arftist

This is a tough one Charlotte. What makes it so difficult is mostly the circular shape. What ever method you use, tig or torch brazing, stick or torch with cast iron rod, you will face the same problem. Imagine your piece was a flat bar, broken in half. You heat it, weld it, whatever, and it expands whatever amount it needs to as a result of that heat. Now take the same flat bar and form it into a circle. Heat it at one spot(weld, braze, whatever, the iron expands from the heat, only it is restrained by itself, and being brittle and non maleable, it just breaks somewhere else. Not that it can't be done, I just want you to understand the forces or problems you are dealing with. The solution is pre-heat, post heat, slow cooling. Since you mentioned methods of repair which would not be good color matches, I asume you will paint it. The best repair would be square cast iron rods and torch welding, but also the most difficult and not needed since you are not worried about color match. Just so you know, 7018 stick and 70 series mig wire will also weld cast iron and give good color match. You already eliminated Nickel stick repair, with your asumption that the metal is too thick. This leaves tig-brazing(equipment not available) and finaly torch brazing. To start, find the terminus of the crack. Drill a small hole at the very end of the crack, between a 1/16 and an 1/8" diameter. Find a way to heat the pot. A charcoal grill would do nicely. If there were no other method, a wood fire on the ground wood work. Clean the joint with a wire brush. Vee it just a little bit, just from the outside. Close the crack using several turns of bailing wire if possible. The wire will need to remain untill the repair is complete, so don't run it where you will be brazing. Heat the pot to a black heat or thereabouts. Have an area ready to work, consisting of either enough fire bricks to support the pot, or if nothing else, a bed of DRY sand. Once the pot is sufficiently and uniformly warmed, remove to you prepared work area. Perform your repair, all the while playing your torch over the rest of the pot ocasionaly to maintain temp. Upon completion of repair, return to heat source and allow to get evenly good and hot, but not so hot as too melt your brass. Bury in dry ashes, or dry sand, allow to cool . If you have to, you can wrap with fiberglass insulation, but the glass will burn some and doesn't smell good at all. Good luck. If you master the art of repairing cast iron, you may find a good source of work at antique shops.

It is not that hard to replace a seal on a pump. The most important thing is cleanliness. Usualy that type of work occurs in a "clean Room", but you can probably get away with your kitchen table, as long as the lady of the house is not home. Be sure not to install the seal upside down, and the seal should preferably be pushed into place rather than hammered. If you dont have a press, find something darn close to the size of the seal to use as a driver, keep it extremely flat, and gently tap it in, for example, a large deep socket, a pipe coupling, or whatever fits well. Above all, keep all grit and dirt out and never make a dry assembly (oil the parts as you reassemble).

Well, you certainly put some effort in that. NICE JOB! I especialy like the lower brace conecting the three legs. That should really stiffen things up.

Oddly enough, that is what I do also. I do mark my stainless and brass- bronze drops though. Not cool to think you are drilling 303 and it is really 316

I guess I should have qualified my answer a bit. I work at a large fab shop (over 30 employees). We patina almost every thing we make. It all gets sandblasted first. Sometimes we damage a finnish a bit doing an install. Guess what? We sandblast it and repatina it. In the field

Well I wouldn't want a forge in a basement for all of the above reason, but mostly due to worry of fire. Thats why I said reverse it. The point about have the anvil on the earth is a good one though.

Nice stuff Grant. Thanks for sharing the process. Some how I remember stuff like that when I am trying to do something new and it's not working.

You can't forge 360 anyway, it is 38 percent zinc and 3 percent lead. IF there is any beryllium at all, it would be an accidental trace amount that they probably have to list for liability reasons. If not, me and every other machinist that work brass are all goners, because 360 is easily the most commonly machined brass. Now actual Beryllium Copper, that is another story altogether. Stay far away from that stuff. If you want to forge brass, get naval brass or silicon bronze. Either forges well.

You will probably have to sand blast the before aplication

I use a 1/2 '' thick conveyor belt under my hammer. Got it free somewhere. I used wegde anchors for bolts. I put rubber donuts made from truck tires, then big flat washers, then nuts. Keeps the hammer from being able to work on the bolts if it jumps, which it does. The upstroke of the tup lifts the whole machine a bit when it is full out. I have had it on three different slabs and hasn't cracked one yet. When I drill thew slab for bolts, I drill all the way through. Then I can drive the bolt down and patch over the top if I want to move.

Thanks for answering Thomas. What would be a good cheap apropriate steel for me to just buy a length of?

Reverse your thinking. Wood shop in basement, forge above.

I am soon to aquire a small Acorn platen table, with no tooling. Acorn gets $72 each. Any one have any good ideas for either recyclabe or reasonable priced new steel? At work I seldon use more than 3 or 4 holdowns at a time. I HATE buying tool steel, when so much goes to the junkyard every day. Thanks for any and all input.

Paint the ends.

Wow, what an awesome reuse. Recycling at it's finest. I don't know much about olivers, but it seems as if you also reworked and simplified the acuating system as well. Kudos.

How will you know if it is truly in good shape? Look at post 3 above. These hammers can be as much as 100 years old, and some may have been used for decade after decade, nonstop. On the other hand, they were still being built until about 1995, so it may be mint. I once found one that had never struck steel. It was used by a basket maker to spinter wood, and was just a few years old. Naturaly, It was sold within hours. I am pretty sure the people who took over little giants' remains can tell you what year it was built. If it really is in good condition, it is a very good price.

Stewart Marshall describes the difference between single phase and three phase as being akin to the difference between a single cylinder engine and a multicylnder engine. With welding machines there is a notedly smoother and more consistant arc.

Also try the 1/2" stock. It will hold the heat longer and it must be very hot to upset.

Nice design, good workmanship.

The tap would make the die. Not that difficult really.

Did you single point it or is it a cut down bolt? Either way, you are an inspiration. Thank you.

I think it is worth doing. Posts vices are pretty available now, but they won't be forever. Our industrial archeology is disapearing fast. I suggest a first pass with stainless steel, idealy 309, but 308-16 will do, followed by a cap of 7018. I am sure there are other methods, but this has worked well for me on posts vices.

Trades that can contribute to the knowledge of a future Master Blacksmith are... all of them! Plumbing, carpentry, electrician, mason, HVAC, cabinet maker, rigger, truckdriver, sawyer, mechanic, sheet metal, ironworker,welder, machine shop, auto body, even working as a plaster or drywall mudder, will add an understanding of surfaces and fairing, both very needed skills of the master metal worker. Additionaly, especialy these days, computer knowledge, drafting, engineering graphics, design etc. are all usefull. Meanwhile, practice what you have been taught by some means.

Interesting. Knock on wood, I have yet to have a problem with the solenoid valve. Maybe because I use a regulator?

Yes Frosty, Well said, indeed.