smiths but if you are planning on making a living this is not a good path; it gets old fast. A friend who is commercial artist suggested that I target architects. This made a lot of sense to me they are, after all, the ones who create the concepts of the buildings being built. Home owners often see some things in architectural magazine they think they love which does not fit their home. You can waste a lot of time trying to tweak their design to make them happy and it will never fit. Builders ideas don't coincide with the home owner the next thing you know you aren't getting paid. Architects know what custom work should cost. So how to make the architect connection ? Like any other professional organization they have their get togethers , agms, etc. Usually, more interested and driven architects tend to take interest in these meeting, these are the people you want to know. Approach the organization and ask if you could present. You will get better quality commissions than anywhere else. Brad

Start by making a wooden buck,At each station wrap paper onto the section to see where you need to shrink or stretch you material. Look into metal shaping; custom car people have a good handle on this sort of construction. A Pulmax or Trumpf mechanical nibbler would really help for the bulk of your metal shaping then add the detail with hand hammers. brad

Renato was the one who asked me. brad

A friend of mine asked if I knew who made this gate (Vancouver BC). It feels like Jake James. If anyone know please let me know. thanks brad

A friend phones and says he knows some one with a lathe for sale. I phone the guy and he wants $500. When I arrive to check it out; it turns out to be a rare Holbrook c16 (16x48) tool room lathe. I have been looking for a DS&G lathe but this is as good or better. It needs a little tlc but otherwise it is in pretty good shape. brad

I think it exists!

25# Canadian Giant

This Saturday I was able to bring some of my machines to my new shop. It has been a long process building it and it was satisfying seeing some of my machinery finally come home. My Standard Modern radial arm drill. Elliot Invicata shaper. I still have a lathe, a nibbler and a few others to move not to mention connect the power, insulate and drywall. It was a good day and I thought I would share. brad

As a fabricator I find that it is a common belief that overkill is a good way to overcome lack of understanding of the problem. Less weld equates to less distortion. While it is important to make good solid welds; over welding can make a weldment un-necessarily strong while distorting your weldment and make nearly impossible to repair. 3" of 1/4" fillet weld is roughly equivalent to a 3/4 a325 structural bolt. There are several techniques that you can use to prevent or compensate for distortion some have already been mentioned by DSW. Distortion control is all about balancing of forces created by weld shrinkage. Backstep stitch weld when possible. Backstep skipstep is even better. When dealing with HSS always weld too the centre, this will keep the weld shrinkage forces in balance. Hss is also difficult to heat straighten (but not impossible) so try to avoid welding along the edges and weld the edges last. Use bracing and strongbacks when necessary. Weld opposite side of tacks. Sometimes peening the weld (especially on plate) will stretch the weld enough to compensate for the shrinkage. No mater what precautions are taken sometimes post weld stress relief or heat straightening must be used. brad

I have a height restriction in my area. To maximize the height I choose to use rafters instead of trusses. Instead of using an engineered wood beam for the ridge beam I choose a wide flange steel beam. The beam was selected to, not only, accommodate the static and dynamic load of the roof but also carry a 1 ton load at centre of the span. There are also two 1/2 ton x 10' jib cranes that mount onto the columns. They would be up but, as you can see, I haven't even go power yet. I hope to have everything finished before winter as I have a lot of tools that want to move in to their new home. brad

Glass likes to have oxygen present. Lack of oxygen produces black discolourations in the glass. Foreign substances also tend to promote devitrification. When I fuse glass I heat at about 100deg / hour for 2 hours then 600deg / hour for 3 hours at 960 deg you can crank the heat up to get a complete fuse or a tack fuse. If I am going to manipulate the glass while it is soft I have second kiln running at about 960 deg so the glass will retain its shape but not cool too quickly. I can put each item into the kiln as I form it. When completed I running the annealing program to allow and let it cool to room temp. Depending on the size of the object I will anneal between 8 and 12 hours I have a program in my kiln for annealing. I find that stainless steel has a similar COE (coefficient of expansion) as the glass I use; I have some frequently used molds made of stainless. If glass cools too quickly it will fracture this can be seen in the glass with a polarized filter. Interesting effects can be created by using glass "frit" (powdered glass). Frit is readily available with a known COE. Also many colours and mesh sizes. For inlay applications we would not have to worry about the glass fracturing while it is heating. Due to the small mesh of the glass frit may actually melt in the presence of the hot metal rather than heating it in the forge. here is an example of a small pane of glass I made for a project where glass frit is used. broken bits are placed between two pieces of cut glass and the voids are filled with glass frit.

I have a friend who hand cuts files (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XBmJrhoK1g) I could probably get some detailed photos of his tools if anyone is interested. brad

Sweet ... How many cubic feet are those tanks ? I just bought a Lincoln STT welder and have been using CO2 instead of 85/15. brad

How can one be good and still get coal for Christmas ? brad

I have a Trumpf machine it is similar but much larger it will shear and nibble > 5/16 from the edge. You need a lower tool holder that is is in line with the top tool holder. It looks like you machine is setup to shear so the bottom tool holder is offset from the top. These machine are great for working tubing. I used to make a lot of door skins from 18ga with joggling dies I wish I had some example to show. Is the stroke adjustable ? My machine has a variable speed pulley to adjust the speed I would add a vfd to your machine it would add a lot more control for free form work. When my shop is finished I will make some videos to demo these very versatile machines. brad.

Do only have the offset tool holder? Because you can only shear with that tool holder. brad

If his bones get strong enough maybe he could do away with a hammer altogether. He may have a problem pounding on hot metal though.