aessinus

Did you intend to type "no more than 1/3"...? Just my two shillings, try to pickup some old 3/8 & 1/2" pawn-shop bits & practice regrinding & drilling mild steel. When you can refurbish them reliably, get some split-point cobalts, run them slow & watch how they cut in different materials. Cutter grinding is a useful skill in itself.

I like it. The chain edging should prevent chisels & whatnot from vibrating off the shelf; still lets the grime & filings be brushed out. If it's welded solid at alternating links, you may wind up using it for handy twisting holes on small stock. Consider that little gem stolen.

Do you happen to have that original image or source? I'd like to have it color printed on mylar for my shop. It would greatly reduce some of my explanations.

Engineering manager in aerospace composites with tool fab department and equipment/facility maintenance duties too. Keeps the days interesting. I was very lucky to start my professional career as a summer coop tool design/mfg engineer in '80. A couple years after graduation, I inherited the tool fab shop & machine maintenance, Lots of one-off, blacksmith solutions to keep "unique" production equipment running. My grandpa got me interested in smithing almost fifty years ago; I still use some of HIS grandfather's tongs. top/hardy tools and a small 1# straight pein (very sentimental about that one). My son is an engineer now & we enjoy building prototype stuff for work & repair projects for friends on evenings/weekends.

Wife will love that. Thanks for the verification on the files. Good to see I'm not the only one to find the awesome that is Brownell's

All John's adverbs. Very striking. Did you use checkering files on the handle?

Ditto here. Looking to make one for my maintenance shop for occasional use and I foresee having to "store" the prototype at home.

Good to see you back! I seem to recall a common work interest in fair sized airplanes...?

Less than $2/lb for the pair? Great score

Armadillos are excellent...grilled

1981Eagle , that is a slick elegant design. Nicely done! If you are able (work stuff) Kozzy , please do post your paper in blueprints or the member gallery or somewhere. Sounds like interesting reading I might recommend to a young engineer I know....

This is why I shouldn't read at my desk during lunch. Took half of break to clean up the snorted/spit coffee.

Was going to ask, but you beat me to it. My lad always asks me, trust me, not a "get" ,it's an honor to be asked.

I duplicated my branding iron from high school welding into a couple of touchmarks from old allen wrenches. Straightened/annealed in kitty litter for the mill/file work then re-hardened. Work a treat. The small one (1/4" hex) I cut with an .06 ball-end and filed the last details with needle files. The 1/2" I used a 1/8 BE mill to dykem lines . No CNC, just cut to a line & filed. Test-driven in alum plate to verify the finished mark. A few trys to get the edge geometry; finally settled on an 80-90 degree on the business edge & they've held up for a few hundred uses. As Glenn mentioned, a bottom index keeps you from fumbling. A grind across the held end for bottom naturally lines up in your thumb pad.

Thanks Jim, consider that quote stole & then some.

Oxyacetylene. Not a cutting torch, but a brazing/welding tip. I can check size next time I'm in the tool shop today. My suggestion is not a definite, I generally only use the stuff for pit hinges. What size chain? If we have a bit in the "raw materials" scrap pile I can try a demo.

Ditto! And the pipe stand, sand filled would be awesome.

Kozzy's TIG rec. made me think of O/A with a small tip. That's what I use for wee tiny stuff like jewelry & miniatures.

My shop is a open three sided lean-to, so when the horse is out to mow, she wanders through & knocks things about, including tumping the anvil over occasionally. The pig wanders through in search of petting or goodies anytime we're working. The armadillo has a burrow in the back corner & I always check for rattlers when I move anything at ground level. A surprise will make me knock the anvil over...

Bare-handed & tongs. Slack tub to cool things a bit, but no gloves, (or boots except in winter). Steel shop & lime rock gravel floor is too blasted hot. My slack tub has a hose trickling all the time for the dogs, horse, pig, so I can just step in when I get over-heated. I use a heat shield when I'm welding at work; alum fries gloves faster than you can go fetch more.

I recalled that picture. 5th reply, 2nd picture.

Not to push an agenda, but Alec's class videos show a good bit more tool/equipment detail, if you can get around his enthusiasm & comedy.. Forging 4: stock to a sledge head is just awesome. I think the lad was giggling with glee. That 20cwt is a beast. Too bad the 40cwt ain't working; a trip to see that would be better than a cruise.

Also, 2 holes below jaws for add-on pipe jaws maybe?

Well, now I have to go take all four vises apart..... Thank you once again for the explanation & photos. I had no idea. Size-wise, I have a 4", 4-1/2", 5" at home & bought a short heavy 6" for the maintenance shop at work. For light filing of blades or similar, I actually prefer my bench mount saw vise. Was my grandfather's vise to file his cross-cut & 2-man. Been using it for work/pleasure for 40+ years. I have a fair few vises. This one was rather a personal challenge & the plan is to make it semi-portable for the instances we need it at work. Amazing what forklifts will "modify" by inexperienced drivers. I can always easily thin the jaws, add width extensions etc. without the nagging notion of messing with a piece of history. Besides, I had everything as found items, except for the spherical washer sets. Guess I get to go in search of a tapered reamer for the hinge or make a drift....

Alec Steel posted a youtube tour of the Eveleigh Locomotive Workshop in Sydney. Very drool-worthy, especially the steam driven hammers. Well worth the time to watch.