petere76

DC, As an alternative suggestion to the variable speed motor and controler arrangement, try going with your basic 120220 V 1.5 HP motor and 2 matched step pulleys. The speed range will obviously be fixed to the pulley sizing but the electronic control hassel you are experiencing will be eliminated. Ask yourself, do you really need the infinite adjustment of speed control you get from the fancy controller? if you do, the price will be the cost of a fabricated or purchased motor controller. If the cost outweighs the benifit, go with the pulley arrangement. The most expensive Baldor sander with variable HZ drive and the simplest home build sander with pulleys both grind metal very effectively. You are essentially balancing form, function and price against your needs and resources. No matter which way you choose to go, in the end you will have a great tool. Good luck. Peter

Gents, 8 in HD post vice, mounted on a 12x6 section of structural tubing with a 1 inch top cap. New paint job for IFI presentation. Peter

Very nice, I like the rivets. Aren't those little critters entertaining. I watch them outside the kitchen window when I do dish duty, always entertaining. Peter

D Craven, Pics are in IFI under the title 2x72 belt sander build. Not sure how to copy the internal link but its a quick search. Peter

Dcraven, Sorry to hear about your wife's difficulty. Spare cash always an issue when you have med bills rolling in. Certainly hope all goes well for you guys. The two points of contact I mentioned. The no weld design has 1 large and 1small contact wheel. They stretch the belt across the platen. The tubing with the wheels on either end rotates on a central pivot. Thus you have 3 position options, the flat platen with the wheels above and below. Or, either the small or large wheel protruding. We built ten of these units at the NESM with Dereck Glazer in the summer of 2012. They utilized 1.5 HP 120/220 V 60 Hz mtrs to keep the cost reasonable. I will try and take some pics in the shop today so you can see the pivoting wheel arrangement. Peter

We have 4 anvils in the shop with a mix of hardy sizes. We keep a box of angle iron shims to accommodate different tooling. Occasionally I have to heat the angle shims and seat the tool to get a good tight fit. Make sure your tooling extends out far enough so you can tap it out if you have to. Peter

DC, In regard design, consider the (2) pivoting points of contact design. By buying the two Beaumont machine wheels and arranging the two to pivot, you get a lot of versatility. The fixed one position arrangements are stout but they limit your options. Look at the no weld design and work off that concept. You ate still working inside of the 72 in limits so there are only so many ways you can go. You can easily beef up the components and weld them together. The only draw back on tubing is that you have to hand file the interior seam to make everything work. If you are faced with this procedure, weld a handle on each end of the file so you can get some decent leverage. This technique will save you some time and minimize the aggravation. I have a 72 in (welded) in the shop and it works great, very versatile. The belts do the work but the surfaces ( 2 rounds and the flat platen) are central to the processing different shapes. You will use the flats all the time to square different pieces. Good luck. Peter

AG24, The railings looks great. I have seen some of the best iron work in churches. Yours fits in just fine. Did you lead or epoxy the uprights into the marble? How far down did you have to go? The stand alone hand rails are tough because they want to wobble a bit. No real lateral stability because there is no opposing support structure. On the long run iron fences they always have angled tie backs of sorts to counter that vector. Peter

Matt, In my opinion, air (blown) gas forges are the way to go. Comes down to piping , a blower, a needle valve regulator and your own creativity. The units reach welding temp fast, consistently and they are easy to build. In comparison, we have an old NC tool forge in the shop that works well enough for quick heats but it doesn't really get up to welding temp and the interiors degrade quickly when in use. The plus side on these Venturi rigs is that the expense to manufacture is low and they are not too heavy. The design choices for you the builder include, shell materials and insulating media. Also any auxiliary fittings you may want to add The media can be solid castable or fiber layering depending on your preferences in regard weight and portability. A few fellows on IFI have great forced air forged designs and there are plans available. This way you can get ideas on size and materials. I believe the New England Blacksmiths have planes for a good heavy duty solid castable blown forge that will last a lifetime . The point of contact is the Ball and Chain Forge ( Bob Manard), Portland Maine. NEBA has a meet coming up in Sept at their facility in Brentwood, NH. They may have one there you can check out. A good serviceable forge is critical to your shop. Don't spare the research, that way you will get what you need and only have to build it once. Good luck with the project. Peter

Kustom, Excellent work sir. Thank you for sharing your technique and photos . I am confident your client is very happy. Peter

Like an old warrior that grave it all....honor the past. Who in our ranks doesn't have great old tooling or forgings proudly displayed? Great shop deco.. Peter

Knots, In follow up. Hydraulics storage tanks are obviously vented. Outside air has moisture content. In systems without dedicated cooling loops the tank walls become the cooler surface. The heat generated is substantial and depending on the system op pressures and op cycle, things warm fairly quickly. Lacking a cooling loop you increase system capacity to accommodate the heat transfer rate. Also keep in mind the expansion factor, size the tank so that you have enough room for the added volume of hot vs cold medium. You don't want the rig warming up and dumping oil on you deck. Sounds like you are doing the right research, good luck with your build. Peter

Knot, In regard using the structural tubing for oil storage. Yes it will work. However, the units I have seen that use this design have issues with system contamination ( rust, debris and water from condensation). In industrial applications acid attack due to moisture contamination is a big issue. On ships we try to pickle all the hydraulic system components that have been repaired to help mitigate the rust and debris factor. We are always fighting the moisture because of the temp differential between the hot oil and the cooler surrounding metal structures, i.e. the surface condenser effect. Most home build hyd systems will suffer this same effect. As to the leaking weld scenario, I would suggest a 6011 root pass to assure it is tight. That method works good for us. Peter

Junker, Shipping containers make inexpensive and great secure storage., 20's, 40's, 45's. Most are 8 ft x 8ft and that makes for a small dance floor width wise. You can arrange them in any number of configurtions that will allow an outside covered area. keep in mid they (dry storage units) are made of corten steel. If you are going to do any mods, use e-7018. The boxes arent pretty but they are functional, particularly if you are operating in a remote location. Good luck. Peter

Tubbe, Nice work. I favor the fully welded hinges over the tuck and roll style, they are both stronger and cleaner looking. Peter

In the spirit of outdoor celebrations, I made two custom fire pit pokers this week. The handle sizes are different to accommodate the recipient. They are hefty and they work well. 4 piece, 3/8 in, basket twist/ 1/2 in shaft/ 51 in and 48 in LOA/ oil finish. Peter

I like die grinders for tight spot finish work and controled grinding. We keep a Mikata in the rack with the hand held grinders. You should be wearing eye protection and the full face shield when operating these things. It's a good tool but they are tricky to use. They require a steady hand and you have to be careful about the chips they throw. As an advisory, the chips migrate from everywhere they land, your clothes, beard, hair etc. They accumulate like drifted snow on surfaces near the project. These chips are sharp, jagged and prone to flight so whenif you are using air tools be extra careful. Also, take note when shaking out your jacket, cover or cleaning off the bench. I have been to the eye doc to have these things extracted and it is not fun nor is it cheap. Peter

Mr. Thibeau, Well done sir, you are truly a class act and thank you for thinking of others. All the best. Peter

No video access in the great PX, guess we will have to head to Mexico to watch it. As to the child labor, Mexico has nothing on the Mid East garden spots when it comes to exploiting kids. I have seen kids as young as ten working at pounding and polishing brass in pakistan. Over there, child labor is business as usual. Peter

Gents, Quick tong rings, cut off a slice of square tubing in the appropriate size. Use the vice to control squish one side until you get the exact size you need. I use these quick and easy rings al the time, they work great. Under the power hammer, rings on the tongs are a very good idea. You don't want anything coming adrift when you are smacking it with 50 lbs at 300 BPM and you are standing next to it. Many of us work alone and anything we can to limit the potential craziness is a good thing Peter

Mandolin, Almost anything will work to redirect the smoke. In regard getting sheet fabricated, consider a shop that does duct work. Industrial ventilation fabricators have the toling and the skill set you are looking at. They fab all sorts of transitions for ducting. Cost should be minimal because there is not all that much material involved. Do a simple layout on cardboard and you will have a working model of what you want fabricated. Good luck with your project. Peter

Gents, Quench tank, quick and easy.... Military surplus, M2 , 50 cal, vehicle mounted, ammo cans. The Ma Duce is the gold standard for bad neighborhoods and these ammo cans make excellent sealable storage containers. After humping these things around, I would never of thought that they would have such a useful second life. They have a tight fitting cover with gasket for quick and effective fire suppression. Additionally, they are deep and long enough to accommodate a wide range of sizes. We keep one in the shop filled with marine grade hydraulic fluid. Works well for our needs and it doesn't present any storage or hazmat issues. Peter

Gents, Is there a benefit to mounting the commercial clinker breaker with the flat side up or the edge side up? We have a forge with the flat side on the fire side and the edge side on the air side. No appreciable air loss and the forge works well enough, just wondering if there is a consensus for mounting in a particular direction. Peter

Basher, Outstanding work sir. You are setting the bar. Also, you supply us with great pics, I like the fire and iron contrast. Thanks for both. Peter

Griley, Location....not many folks make big money in Fl, they come with it when they move there from elsewhere. Fitting words of wisdom from a retired plumber I know. If you want the long dollar for labor, move to the industrial growth areas and hit it hard. Be advised, the living is not cheap or easy in any regard. However, if properly situated you will be rewarded and can, in time be free to pursue the heart's desire. If you prefer to perfect your skills at a chosen trade, be the journeyman. Move about and work for and with masters and those you deem experts in the field. We all learn from experience and we hone our skills by watching the pros. Discipline and perseverance are required in large amounts because this pursuit powered by 100 percent self motivation. Take your time, have a plan and be committed. I wish you the best in whatever path you decide to embark upon. It has been said that fortune favors those that plan, have strength and are bold. Good luck. Peter